A Mish-Mash of Miscellaneous Observations, Anecdotes, Tourist Information, Road Lessons, Pictures, Videos and Lame Jokes Presented in a Unique Arrangement of Mini-Chapters - Touring DIFFERENTLY - CycleBlaze

September 14, 2022

A Mish-Mash of Miscellaneous Observations, Anecdotes, Tourist Information, Road Lessons, Pictures, Videos and Lame Jokes Presented in a Unique Arrangement of Mini-Chapters

Oelwein, Iowa

Mini-Chapter One:  The Backbone State Park Wrap-Up

Most of the time I was in the park, I had the feeling of having it all to myself.  Other than a few trout fishermen, I can't remember seeing any people outside of their cars.  Even at the campground, everybody else seemed to be hiding inside their big, hard-sided camping vehicles.  As far as I know, there are no bears in this part of Iowa.  Therefore, I have to assume they were hiding from ME and my vagabond appearance and my loud music. 

Part of it might have been that it was a weekday.  Wise retirees like me know that parks get much more use on weekends.  Whatever the reason, I was happy to have my own little corner of solitude.

The only tent in sight
Heart 4 Comment 0
I've been seeing a lot of these green bugs. My initial guess is some kind of aphid, but I have very little insect knowledge to back up that guess. I had a much easier time identifying the most common bug in the campground, namely, the mosquito.
Heart 2 Comment 4
Scott AndersonCool! It looks like it’s a green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris). to be sure, you can disturb it to see if it stinks.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Bill ShaneyfeltTo Scott AndersonNailed it!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Bill ShaneyfeltOoh! Such a cruel thing to do to a stink bug! Serves you right if he stunk on you!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Bill ShaneyfeltTo Scott AndersonI think its scientific name is kind of hilarious... Chinavia hilaris
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Rapunzel's tower from the other side of Backbone Lake. I took this picture just before exiting the state park.
Heart 8 Comment 0

As always, I was excited to be back on the road.  On this day, I was so excited that I made a video of me doing tricks and showing just how excited I was.

I bet you thought I'd never turn back to retrieve my phone, which was recording the video from a bridge railing.  I did ride back for it though, because it would be expensive to replace it.  Like any professional movie director, I edited out the return trip.  Like any amateur director, however, I failed to zoom in a little bit.  It's almost impossible to see me doing the arm waving and the no-handed riding--my best tricks of all.

That failure was easily counteracted by the cricket sounds you can hear throughout the video.  I didn't even discover that feature until I posted it on Youtube.  I mean, can a musical score to a movie get any better than that?  I think not.

Mini-Chapter Two:  An Iowa Road Primer

Iowa roads are often criticized by cyclists for their lack of paved shoulders. I say, use the gravel shoulder on those rare occasions when big trucks are coming from both directions. I had to do that twice today. No big deal, dudes.
Heart 4 Comment 3
Emily SharpI always found Iowa drivers to be quite courteous so never felt unsafe on all the shoulderless roads. Those soft shoulders were generally too soft to be useable though (but I was always riding across IA in spring, too).
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonYou’re so adaptable, and creative! Get off the road? Who else would have thought of that clever little trick! I’ll have to write that down for future reference in case I find myself on a shoulderless road in Iowa someday.

Hey - brainstorm! Do you suppose that would work in France too?
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Scott AndersonIt really does take an ingenious mind to come up with such an idea, and I just happen to have that kind of mind. Thank you for noticing. To answer your question: No, I don't think that maneuver would work in France--you would be prone to crashes due to the mountains, castles, cathedrals, vistas and other distractions.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Sometimes the shoulders are crumbly. In that case, G-2 advises you to take the lane. You're not likely to bring traffic to a standstill.
Heart 0 Comment 0
Iowa roads sometimes have slippery spots. Be careful, lest your tires go flying out from under you.
Heart 0 Comment 0
No Iowa bike tour is complete without a couple miles of gravel road riding--especially when they provide a shortcut. They can be found every mile or two. Enjoy!
Heart 2 Comment 0

Mini-Chapter Three:  The Wonderful Small Towns

The first little town I came to was Dundee (population, 198).  I like the name of the town.  It was probably named after the famous movie star, Crocodile Dundee.  The other thing I like about the town is that, while it's not mighty in population, it definitely has a ton of pride.

Heart 3 Comment 0
The next town was Lamont. It has 429 citizens, a two-block-long downtown area, a liberty bell, and pretty groovy dayglo green fire hydrants. Nice!
Heart 5 Comment 0
About four miles beyond Lamont came Aurora. There are 169 Aurorians according to the 2020 census. I already knew I'd like the town of Aurora because I am a big fan of the Aurora Borealis. While not as spectacular as the colorful light show in the sky, the town had its own charms--like the clock, the Pepsi machine, and the Marshall Oil mural, for instance.
Heart 6 Comment 0

I went a couple miles out of my way to get to Stanley (population, 81).  What can I say about poor Stanley, IA ?  It doesn't have much, but it DOES have one amazing tourist attraction that enticed me to ride a couple miles out of my way.   

Stanley the giant tin man on the left, ME on the right. Wish you were here!
Heart 8 Comment 3
Emily SharpWow, a giant strawberry and a giant tin man in less than 48 hours. You must have been in giant structure heaven.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Scott AndersonOh, now I see why that goofy giant statue we saw a few days ago reminded Rocky oh you!
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Emily SharpYou're right, I was in giant structure heaven. I was also in a wide-open gigantic land. I guess I like how small all that giant-ness makes me feel.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
The ninth, and final, small town on my tour was Hazelton. It could be called a suburb of the big metropolis of Oelwein and it's actually the 2nd biggest town on my tour, with a citizenry of 713. It might also be the shabbiest town on my tour, but at least it has the most nicely painted water tower I've seen.
Heart 3 Comment 0

Mini-Chapter Four:  Beautiful Scenery, Glorious Structures, Gourmet Dining, Amazing Flora and fauna, Historical History, and Other Iowa Wonders

Groovy old schoolhouse.
Heart 4 Comment 0
The owners of this barn seemed to have anticipated the groovy 70's theme of my tour. Peace! Flower Power! Cool!
Heart 6 Comment 0
These friendly Iowa horses not only tolerated my presence, they seemed to enjoy it.
Heart 5 Comment 0
These goats are the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) goats. But the real gem is the little pony grazing among the goats. Hint: The pony is in the middle of the picture.
Heart 3 Comment 0
Betty Boom, meet The Reckless Mr. Bing Bong. Go forth and make your own fireworks.
Heart 4 Comment 0

Early this morning I made the decision to ride back to my dad's house a day early.  Yeah, I knew my mini-tour would be even mini-er than my other mini-tours, but I thought it might be nice to spend the late afternoon with my dad.

Still, I wanted to make another short trip out of my way to check out the campground I'd be missing.  It was in a county park, and it included a National Historic Site.  How groovy is that!

The campground was okay, and I most certainly would have had it all to myself. On the negative side was the infestation of mosquitoes.
Heart 0 Comment 0

I sprayed DEET on my arms and legs and spread the chemical over the rest of my exposed skin.  Then I prepared a nice Iowa lunch.

When it comes to gourmet food, northeast Iowa is usually associated with juicy pork chops and sweet, succulent corn-on-the-cob.  Somewhat out of the ordinary is a great place to enjoy some delicious seafood.  I was lucky to have found such a place.  I was served a great batch of fresh, crispy, fried fish.

The server said it was "goldfish," but to me it looked like Orange Whale Fish.
Heart 5 Comment 0
From my lunch spot, I noticed something else that was orange. Mmmm, I like fresh mushrooms, but I wasn't sure about these. From an early age, I remember my mom warning about poisonous mushrooms. Perhaps somebody out there (Bill?) can tell me if I could have safely sauteed these things over my camp stove.
Heart 3 Comment 4
Scott AndersonSautéing them should be fine because ‘shrooms feel no pain as I understand it. Don't eat them when you’re done though. Just give them a proper burial after you’ve had your fun. Hav G2 read the last rites over them, and take a video.

Oh. And wash out your pan when you’re done.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Bill ShaneyfeltI always hesitate to ID fungi because they are so variable, and even experts have died thinking that they ate something good.

However, this does look like jack-o-lantern mushrooms, which are poisonous.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omphalotus_illudens
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Keith KleinHi,
I agree with Bill. They do look like Jack o lantern mushrooms, but those are usually found growing on stumps or dead logs, and these are in the grass, no sign of a stump anywhere. The only way to be sure is to come back at night to see if they glow in the dark. Real Jacks are bioluminescent and very spooky on a moonless night.
Cheers,
Keith
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Gregory GarceauTo Keith KleinWow, that would be so cool to see them glowing. I wonder if they'd still be there when I go back to Iowa next month.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
The Jakway historic site.
Heart 1 Comment 0
That Jakway guy built the first house in Buchanon County (my fourth county by the way), and here it is many, many years later. I guess that puts it on par with anything you'll find in Europe.
Heart 4 Comment 0
The sand dunes of Iowa's Sahara Desert.
Heart 4 Comment 0
Check out this cluster of rare White Tipped Peace Weed. That's the name I gave it myself. Correct me if somebody else has named it before.
Heart 0 Comment 2
Bill ShaneyfeltMight be amur silvergrass... an invasive.

https://nwwildflowers.com/compare/?t=Miscanthus+sacchariflorus
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Gregory GarceauThanks for the ID on the silvergrass and also on the mushrooms. The links provide some interesting information.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
A peacenik
Heart 7 Comment 2
Keith KleinGet that feather in your hat for weed whacking?
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Gregory GarceauYes, even though that was the only weed I whacked.
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
Heart 0 Comment 0
Heart 2 Comment 0

As I said, I decided to cut this mini-tour short by a day.  I even eliminated  the part where I planned to ride into the Amish country west of Hazelton.  That part would have been pretty redundant since I've written about that area before on my "Debunking the Iowa Myth" journal.  No need to bore you with that again.

So, it was straight north from Hazelton to Oelwein.

Downtown Oelwein. The current population is 5,990, which is about 2,000 less than when I lived there. I guess that's how it goes in the small towns of America.
Heart 3 Comment 0
I want to end this mini-tour journal on a positive note, and this brand new mural in Oelwein is the most positive depiction of Iowa I have ever seen. The colors, the cornfields, the barns, the silos, and the scenery are almost as good as the real thing. Peace!
Heart 8 Comment 0

Today's ride: 36 miles (58 km)
Total: 387 miles (623 km)

Rate this entry's writing Heart 13
Comment on this entry Comment 2
Keith KleinHi,
Good to spend time with your dad while you can. Dads don’t last forever, y’a know!
Cheers,
Keith
Reply to this comment
1 year ago
George HallI'm also a big fan of Iowa for bicycle touring. Especially so since I discovered that Muscatine was once the pearl button capitol of the world - you just never know what secrets and unique history you might find in a town in Iowa. Thanks for doing this journal "differently," it has been fun to follow along (even though I'm actually just now catching up).
Reply to this comment
1 year ago