Day 5 - ending at Maxwell, IA - Iowa on the Tri-speed

July 25, 2013

Day 5 - ending at Maxwell, IA

rode on Raccoon River Valley Trail, High Trestle Trail, Heart of Iowa Nature Trail

Posted via email Fri Jul 26 05:40:01 2013 PDT

I slept-in today to 6:25am. It was a little cool last night, but not bad for sleeping. Got packed. Dried the ground cloth (both sides) at the picnic table at site #1, which was in the sun. Left at 9:09am.

I figured a short ride on the Raccoon River Valley Trail to Perry would get me to a place for breakfast. Arrived at Perry's trailhead at 9:46am. Read some of the information boards, then headed downtown, looking for a restaurant that was open. I wasn't having any luck. I asked one fellow I saw, but he wasn't from here. I was about to give up when I noticed a place on a side street. I asked a worker outside if they were open for breakfast. They were. Turns out I was at El Buen Gusto, a Salvadorean Restaurant. I had coffee and Desayuno Salvadoreno. That filled me up, along with the chips and salsa I kept eating. Left there at 11:00am.

I took to country roads northeast of Perry to get to Woodward, where there's a trailhead for the High Trestle Trail. Wind was from the southwest, so that was helping. Passed through Bouton at 11:50am, and arrived in Woodward at 12:24pm. Started off on the trail going east at 12:49pm. This trail is all concrete, and has an impressive bridge over the Des Moines River. Stopped there for pictures and reading information boards. Continued on, arriving in Madrid at 1:39pm. I diverted off the trail here looking for a place to get a root beer float. Noticed Town & Country Cafe and saw they were open to 2:00pm, so went in at 1:47pm. They don't have root beer floats, but did have root beer and pecan pie. I also got my Klean Kanteen filled with ice water there - all before 2:00pm. Got back on the High Trestle Trail at the east side of Madrid, and continued east to Slater, arriving at the end of this trail (for me) at 2:55pm. The High Trestle Trail continues south, but I'm going east.

I rode a block east and arrived at the trailhead for the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail. This trail is limestone, like the Katy Trail in Missouri. I was surprised to see markings for flood damage on a map posted at an information board. Was the trail even passable? Well, I'll find out. At 3:23pm I stopped at a trail-side picnic table to eat half a bag of Skittles and to check the weather radar - OK for now. Rain was predicted for late afternoon and overnight. The wind was now strong from the south - still not a problem.

I passed through Huxley at 3:55pm, and Cambridge at 4:27pm. Took another break at 4:56pm to finish off the Skittles. The "flood damage" I encountered was mostly places where the limestone gravel had washed together into piles that were too deep to bicycle through. There were also minor washouts, like I've seen on gravel roads. Surprising to me, most of these places seemed to be on higher ground.

Arrived in Maxwell - my evening destination - at 5:50pm. Rode through the park on the town's west side, then on to city hall, where signs in the park stated the camping fee should be paid. There was a slot box by the door, but nothing posted that it was for camping fees. The city's library is part of the same building, and was open. I went in there and asked the librarian if the box was for camping fees. Well, the city clerk was in the library by the front desk just then. She said she would register me next door for camping. Her paperwork said camping without electricity was $7.00, while the signs in the park said $7.50. We went with her form. I asked about a place to eat in town. She said there was just Casey's. I thanked her for registering me after-hours, and started thinking about what I'd get for supper at Casey's.

One other thing to do first. I'd heard, "Lemonade For Sale" as I came into town, so needed to conduct some business at the roadside stand. It was half a glass for "a quarter . . . or a dollar". It was good. On to Casey's. This store has a sub sandwich making area, so I got a 12-inch Turkey Club with everything. Also got chips, chocolate milk, and a large sandwich cream cookie. Back to the campground at 6:21pm, I ate it all except the cookie - I was too full.

After supper I went back to Casey's for a coffee, then worked on the report while trying to decide where to set up the tent. Maybe under this pavilion. The concrete shows signs that muddy water washes over it during heavy rains, but I doubt that it'll rain that much overnight. Teenage boys were nearby listening to music and talking. They left at 10:00pm, when the park closes.

Rain started hitting the tin roof of this pavilion at 11:10pm. That sound (rather than the sound of rain on nylon) should put me to sleep.

Jeff

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Spent: $7.48 plus $2 (breakfast) + $4.82 plus $1 (pecan pie, root beer) + $7 (campsite) + $1 (lemonade) + $13.05 (supper) + $1.17 (coffee) = $37.52.

Day 5 - Dawson, IA to Maxwell, IA

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+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +