Day 8 - ending near Anamosa, IA - Iowa on the Tri-speed

July 28, 2013

Day 8 - ending near Anamosa, IA

rode on Cedar Valley Nature Trail

Posted via email Mon Jul 29 09:05:02 2013 PDT

I woke up thinking I'd left the bathroom light on overnight. I hadn't. It was sunlight coming through the bathroom window, since it was 7:10am! Got dressed and walked over to the motel office for a cup of coffee. Watched the Weather Channel some, then turned it off, since it was slowing me down, and I had a report to write. Got that done (except for the final read-through) and packed up. Got the name and location of a good breakfast-eating place (Vinton Family Restaurant) as I checked out at 10:00am.

As I was starting through the parking lot, I was greeted by one of three girls (Rhonda) who'd also stayed at the motel overnight. She and her friend Jane had just completed RAGBRAI, with support from their SAG driver. They were heading back to St. Paul, Minnesota, and would be, "sleeping in our own beds tonight". I don't remember their SAG driver's name, but she's the person who took the picture of all of us for me. It was exciting meeting RAGBRAI participants who patiently answered questions I had. Rhonda said, "RAGBRAI is about being with friends, not about 'finding yourself' on a quiet road." I took off so they could get their bikes loaded and be on their way home.

Rhonda had mentioned the great bicycling weather we've been having lately, and today was no exception - same sunshine with puffy clouds here-and-there, and cool northwest breeze.

As I rode south on US-218 in the sunshine, it occurred to me that I'd forgotten (for the first time) to put sunscreen on this morning. I arrived at the Vinton Family Restaurant at 10:21am. They were extremely busy, but I found a seat open at the counter. The counter waitress quickly submitted my order: the Hungry Man Breakfast with orange juice and coffee. I was fascinated by the intense action in the kitchen, which I could see from where I was sitting. It was like they were working together in a battle - and winning. The breakfast they made for me was excellent.

After putting on sunscreen outside using the bicycle's rear-view mirror to see what I was doing, I left the restaurant at 11:07am. I ignored my GPS country-road route to Urbana, and instead decided to get there on IA-150. That would have me going north against the northwest wind, but that would be just for a few miles before the highway turned east. In downtown Vinton, I took a picture of the Benton County Courthouse. It looks to me to be quite similar to the Woodford County Courthouse in Eureka, Illinois. North of Vinton, I stopped at Egge Park to see if I could get a picture of the Cedar River I'd just crossed. The path behind the park I was walking on got too overgrown before I could see the river.

Back on my way north, I came to a fellow resting by his bike. Found out his name is Loren. He's been checking out panniers (filled with weights) he'd installed on his bicycle recently. He had been hoping to ride RAGBRAI, but his high school reunion was the same weekend, so he was riding around the area instead. I found out that Loren had worked for a while at a small print shop in Peoria, Illinois. Loren told me about the time he crashed on his bicycle due to a bad curb/gutter design. He'd broken most of the spokes on his rear wheel, and had taken it to Bud at Hall Bicycle Company in Cedar Rapids. It finally dawned on me that this Bud was the same person I'd met on my 2010 Iowa trip to Laurens! It was now after noon, so I said goodbye to Loren and continued on.

I got to the Cedar Valley Nature Trail north of Urbana at 12:52pm. I'd been on this trail before (in 2010), but this time I was going south. Arrived at Cedar Point at 1:50pm, and saw that their museum was open. Went inside and enjoyed looking around. They have on display a water pitcher like my mom has. After I'd seen everything, I went outside and tried calling my wife. She was home this time, and we talked for half-an-hour. It was now 2:49pm, and my wife had figured out I still had 30 miles to go to get to Wapsipinicon State Park near Anamosa, my day's destination. I continued on south. It seemed to me that more of this trail is now paved than I remembered before, and that there are some new underpasses.

I arrived at my place to leave the trail (County Home Road) at 3:49pm. I was thankful this road east has a paved shoulder, because Sunday afternoon "return home" traffic was heavy. At 4:47pm, at IA-13, I lost the paved shoulder, but gained a "Share The Road" sign. Fortunately, traffic was now lighter. I passed through Whittier at 5:13pm. There was some excitement up the road as I approached Viola at 5:50pm. A red tractor was pulling a green tractor out of the mud in the ditch. The green tractor driver was receiving with a smile "comments" from his friends - even more so once I started taking pictures.

I was getting into hills now, which makes for such a pretty countryside. It also reminded me that I'd better not take off on gravel county roads in this area. I arrived at the entrance to Wapsipinicon State Park at 6:35pm. Noticed a pedestrian bridge over the Wapsipinicon River, so took a picture. Lots of people here fishing. It was an uphill walk for me to the campground. I arrived here and had picked my campsite (#25) by 6:59pm. Got set up, then ate supper at 7:45pm.

I sent an email message to Kris asking if there's camping at Maquoketa Caves State Park. I think my planned sixty-six mile day tomorrow may be too ambitious, considering the hills I'm seeing. Started on report, but I'm falling asleep. Tomorrow morning I'll be thinking clearer.

Jeff

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Spent: $9.26 plus $2 (breakfast) + $2 (museum donation) + $11 (campsite) = 24.26.

Day 8 - Vinton, IA to Anamosa, IA

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