Day 110 - Jefferson to Perry - Two Far 2021 - Sooo... Far - CycleBlaze

July 27, 2021

Day 110 - Jefferson to Perry

The heat and gravel win

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Our plan for today was to ride from Jefferson to Ames, traveling 50 miles on trails and 14.5 on local roads.  It was a long route, but with so much of it trail, we didn't think it would be too hard.

After a convenience store breakfast, we left Jefferson on the Raccoon River Trail.

On the way to the trailhead, we passed this conveyor piling grain into the open storage area. A front end loader was scooping it up and loading it into the trailer in the background.
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Another Jefferson sight was this old filling station. (Remember when everyone called them that?)
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Keith A. SpanglerYes, I remember…. That station is nice.
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2 years ago

The Raccoon River Trail has a spur that ends in Jefferson.  

The Jefferson trailhead
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Trail entrance
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This section of the trail is badly in need of resurfacing. The asphalt was very cracked and broken.
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At the store before we left town, a man told us that the trail had been closed for bridge repair, but was now open.  He thought the barricades might still be up, but the paving had been finished.  A few miles down the trail, we came to the "bridge closed" sign, but rode on, hoping for the best.  

We rode past this cool old truck after the bridge closed sign. We would soon see it again!
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When we got to the bridge, it was really closed.  There was no way to get across.  A man working there was quite angry with us for being there  and while Kerry was walking on the bridge to see if we could get the bike across, he told me he  could do his f'ing job if we would get out of his f'ing way.  I was very glad when Kerry got back and we could ride away.  (I hate that I didn't get any pictures here.)  There was no marked detour, but Kerry and his outstanding sense of direction found the way.  Unfortunately, it involved two miles on gravel roads.  I just HATE riding on unpaved roads.  I'm always afraid we will fall.  We didn't fall, of course, and rode safely on until we rejoined the route a total of 3.5 miles later.

There was another nice trailhead at Cooper, a few miles farther along, but we decided not to stop there.

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Keith A. SpanglerMean people - sad - maybe someday he’ll find himself in a situation where someone is bitter!
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2 years ago
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We rode on to Jamaica, where Kerry had more luck with a "Closed" sign.

Jamaica, Iowa, home of Tojo's Bar and Grill
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Quite the tropical hangout - but a "Closed" sign in the window.
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Scott AndersonGreat shadow from the bench!
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2 years ago
Jeanna & Kerry SmithTo Scott AndersonThanks!
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2 years ago
Image not found :(
Kerry went to the door and found it unlocked. Inside, he met Tojo, who welcomed us in. We enjoyed a/c, sodas, rest and great conversation.
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Jeanna & Kerry SmithTo Keith A. SpanglerIt was definitely a cool place, with a very cool owner.
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2 years ago
Tojo (Tommi Jo) is a real proponent of the cycling and the trail. She is also a joy to talk with. We appreciate her making us so welcome when she was not really open.
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Image not found :(
These beads coved the entrance to the restrooms and added a real 70's vibe to the place, don't you think?
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Kerry had to call me back to get a picture of the inside of the men's room door. Tojo thought the sign was good for her and her customers!
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Rose SamsonVery good reminder. Simple but it works. People forget we all know that.
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2 years ago
Jeanna & Kerry SmithTo Rose SamsonI thought it was funny that it was only where it needed to be - on the MENS room!
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2 years ago

When we left Tojo's, it was about 10:30 and already well on the way to the high of 95 expected today.  The detour added miles and time to the day.  We started talking about stopping in Perry - only 12 miles away - instead of trying to make it another 48 miles to Ames.  The more we discussed it, the better it sounded. So, that's what we did.  We have a decent motel here and will ride on to Ames tomorrow.  We will be able to take our time and enjoy the Raccoon River and High Trestle Trails tomorrow, still arriving in Ames by early afternoon.  A fine plan, indeed!

The Perry trailhead
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Seth WeitzmanHi Jeanna and Kerry. I’ve enjoyed vicarious bike riding as I follow your adventures. Who knew you could bicycle to Jamaica? Haha.
An update: I initially rode from Seattle to Spokane, then to avoid the “heat dome” sort of turned around and rode westward from Minneapolis through North Dakota and Montana. I made it as far as Missoula, where I found myself surrounded by forest fires and smoke, so I decided it was time to end my journey and fly home to New York. Last week my wife and I rode an old fashioned train from Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, off-loaded our bicycles at a stop, then returned via a bike trail. The occasional ride together with your terrific blog helps me not miss the road too much.
Keep those posts and photos coming. Best, Seth
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2 years ago
Jeanna & Kerry SmithTo Seth WeitzmanIt's too bad that your trip was cut short, but Mother Nature is always going to have the final word! I'm glad that you are home safely and I know your family is happy to see you again. Do you still have that family reunion on the Cape to attend soon?
Kerry and I have ridden the bike trail at Jim Thorpe. I think that's the place where a train passed right beside the trail as we were riding. It was a cool trail.
It was great meeting you. Come see us in Florida sometime.
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2 years ago

Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km)
Total: 4,116 miles (6,624 km)

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Susan CarpenterHi Jeanna and Kerry,
I'm especially enjoying your ride through Iowa - I lived in Ames 30+ years before moving to NC last October. I've done six RAGBRAIs and logged countless miles on the RRVT and the High Trestle Trail. I'm sorry about the inexcusable rudeness you encountered at the closed bridge but you do seem to be experiencing some of the Iowa Nice. Wish I were there to join you on the ride across the bridge and welcome you Ames.
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2 years ago
Jeanna & Kerry SmithTo Susan CarpenterThanks for your comments, Susan. We have always enjoyed our Iowa tours. We've ridden in many parts of the state and this is our third visit to the RRVT and High Trestle Trails. Iowa is full of warm and friendly people and we often comment on how clean it is - it's rare to see roadside trash here. That's sadly unlike my home state of North Carolina where you have just moved.
We've never done RAGBRAI, but many of our cycling friends have and just love it. One friend has done nine!
Ames has been nice so far - we're visiting the Reiman Gardens tomorrow.
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2 years ago