Red Firetrucks, White Churches, and Blue Skies

RAGBRAI LIII Day One

Iconic Iowa

American flag and firetruck in Dunlap, Iowa

RAGBRAI LIII began this morning, July 19th, at 6am. Ron and Merida rode out of Onawa, Iowa with the plan to cycle across the entire state.

What would we experience of iconic small-town America today?

Merida’s Ride

The day started off with flat roads and cool temperatures. Signposts told of cyclists who had died on their bicycles due to car collisions, and even of natural causes. A mile of silence was observed by riders.

By the time Merida and Ron met up with Catherine and Leonard in Dunlap, Iowa, the temperatures had soared, and the elevation map resembled shark teeth. Merida’s happiest time during the day was a meal that was sold for a fundraiser at the local fire station. Pools for foot and leg soaks were set sup inside the firehouse, and Merida took a dip with other riders as she sipped cold brew coffee and had a ribeye steak.

Throughout the rest of the day, Merida and Ron tried to only purchase drinks and snacks from people doing local fundraising in the tiny towns. They met girls from a softball team raising money for a new dugout. Small children sold lemonade. And churches in every town had something to share for “free will” donations. If you felt compelled to donate, you could donate however much you wanted to.

Catherine’s Drive

A crop duster!

Catherine and Leonard left an hour after Merida and Ron. The fairgrounds support vehicle parking emptied slowly. We had a fraction of the distance to drive that the cyclists had to pedal. Our task was to drive to the meeting town halfway through the route. After making sure our riders were doing well, we headed to the overnight town.

While riders get to see all the small towns along their route, support crews drive on separate roads. We flew past the sights. It’s a different experience.

Pie Report

Catherine had the first pie experience this trip. RAGBRAI has made famous the small town Iowa pie. When Catherine saw a Catholic Church table selling slices of homemade pie, she abandoned Leonard and the puppy and made a beeline for the church ladies. Which kind, from so many choices? Catherine chose cherry pie.

Meetup Town - Dunlap

Small Town of the Day - Westphalia

Church in Westphalia, Iowa

Ron and Merida were pretty tired by the time they reached the magical town of Westphalia. They were greeted by people wearing German folk costumes inviting them to ride their bikes through a tunnel of mist to cool off. A massive, beautiful church was the center focus of town. But beyond it were views of the green Iowa countryside for miles around. Ron and Merida felt the steep climbs they cycled to get there were worth the effort. It was a beautiful, magical place.

Tonight’s Camp

Harlan, Iowa - the day one overnight on the RAGBRAI LIII event.

Today’s Favorite Entertainment

The band Finding Dixie was by far the best entertainment. The passionate singing of the talented girls was incredible. And the musicians accompanying them were worthy of the girls’s voices.

Weather Report

The weather was blissfully cool thanks to cloud cover all morning. At around 10:00 AM, the clouds cooked away to reveal an angry sun. From then on, punishing heat tormented riders. Merida witnessed several people suffer heat stroke, some requiring medical attention from ambulances.

Corn!

Corn crops made up a good portion of the scenery. And Ron was so well hydrated that he had to water the corn three times today. Thankfully, no corn bears were spotted within the stalks. Although there were a few dead ones on the road. Riders showered them with Madi Gras beads in remembrance.

RAGBRAI LIII

• Catherine and Leonard are crewing for Merida and Ron at the 53rd Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa! Our team name is “You may not rest now, there are monsters nearby.”

• Meet Strider and Legolas in furson.

• We’re bringing books and will be happy to sell and sign copies!

Sunday, July 19th - Saturday, July 25th

All day, every day! Check out the route here!

Be sure to subscribe to our Substack! It’s free!

Where to find us:

Catherine’s Website - https://catherinedilts.com/

Merida’s Website - https://merida-creates.com/

Subscribe to our individual Substack newsletters:

Catherine Dilts is the author of the Rose Creek Mystery series. Her short stories regularly appear in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Recently retired from a career in environmental compliance, Catherine now writes fiction full time.

Merida Bass almost wasn’t an artist. Fear of criticism resulted in her teaching remedial algebra to unwilling college students. After ten years of torture, she grew a backbone and threw herself into art, writing, and training for endurance events.

This post is public so feel free to meow it out to the rest of the world.