There Will Be Grasshoppers
RAGBRAI LIII Day Seven - The End
Iconic Iowa
Dubuque, Iowa, and the Mississippi River
The End. The RAGBRAI LIII bicycle ride across the state of Iowa reached its completion in Dubuque at the Mississippi River on July 25th.
Merida’s Ride
Looking remarkably refreshed after the grasshopper invasion
Night 6 of RAGBRAI LIII wasn’t the worst, but it was close. The fumes from outgassing RV generators gathered in the gravelly dust bowl set up for camp, and by morning, the area smelled absolutely toxic. Ron and Merida had set their tent up a little outside of the area in a pokey patch of weeds on the edge of a drainage ditch.
Legolas takes a much needed rest after hunting grasshoppers.
But it was the grasshoppers that were the worst part. Catherine’s kitten, Legolas, tried his best to thin the population. But even the mighty kitten warrior couldn’t make a dent in their numbers. They landed on everything and just sat on stuff, benignly looking bored until someone activated their freaky hopping again, startling Merida in the process. After a rough night beneath bumbling grasshoppers scaling the tent, enjoying the not so soothing sounds of the nearby highway, Ron and Merida mounted their bikes and rode off into a misty rain.
Merida sets out on her last ride of RAGBRAI LIII, looking at a tent city.
On the road, Ron asked Merida if she was ready for RAGBRAI to be over. She certainly acted like it, complaining about how tired she was every few turns of the peddles. Her left finger went numb a couple days into the event, and stayed that way. Her neck and shoulders muscles are as tight as corncobs. Her saddle area is . . . Yeah.
Masses of riders departing Dyersville on Day 7 of RAGBRAI LIII
However, Merida said seven days was the perfect amount of time. It was long enough to be ready to go home, and short enough that it didn’t become her daily lifestyle. Setting up camp and sleeping, tearing down camp, riding from town to town, eating, and repeating the process everyday could be a person’s life story. And for some folks, it is. Such an existence means every moment is lived in the present.
Ron and Merida posing in front of the Mississippi River at the end of their ride across Iowa
Merida couldn’t help crying during her ride through the mist. She hadn’t really done anything in Iowa but eat carnival food and ride her bicycle. But for seven days, that felt like everything that mattered. 51 weeks from now, she hopes to do it all again, even though there will be grasshoppers.
Cathy’s Drive
The air was thick with misty humidity Saturday, July 25th.
Legolas navigating to the final stop - or maybe catching windshield wipers
Dyersville, Iowa, was one of Catherine and Leonard’s favorite overnight towns, even though the camp wasn’t their favorite. That was one element among many that made the trip interesting. Some overnight stops, the camping was wonderful; in others, it was more primitive. But never was it inadequate for the crazy, hasty, overnight encampments.
With a combination of sadness and relief, Catherine and Leonard packed up camp a final time on July 25th. They weren’t the first to leave, nor the last. They headed out with more confidence. It had taken Catherine a few days to master the event GPS program. Travel from Dyersville to Dubuque was smooth until they neared their destination. Finding the RV support vehicle parking was tricky.
The End - at the Mississippi River
It was a mile and a half to the RAGBRAI endpoint at the Mississippi River. Leonard got the e-bikes off their rack on the back of the RV. He hitched the puppy wagon behind his bike. Cycling to the park on bike trails was fun.
Pie Report
Ron’s favorite slice in Iowa. Blueberry with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
The Friends of Clement Church of Bankston in Farley, Iowa, cut their slices of pie, fresh out of the tins. Ron selected blueberry, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This was the absolute best slice of pie he had at RAGBRAI LIII. He claimed it even rivaled Catherine’s recipe!
Meetup Town - Dubuque
There was no meetup town on the final day of RAGBRAI. The ride was the shortest of the event. Support Vehicle crews drove straight to the city to meet their riders. The park beside the wide, dark river was grassy, treed, and full of colorful flower beds. When Leonard, Catherine, and Strider arrived, riders were streaming in. The park gradually filled up.
391.4 miles, 16027 feet of elevation gain
Meanwhile, Ron and Merida were traversing the “last hill of RAGBRAI.” That last hill was more like five of them. On the last, most difficult hill, Merida’s chain derailed, so she wound up walking a quarter of it. The last half mile or so was free fall through a bleak looking neighborhood near the river. Although it may have only been the weather that made things look so rough.
Spectators cheered when their riders or teams rolled into the park. The crowd went wild when the Air Force teams arrived. Leonard and Catherine joined the cheering. A penny-farthing bicycle and a recumbent bike came up the path just before Ron and Merida.
Riding RAGBRAI is an accomplishment. Crewing for RAGBRAI is an experience Leonard and Catherine found challenging, yet rewarding. They would do it again. And maybe get in shape so they can ride a leg of the event.
Ron and Merida arrive at the Mississippi River after one week of cycling
Small Town of the Day - Epworth, Iowa
Plein De Vie Wellness offering brief massages to RAGBRAI riders
Merida got a 10 minute massage. Ron got a slice of pizza. Epworth was a great place to hang out on the last day of RAGBRAI LIII.
Tonight’s Camp
A view of the lake and beach at the Waterloo KOA in Iowa
The team left Dubuque after savoring a few final moments. As sad as they were that RAGBRAI LIII was over, a week is a long time to ride a bike, or caravan in an RV. Traveling to Waterloo to camp overnight was a different experience after moving town to town in a string of bicycle-toting vehicles, following convoluted maps and green arrow signs to cramped parking lots or fields.
Catherine can’t imagine pedaling that distance!
Waterloo, Iowa, has the nicest KOA! For RVs and trailers. Ron and Merida had to deal with no level ground to pitch their tent. The walk to the restrooms was long! But they all enjoyed grass and a full RV hookup for Catherine and Leonard. The Lost Island KOA Resort would be a great place for a family campout or reunion.
Legolas hunted lightning bugs in the field, while Strider snuck into the pond for a swim
Today’s Favorite Entertainment
Merida cuddling a tiny baby goat at Crazy Goat Soap, of Dubuque in Centralia, Iowa.
Baby goat cuddling. No other words are necessary.
Weather Report
Riders in the soft rain
Misty rain never quite upgraded to a downpour, but it came close! It kept the riders cool and comfortable without making the roads slick and dangerous. But the cloud cover obstructed the long-distance views of the countryside.
Corn!
Corn-bordered baseball field in Dyersville
Riders passed through the Field of Dreams. Ron walked into the new stadium (not the movie set) where games are currently held, and was surprised to find it had a border of corn planted around the field.
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!
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Where to find us:
Catherine’s Website - https://catherinedilts.com/
Merida’s Website - https://merida-creates.com/
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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.