Sunday, July 25th

The bikers like to get an early start, so they rose about 5:30 and enjoyed cinnamon rolls and coffee before heading out on their 68 mile ride. A final goodbye to Linda and they were off. Cathy and Denise rushed down the hill to catch the photo of the team as they headed out about 6:30. Many other riders were also up early and on the road, too. The cool air caused ground fog to develop and all the members of Team OWBNID remarked that they loved the eerie sensation of riding into it. Captain Bill snapped this beautiful shot of the riders heading into the mysterious mists.

Before the support crew left Sioux City, I kept a promise to Carol Ferguson. This is her hometown and she gave me the address of the house she grew up in. It turned out that her childhood home was only about 3 miles from Linda’s house, so I made a quick dash over to get a few photos for Carol. As I arrived, Team DLO (De Last Ones) was departing so I was saved the agony of knocking on the door to say, “You don’t know me, but…” I met the current owner, who is a preservationist and member of the historical society. She and Carol had corresponded and she was delighted to let me take a couple of photos. Team DLO got into the spirit of things and presented me with one of their customized team koozies to present to Carol as well. It’s a prize I will carefully convey to it her.

Captain Bill was pleased to see Mr. Pork Chop had returned yet another year. He sets up in a cornfield on the route and grills bone-in pork chops – cut about 1” thick. The bone becomes a handle and you can ride and gnaw – the perfect on-the-go snack for carnivores. Also returning was the Ice Cream Man. This year a new twist for his operation was a station where you could have your photo taken riding a bike that cranked an ice cream freezer. Folks were lined up to help – I think the purveyor took a cue from Tom Sawyer.

The road was very hilly and beautiful – both for the bikers and for the support crew as we traveled our separate routes to Storm Lake – the next town on our itinerary. When we joined up, we all agreed that the site of dozens of windmills sprouting from the cornfields was an arresting sight. At first, I thought they weren’t spinning, but gradually realized that they were rotating at very slow speeds.

Each of our riders has a simple, one-person bike. But several came in talking about this family-size contraption. There are 6 passengers here – Dad, Mom, two daughters pedaling and two little tykes being towed in the bike trailer. The father told our group that he intended to ride the entire way. Talk about a family vacation!

Our directions to get to Storm Lake said to “Go to the lighthouse and take a left.” Lighthouse? Yep. We first spied it towering over the cornfields and as we got closer realized that it was the welcome sign to Spirit Lake. This is a lovely lake that was scoured from the earth by the glaciers in the last Ice Age. Now, it’s a popular summer vacation spot, as are several others in Northern Iowa – we’ll enjoy Clear Lake later in the week.

Our host couple, Dolly and Tony, lived in Alta, a town about 6 miles away from Spirit Lake (remember – it’s a challenge to put over 20,000 people up for the night). Their lovely home was built in about 1880, and we were delighted when we pulled up. Outside where large shade trees to provide us an inviting place to set up camp. Inside, the house had been completely redone, with a modern kitchen and beautiful details. This young pair welcomed us and a team from Minnesota to their home. Shortly after the support caravan pulled in the riders arrived.

Leftovers were served for lunch and everyone settled down in the shade for naps. Ahhh...

Dinner was served alfresco, too. It was too nice to stay inside. We treated Dolly and Tony to King Ranch Chicken, guacamole, queso, sautéed kale, salad and brownies.

Lovette, the 86-year old neighbor, sat on her front porch across the street and watched the commotion with delight until we invited her to come join us for dinner. She proved to be an entertaining guest. Another neighbor strolled by with a Newfoundland dog – this photo does not show the true scale of Maddie, which was comparable to a VW bug. Despite her imposing size, she was the sweetest dog. Everyone except Chief Canine Officer Maggie was delighted by her gentle presence.

As the stars and fireflies winked at us, the group gradually drifted off to settle in for the night – some inside where every inch of available space contained an air mattress or sleeping bag, and others outside to enjoy the cool evening. Another perfect day was at an end.