We did it again. Our second RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) is complete, and like the first time, it was an incredible experience. 
Yes, there were eight nights in a tent, long lines for the port-a-john, bug bites, occasional thunderstorms, and sore butts, but somehow those were minor annoyances compared to the joy of riding your bike across a beautiful landscape with 10,000+ other happy people from around the world.
This year we began our 400+ mile ride in Onawa, IA joined by Steve’s brother Gary and Gary’s buddies Alison and Blaine. 
Over the week we biked 60 to 75 miles per day over rolling hills. Iowa is not flat! Stopping at small towns about every ten miles, we were fueled by pancakes, chocolate milk, corn-cob grilled pork chops, and homemade ice cream.
Every pass-through town welcomed us with music, food, and plenty of photo ops.
One highlight this year was the opportunity to ride inside Iowa State University’s Jack Trice Stadium. Football season will soon be upon us and the Cyclones are ready. 
Inside Jack Trice Stadium
All of the crew (except Marnie, who took a day off the bike and opted for a massage instead) did the 100 mile option on the fifth day, successfully completing 110 miles for the day. 
We visited towns like Coon Rapids, Ute, and State Center, each of which had its own character and characters. 
Everyday we stopped at least once or twice at the Iowa Beer Tent. Ten stops during the week and you get a “free” t-shirt. Gary earned the shirt, but Steve and I opted for water. 
We travel with Pork Belly Ventures, Ragbrai’s largest charter operator. 
After each day of biking we were welcomed into camp with our tent assembled, bags inside. After a hot shower, we enjoyed live music, beer, and dinner. It’s camping elevated.
One day on the route was college jersey day, and we proudly wore our Sun Devil & Cornhusker colors. 
We also visited Riverside, IA, a town that claims to be the future birthplace of Captain Kirk. It’s kitsch at its finest. 
As we rode into Davenport on the Mississippi River a week later, we were happy to be finished and sad it was over. Ragbrai is an annual tradition for many and will likely be for us too. Until next year…
Last year was our first experience with the legendary ride and we’ve been planning a repeat trip ever since. This year, however, we’ll be joined by Steve’s brother Gary, which should just add to the fun. But first we have to get there!
Our destination was the International Balloon Museum, the site of the annual balloon festival. It was a beautiful morning for a ride with Albuquerque’s famous hot air balloons in the distance. 
On the way we stopped to see the massive cow lots outside of Dodge City
and to get another passport stamp at Fort Larned. 
As we travel along the Santa Fe Trail and learn about life in the mid-1800s, we are more and more grateful for our Ford F-150 and air conditioning!
We enjoyed a great BBQ dinner and rolled ice cream–a real treat. Good thing the riding starts soon!
We’ll soon be in Iowa and ready to ride. stay tuned!
We have zip lined numerous times before, so this one needed to be good. After much research online we found Adventure Park, just 30 minutes outside Puntarenas.
However the 25 zip lines over 11 waterfalls makes this different from the 20+ other zip line properties in Costa Rica.
We shopped, explored the busy fish market, watched fishermen unload their catch, and had a beer. Before we knew it we were headed to Adventure Park. No harm done.
The restaurant overlooked the expansive valley below with views of the ocean in the distance. As they say in Costa Rica, Pura Vida!
If we had gone on the morning tour as planned, we would have been two of 24 people. With just the two of us, we got special attention, went at our own pace, and got to know our guides a bit.
Part way through the 25 lines we stopped for a swim in a watering hole fed by a pretty waterfall.
Marnie and Steve Travel 