Our Trip Across Iowa by Bike – RAGBRAI XLVI

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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.

Sunrise in Onawa on day one

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.

Steve and Gary in Ogden IA

This year we began our 400+ mile ride in Onawa, IA joined by Steve’s brother Gary and Gary’s buddies Alison and Blaine.

Gary, Alison, Blaine & Marnie in Denison

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.

Fun in West Liberty IA

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.

Ute, IA

We visited towns like Coon Rapids, Ute, and State Center, each of which had its own character and characters.

Fun in Coon Rapids, IA

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.

Gary in his happy place

We travel with Pork Belly Ventures, Ragbrai’s largest charter operator.

Beer/Coffee Mug from Pork Belly

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.

Steve & Gary, the Huskers

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.

Steve, Marnie, and Captain Kirk

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…

Davenport, IA

It’s RAGBRAI time!

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This is our second trip across Iowa on a bike and we’re really looking forward to the party! 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!

We left Tuesday morning and drove to Albuquerque. Like last year we got in a good ride on Albuquerque’s great bike trails. This year we did about 24 miles along the North Diversion Trail. 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.

We then headed east towards Kansas. And, as usual, we looked for National Parks or Monuments along the way. These stops provide stamps for our National Park Passport book, clean restrooms, and education on our country’s history. Today’s stop was at Fort Union, the largest military installation west of the Mississippi in the mid-1800s.

The site was also a major supply depot along the Santa Fe Trail and the wagon ruts are still evident to this day.

We got our stamp, took a few pics, and were on our way. Good stop.

After a night in Dodge City we headed towards Kansas City. On the way we stopped to see the massive cow lots outside of Dodge Cityand to get another passport stamp at Fort Larned.

Fort Larned was another Santa Fe Trail military post and depot, active in the mid 1800s. They fought the Indian Wars and protected the wagon trains coming west. It was certainly a rough life.

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!

By Thursday we arrived at Gary and Kristy’s house in Kansas City. It’s always fun to see the Brynn and Hudson and the dogs Ruby and Nellie. 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!

St. Martin Everyday

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This week we wrap up our island adventures after three weeks on St. Martin and a week in the BVI. We’ve really settled into a nice routine and are beginning to feel like part of the community. Each day is marked with routine plus something new.

The routine part of each day is going to Gymfit to work out. It’s a friendly place and we have enjoyed attending classes and using the fitness equipment. Even though almost everyone speaks French, a smile goes a long way. We have been hitting the gym for an hour or two every morning.

After the gym we seek out a new adventure each day. Some days this has meant going to a new beach. Friar’s Beach, the home of Kali’s Beach Bar was one of our favorites.

On another day we took the tour of Topper’s Rhum Distillery. Their rhum has won numerous awards and comes in a bunch of yummy flavors. We tried jalapeño peach, almond, popcorn, and several more flavors. In the end we bought a bottle of coconut flavored rhum, and we look forward to sharing it with friends and family when we get home.

We spent one day exploring the French city of Marigot. High above the city is Fort Louis, which was used in the 1700s to protect the port and surrounding areas from invaders and pirates.

Now the Fort is a decaying ruin that hints at the past and provides tourists sweeping views of the marina below. We could even see the catamaran on which we sailed to the BVI below.

Our visit to the Fort did satisfy one goal we have for every trip: climb to a high point!

Of course we have also checked out some of St. Martin’s culinary highlights. At Spiga, Steve enjoyed cioppino with fresh seafood.I loved the chicken with asparagus and sweet potatoes.

Another must-do while on St. Martin is a visit to Loterie Farm. High in the hills above Marigot, this former sugar plantation is now home to a tropical forest and a really cool place to spend the day.

We took a short hike through the hurricane-damaged forest to be rewarded with sweeping views of the Caribbean below.

After hiking, we settled into our poolside day bed and enjoyed the sun and fun. Steve watched World Cup games with locals and I read a book.

Lunch served poolside just added to the perfection.

A large group of very fit and very energetic young people arrived and it soon became obvious that they were all entertainers from the cruise ship that was docked on the island today. They kept us entertained most of the afternoon. Here’s a video that gives a sample of the fun

While the entertainers will probably not be there when you visit, we highly recommend a visit to Loterie Farm.

Our final day on St. Martin was spent at the beach in Philipsburg, trying to savor one more day of warm turquoise and warm sea breezes. We were almost out of sunscreen so we knew it was about time to head home.

We topped off the trip with a nice dinner at one of St. Martin’s best French restaurants. Bistro Caraibes is known for its lobster, which swims in a tank in the front of the establishment. Steve picked the lucky one, which was quickly turned into lobster thermidor, the best lobster he’s ever had.

We topped it all off with the most perfect crème brûlée ever.

St. Martin had treated us well. As we prepare to return to Prescott (for just a few weeks before the next adventure), we are looking forward to seeing our family, friends, and dogs.