Summer of the Bike: RAGBRAI

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On to the main event: RAGBRAI. After a rainy transfer from Lansing IA in the east, we made it to Orange City IA, the start of our RAGBRAI adventure. The plan was to ride 411 miles across the state over six days, supported by Pork Belly Ventures. With the service we had a tent, showers, cooling stations & nightly entertainment with at least 1500 other “Porkers.” IMG_8354Day one took us over 65+ miles from Orange City to Spencer,  and we had a great time! We visited some cute towns with pork chops and pie along the way. Steve is comparing rhubarb pie in each town, searching for the best.  The church ladies here really know how to bake!

On day two went went from Spencer to Algona.  I rode 76 miles & Steve opted for the optional century loop which took him a total of 110 miles. He got a special patch for the effort. We finished the day with a massage (me) and beer (Steve). We topped it all off with a church-prepared spaghetti dinner with homemade ice cream. RAGBRAI is a world within itself and we soaked it all in.

On the third day we rode 51 miles from Algona to Clear Lake, taking our time to enjoy the towns, the ice cream, and the people. We faced pretty strong winds on this day, but it’s all part of the adventure! Sure enough, adventure we got because on the fourth day it rained from Clear Lake to Charles City. IMG_8479We did about 58 miles and then enjoyed the town & camp. Day four presented us with a good but rainy ride from Clear Lake to Charles City today. We did about 58 miles, stopping along the way to take shelter in a farmer’s barn to escape the heaviest downpours.  We finally made it to camp at just about the time it cleared up.

From Charles City to Cresco travelled 56 miles.  Along the way we saw bikes, buffaloes, the biggest cock in the county. Great food, music, and people all along the way. After five days of biking over 50 miles per day we were starting to feel it.  Still, the excitement and energy of RAGBRAI carries you through.  And, as we’ve been told, it’s really a series of 10-15 mile rides since there’s a town with food and entertainment just when you need a rest.

Our last “full” RAGBRAI day was from Cresco to Waukon. We biked 62 miles over some pretty big hills and enjoyed the usual stops for pie, cute animals, and great views. IMG_8530Today was college spirit day and it was fun to see the variety of schools represented (including many Huskers and Sun Devils).

The last day, from Waukon to Lansing was really a half-day, covering 44 miles. And, we did it! 411+ miles on a bike across the state of Iowa, 8 nights in a tent, and 100s of great memories. On the final day we we biked through the Yellow River Forest and Harpers Ferry on the shores of the Mississippi. What a beautiful way to end a perfect week!

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Summer of the Bike: The Road Trip

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Summer 2017 is officially over as today is the first day of fall. And, this past summer will officially be know as our “Summer of the Bike.”  Steve completed the Whiskey 50 Mountain Bike Race in late April and from then on it was all two wheels.

Shortly after the Whiskey 50 Steve received admission to RAGBRAI–Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.  While trying to figure out how I would support Steve’s ride across Iowa, it became clear that driving a support vehicle wouldn’t be near as much fun as riding.  So, with less than two months to prepare, I got back on the bike and started training.  By July 6 we set out on a road trip with the plan to pass through at least 13 states, visiting family and friends, and riding our bikes across Iowa in the annual RAGBRAI ride!

On day one of the road trip we explored Walnut Canyon, stood on a corner in Winslow Arizona, and biked 26 miles in Holbrook. IMG_7886Day two included the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and 38 miles along the Paseo de Bosque bike trail in Albuquerque, which runs along the Rio Grande.  We took our time, enjoyed the scenery, and used each stop as an opportunity to continue training.

Day three of the road trip took us from Albuquerque to Amarillo. The highlights included a stop at the Cadillac Ranch and dinner at the famed Big Texan Steak Ranch. IMG_8028Yes, we spray painted the cars. No, we didn’t have the 72oz steak…but we watched two guys try. Kitsch all day long. Then we moved along to OKC for a quick visit with cousin Lori & Don & dogs Lucky & Lucy.

We couldn’t do a midwestern road trip without a stop in Kansas City to see Gary, Kristy, and the kids.  In one weekend, we biked, hit a Royals game, floated and slid at Schlitterbahn, and played pickleball at Chicken & Pickle. The best part was spending time with family, including Brynn, Hudson, and the dogs Nellie and Ruby.

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Brynn & Nellie

On the way to Nebraska we had a nice stop in Corning/Prescott/Creston Iowa to reconnect with the Freshour cousins. Thanks Terri Freshour Kretzinger & Dan, our gracious hosts, who sent us off with copious amounts of sweet corn 🌽 picked straight from the stalk. That fun was followed by two super fun days in Omaha with Brian, Heidi & the kids. We had lots of pool time, sno cones, and a little biking.

Then, it was time to head east towards the Mississippi and the start of our first RAGBRAI. Steve was ready, but I sure had doubts about a 400+ mile bike ride from the Missouri to the Mississppi Rivers…

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Miami Beach of South America – Punta del Este

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Several years ago we spent a Christmas night in the small village of Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay as part of our visit to Argentina. We loved Uruguay then and it didn’t let us down this time around. Our Antarctic cruise concluded in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo and we spent one day exploring the city. We watched our ship, the MS Fram exit the harbor and sail out the Rio de la Plata on its way to the Amazon and then on to the Arctic.

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Along the Rio Plata

We also acted on numerous recommendations to eat at El Palenque. This is the most famous Uruguayan barbecue place, located in the old port in Montevideo. You’ll see from the pictures that we had a great seat to watch the expert chefs prepare the world famous meat and vegetables on the large grill.

After a night in Montevideo we rented a car and drove to the beach resort of Punta del Este. Punta del Este is located on the confluence of the Rio de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean and is the home to summer fun for the rich and famous of South America. Beaches lined with shining high-rise condominiums owned mostly by Argentines, the area is also home to big yachts and very modern homes. We stayed at the Conrad, a big hotel and casino, which is the site of many events and conventions. This weekend there was a weird car race around the front of the hotel on Saturday night as well as a road bike race on Sunday morning.

One of the draws of this area is the burgeoning wine industry. In the past decade, young, creative winemakers have begun developing vineyards in the farmland around Punta del Este. In addition to Tannat wines, the area is becoming well known for producing great sauvignon blancs and merlots. We visited two of the newest bodegas around Punta del Este and were impressed with the wines, as well as the interesting buildings in which they are made.

On one day we drove to Viña Eden, a newly opened bodega north of Punta. While tasting several great wines we chatted with Juan Pablo, the winemaker and his cute wife Veronica. We then drove to the beachside town of Jose Ignacio, where we watched the big waves crash around the lighthouse. While there we met this guy from Argentina who was excited to talk to us as soon as he realized we were American. His dog was named Obama (dog tags were proof) and we just “had” to meet Obama! One of many fun encounters on this adventure!

A dog named Obama
Meeting Obama

While on trips like this we like to do a tour once in awhile to give us a different perspective on a place. Here we booked a wine tour with The Wine Experience, led by South African Ryan Hamilton. On Friday evening Ryan picked us up and took us to Restaurant and Bodega Narbona for a private tasting of this small vinyard’s wines. From there we went back out to Jose Ignacio, up the coast, to a private tasting at the exclusive Playa Vik hotel. We arrived just in time for sunset and enjoyed taking pictures around the negative edge pool, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The property features very modern furnishings and artwork, which you can see in the photos. The wine was great too!

On our final day in Punta del Este we drove out to Bodega Garzon, a new and very large operation that is redefining Uruguayan wine. Here we took the harvest tour, which included the opportunity to cut grapes in the vineyard.

We both decided that while it was fun for a few minutes, we didn’t need to do it for days on end and we have a new respect for the workers who harvest grapes for our wine. It’s backbreaking work, and at Garzon, all 500 acres are harvested by hand! The harvest was followed by a tour of the newly opened bodega, which features production facilities underground. We highly recommend a visit to Garzon, for the wine and the scenery.

We then drove back to the beach of Jose Ignacio to have lunch at the acclaimed La Huella. This popular beach restaurant draws crowds from Argentina and Brazil and it was packed! Luckily we had a reservation and enjoyed great fish and wine with a view. Our day finished up with another spectacular sunset at the famed Casapueblo, an elaborate building constructed by the Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. It was originally a summer house and workshop of the artist, and is now a museum, an art gallery, a cafeteria and a hotel. It was the perfect end to a perfect stay in Uruguay and to an incredible South American/Antarctic journey.

We are looking forward to spending some time at home in Prescott and Puerto Peñasco over the next few months, while planning our next adventures. Thanks for following along!

 

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