RAGBRAI part I

It is Tuesday morning and I have arrived at the stopover town of Indianola, IA. This is the third town we have stopped in along the route across the state. So far, everyone we have met has been very hospitable. All the folks welcome us to their town and ask what they can do to help us. I had to stop at the hardware store in Red Oak to get an adapter for the RV. The manager there stated that he had just sold the part that I needed. I left him my cell phone number in case one was returned. He called me less than twenty minutes later to say he had the part and would hold it for me until I could run back for it. (it is easier to run around these small towns than it is to drive, and I get some miles in.) The guys are all riding well and have had no mechanical problems yet. The weather was perfect on Sunday, rained for half the day on Monday and has been overcast so far today. But the temps have been great for riding. I am not able to take the vehicle to the intermediate towns, but the guys say that they are all a great time. Near one town the Miller Light folks set up a beer garden in the middle of a field where you can stop and get an adult beverage. The bars in each town are packed at night, as you can imagine when 10,000 plus riders converge on them. The entertainment is good and gets a little crazy at times. Each town has a main stage for a feature group, but they charge admission, so we just go to the bars for entertainment. There are food vendors and bike shops that move along the route and set up each night in the host town. You can get some pretty good food, but you have to be early, as they run out later in the evening. There always seems to be enough beer though. There are many "teams" that ride together and they have old school buses that are rigged for rider support. You would not believe how many there are! Casy has taken most of the pictures, so when he gets in this afternoon, I will try to post a few.