Sunday, 7/24/11 HOT, HOT, HOT (HUMID, HUMID, HUMID)

Up at 4:45AM, out the door at 5AM.  I must sound fixated with the early hours, but Jeff did complement me on being chipper this morning.  Chipper AND on time-a first for me.  Over the bridge again and into Glenwood before sunrise with many bikers already on their way. The sky was filled with lightening a little off to south.  The ride was headed north east and looked like heat lightening (at 5AM?).  Jeff pumped up his bicycle tires in the dark, strapped on his ID's, and off he road in his new Colorado bike shirt (yes, he had shorts on , too).  I drove back to the hotel, still dark, tried to sleeep but by then everyone else at the hotel was on the move and had to shower at the same time.  I was on the treadmill when Jeff called to say he was already at the midway meeting town,
 sounding perky as can be.

I got caught in traffic on the way to Atlantic and breezed into town a little later than planned.  Made a pit stop in town, in line at Taco Bell for an iced tea when Jeff called.  He was at a cross street I had just passed 5 minutes earlier.  I told him where I was & he said he was not riding one block further.  What are the chances that we actually knew where to find each other in a town in Iowa we've never been to?  Jeff was at 6th & Olive, I had found  a spot at 7th & Birch, a fitting meeting place I thought.  While I was driving on the highway, my ride was windy & hilly-unfortunately, so was Jeff's.  He looked a bit whacked and was glad for the cold beer and let me drive back to Avoca.  Jeff said many of the riders had to walk their bikes on the hills, not quite the "pretty hills" we've always commented on as we drive on I-80. The pork chop guy was working the grill at 8:30AM and Jeff found the Pastafarians for a mid day snack. 

Back in Avoca, our room was not ready, so we found, guess what, a tavern.  After a couple of beers and a bag of chips, we asked the bar tender for  a dinner recommendation.  He suggested that we drive 11 miles north to Harlan where they have a bunch of "real nice restaurants"-Burger King, Wings, Pizza Ranch, or the deli at High Value". 

Back again at the Motel 6, the owner/front desk guy has LOTS of RULES that we RAGBRAI participants MUST obey, like insisting we are quiet, no partying,  no bikes in the rooms, etc.  He's nice and the runs his hotel much the same Jeff & I would run a hotel-he must be German.