Bike Iowa: Trout Run Trail, Decorah

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to stay overnight in Decorah for work.  I woke up early the next day so I could check out the new Trout Run Trail, an 11-mile bike trail that circles Decorah.  I took the photo above at the unofficial entrance to the trail.  This gorgeous work of public art is one of many along the trail route.

I read this terrific review of the Trout Run Trail on the Bike Iowa website a few days after I visited there.  It does a great job of summing up what it's like to ride the trail.  Like the reviewer, I was surprised by how scenic, and hilly, the trail is.  (And I can say that the hills aren't any better going clockwise!)  I usually do pretty good going up steep hills, but I had to get off my bike and walk a couple of them, because I didn't know they were coming and didn't have enough "steam" to get up them.  But don't let the hills discourage you.  I met a group of kids, who looked like they were part of a summer camp group, along the trail. So it's very family-friendly.

There are several scenic outlooks and trout fishing spots along the trail.  Check out these gorgeous views!
 

Along the trail, you'll also pass by the DNR's fish hatchery and the former home of the Decorah eagles, which gained worldwide fame a couple years ago when their nest was filmed by web cam.

It was also neat to see that the trail cut through farmland.  At one point, the trail bumped right up next to a dairy farm.  I just had to take photos of the cows!

Another highlight of the trail is the $2 million bridge that spans over Highway 9.  The bridge is lit up in colorful LED lights at night.

 Once I crossed the bridge, I rode past the Decorah bluffs. Such a beautiful part of the state.

I'm already making plans to come back to Decorah again in the fall -- for fun, not for work!  This trail is worth the four-hour drive to northeast Iowa.

Autumn leaves on the High Trestle Trail

I took a few days off work and spent an afternoon on the High Trestle Trail in central Iowa.  The leaves were just starting to change color, and the milkweed seeds were out. They look like little cotton balls.

I passed a couple of corn fields as the combines were harvesting the crop.  They were kicking up a lot of dust in this dry weather.  This farmer waved at me when I rode by on my bike.

I love the contrast of blue sky and golden fall colors.  It was a gorgeous day, and I'm glad I took some time off from work to enjoy it.

Did you take a road trip to see the fall leaves?  What's your favorite place to see the autumn colors?

Biking Iowa: Grant Wood Trail

I was driving through Jones County the other day, when I came across a small rest area on the way to Anamosa.  The rest area was a trail head for the Grant Wood Trail, west of the small town of Olin.

The Grant Wood Trail runs about 3.5 miles, a little short for a bike ride, but perfect for walking.  It was a pretty stretch of nature, with wildflowers and corn fields bordering the trail.

A lot of folks are calling Iowa the "king of bike trails," and I'm starting to discover why.  I carry my folding travel bike in the back of my car whenever I'm on the road for work, so I'm always ready for a quick ride whenever I see a new trail.  It's a great way to stretch my legs and get a little exercise while I'm traveling for work.  And it seems like there really is a bike trail in every county in Iowa, even in unexpected spots like little towns.

Biking Iowa: Raccoon River Valley Trail

I've been having so much fun hitting up different bike trails this summer.  Now I know why Iowa is gaining a reputation as the bike trail capital of the world.  There are many miles of trails within a short driving (or walking) distance from my home and work.

I recently took a day off to check out the Raccoon River Valley Trail, which runs through Adel in central Iowa.  It was such a hot, humid day, my camera fogged up when I stopped to snap of picture of my little Dahon folding bike.  But I kind of like the photo effect of the foggy lens.

The scenery was absolutely gorgeous.  Iowa is so green and beautiful in the summertime.

The trail crosses the Raccoon River on the way east to Waukee.  The steel bridges were radiating heat on the 90-plus degree day. Thankfully, most of the trail runs through wooded areas.

Discovered this steel engraving on the trail bridge over the Raccoon River.

The locals know that any trip on the Raccoon River Trail requires a stop at the Adel ice cream shop.  My stomach was a little uneasy from the heat, so I opted for a fountain cherry coke instead.  Gotta love the cherry syrup!

Have you visited any bike trails this summer?  Do you have a favorite bike trail?  I'm looking forward to hitting a few trails during the height of the fall color.  Can't believe it's that time of year already!

RAGBRAI: Part 2

When I learned that RAGBRAI was rolling through the area, I knew I just had to join in.  If you've never heard of it, RAGBRAI is an annual week-long bike ride across the entire of state of Iowa.  It attracts 10,000 cyclists from all around the world.  The event is pretty much a rolling party.  The RAGBRAI route travels along country roads and through tiny Iowa towns.  For the most part, Iowa communities love to host RAGBRAI, because the cyclists often spend quite a bit of money on food and refreshments wherever they stop.

I've never been on RAGBRAI, but it was another item on my "bucket list."  But all I have is an old hand-me-down Huffy mountain bike, so I was nervous about joining in. Most cyclists ride on road bikes, which are way easier to pedal than my clunky ol' bike. But I also have heard that people ride some pretty ridiculous bikes on RAGBRAI, so I figured I wouldn't be the slowest rider on the route.

I rode a half-day of RAGBRAI.  My husband dropped me off along the route on his way to work, then I rode about 13 miles to the nearest host town.  Then I got off the route and rode our local bike trail back home.  Altogether, it was a 24 mile bike ride.  That was pretty far for me!

As I expected, I got passed by almost everyone on the route.  And many people came really close to my bike as they passed me.  There were plenty of farms to stop at along the route, with folks selling breakfast burritos, water and gatorade. Unfortunately, I was scared to stop and pull off to the side of the road. There were so many cyclists coming up behind me, and I was afraid I would cause a crash if I just stopped in front of them. 

I rode 7 miles in the heat before I finally got the courage to stop and get something cool to drink.  (Looking back, I regret that I didn't stop and see more farms along the route.)  I ended up stopping at an absolutely beautiful farm, with a big yard and benches for bikers to sit under the shade of trees. 

 There was a smoothie stand in the front yard. I ordered a "swirl" -- strawberry and peach. It was so good after biking in the heat.



The farm had an antique store inside an old barn.  There were lots of cute lawn decorations everywhere.

Inside the barn, there was a line for the bathroom.  I immediately joined the end of the line.  Free use of indoor bathrooms is a rarity on RAGBRAI, so I didn't want to miss this opportunity to avoid the porta-potty lines!  Inside the bathroom, people wrote "Thank You's" on a dry erase board next to the loo.  So funny!

I got back on the rode and biked another 5 miles before reaching the host town.  It was only 9 a.m., but I was starving.  The crowds were so thick, I couldn't find the pancake stand.  So I gave up and stopped at the local fire station, where they were grilling pork chops as a fund-raiser.

In addition to the typical grilling fare, they were offering free pickle juice!  They said it was good for replenishing electrolytes, but I passed.

I'm so glad that I couldn't find the pancake stand because I ended up having the best breakfast food ever -- pork chops on a "stick"!  Seriously, this was the best pork chop I've ever had. So tender and juicy. It's cut so that the bone extends out from the chop, creating a "handle" for eating the chop without a fork.

Then I spent about an hour just walking around town, gawking at all the bikers.  I couldn't believe the size of the crowd!

Even after eating the huge pork chop, I was still hungry!  I guess biking really works up an appetite.  I ended up buying a homemade ice cream sandwich at a local boy scout stand.  This treat was amazing!

I also ended up finding a free homemade Dutch letter pastry at the Central College stand.  I've never had homemade Dutch letters, only the bakery version.  This was extra sweet and stuffed full of almond paste.  Yum!

After giving my legs a rest, I rode a couple miles along the RAGBRAI route, then met up with bike trail and rode home.  The 9-mile ride home was the hardest.  My adrenaline was starting to wear off.  When I got home, I promptly took a 2 hour nap, then spent the rest of the day lounging.  I was beat!  But I had an absolutely blast.  I'm already looking forward to joining RAGBRAI again next year.  If you've never been on RAGBRAI before, I highly recommend you give it a try.  If I can do it on a 20-year-old Wal-Mart mountain bike, anyone can ride it!

RAGBRAI: Part 1

 Earlier this week, I met up with 10,000 cyclists traveling the state as part of RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa.  I was sent to cover a Farmers Feed Us event for our ag newspaper.  This was my first time I caught up with the RAGBRAI riders on the country roads, and I was thrilled to see it in person.  It's hard to imagine the scale of that many bikers on the roads unless you see it first-hand. 

Western Iowa farmers were shaking hands with the riders and serving up free beef samples under the shade of a grain bin.

I met so many interesting people!  There was a Michigan man who rides the entire week of RAGBRAI across the state by himself.  His wife drops him off in the starting city and then picks him up at the ending city a week later.  I learned from him that "sport kilts" are very popular with the male bike riders.  He told me the kilts were very comfortable when the temps hit 90 degrees!



Spandex-wearing cyclists checking out the farm equipment on display.

 I met a couple of father-son teams who were biking the entire route, statewide, together.  The sons were under the age of 13!  Can you even imagine doing something like that at such a young age?

Yet what really surprised me was how many baby boomers were riding RAGBRAI.  I just pictured that the cyclists were college students looking for a summer party.  But many of these cyclists were grandpas and grandmas, also looking for a party!  So inspiring!

Fun to see all the team jerseys.

The farm I visited was a "pit stop" half-way between two towns.  Several vendors set up shop on the farm's front lawn, including a homemade ice cream vendor that was cranking out ice-cream on gas and solar-powered churns.

 Back behind the grain bins was a cattle feedlot. Several cyclists stopped to take pictures of the cattle.  I wonder what the cattle thought of all the commotion -- there were hundreds of bicyclists who stopped at the farm!

I'll be posting more photos from RAGBRAI soon.  I grabbed my bike and joined in on the fun earlier this week.  Can't wait to show you what I found!

T-Bone Trail

When I was driving back from my visit to the western Iowa goat farm, I decided to stop and check out the T-Bone Trail, which runs underneath Interstate 80, at the Atlantic exit.

I travel quite a bit with my bike. It's not uncommon to see bike trails when I'm driving through Iowa's countryside.  Iowa has become a biking mecca.  Many miles of abandoned railroad tracks have been turned into bike trails across the state.  When I travel, I keep a copy of the Iowa bike map from the Department of Transportation in my car, which is how I discovered the T-Bone Trail. It's named "T-Bone" because the trail ends in Audubon, a little town famous for its giant "Albert the Bull" statue.

Since Audubon was a little out of my way, I decided to get on the trail close to Interstate 80. I stopped at the trailhead at Old Glory Park in Brayton. There was a very clean restroom facility there where I changed into my biking clothes.

Let me tell you, the T-Bone Trail did not disappoint. You'll often find native prairie wildflowers along railroad trails like this one.  And there were several newer wooden bridges, which are always fun to roll over on a bike.

I was surprised to see little benches all along the trail, even in spots that were a couple miles outside of town.

I didn't bike too far down the trail -- my husband always cautions me not to travel farther than I can walk if my bike breaks down -- but I would love to go back on the trail sometime and check out the other little towns along the way.

If you're ever driving west of Des Moines on Interstate 80, be sure to check it out, even just for a walk to stretch your legs. There's a trailhead at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 71, next to a gas station.