Brownsburg, Indiana Thursday night, got to Davenport Friday 11:45 (Iowa time). Went to Centennial Park and then to Rock Island Arsenal to the Mississippi Visitor Center (Locks and Dam 15). 29 locks on the Mississippi River, 9 in Iowa. Yummy ice cream at Whitey's. Friday night in exceptionally nice Super 8.
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| Mississippi River - Rock Island Centennial Bridge |
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| Government Bridge - Davenport to Rock Island Arsenal |
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| Mississippi River Visitor Center |
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| barge coming under swing span (rotates 360 degrees) |
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| Clock Tower |
Saturday - long ride on bus ... 7 hours. Arrived Sioux City around 3 pm. Mikey met us with our sag vehicle. Camping in Chris Larsen Park. On the grounds is the Louis and Clark Interpretive Center and the M.V. Sergeant Floyd River Museum (a decommissioned inspection boat). M.V. Sergeant Floyd was named in honor of Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only man to have died on the Lewis and Clark expedition. Dip site next to Hilton Gardens Inn. Huey Louis concert at expo.
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| Missouri River |
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| Bridge from Sioux City to Nebraska |
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| Mikey, Blake and sag vehicle |
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| Dip Site behind Hilton Garden Inn |
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| Chris Larsen Park |
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| M.V. Sergeant Floyd River Museum |
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| Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center |
Sunday. Day 1 - Sioux City to Storm Lake. 70 miles in sag van, 5 miles around town. Stop in Washta (meeting town) yummy raspberry pie at fire station. Early arrival in Storm Lake, found house to put tents in yard with lots of shade and view of the lake.
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| Washta fire station and pie |
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| Holds the distinction of being the coldest spot in Iowa - 47 degrees below zero in 1912 |
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| big shady front lawn |
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| with lake view |
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| Storm Lake |
Views from lighthouse
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| path around lake |
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| Big Bike |
Monday. Day 2 -Storm Lake to Fort Dodge 70 miles. Light rain the first 2 hours then sun and hot. Stopped at farm with free corn dipped in big pot of melted butter sponsored by Iowa Farmers Coalition. Meeting town Manson, where huge crater fell millions of years ago. Buca-wich for lunch and chocolate chip cookies at the church in Clare. Fort Dodge we camped in Mark Johnson's back yard and he gave us full access to his house ... showers, toilet, we felt very welcome going in the house anytime.
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| Iowa Farmers Coalition |
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| Manson's claim to fame huge meteorite ... we are in it! |
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| Walking through Manson |
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| arriving in Fort Dodge |
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| Mark's back yard our home for the night |
Tuesday. Day 3 - Dodge City to Eldora. Beautiful day high of 80. 50 mile ride after stop at Garvey's to pick up Bob. First stop at Williams a small town of 360 people with awesome war memorial. Detour to Alden was an interesting challenge to navigate. Backyard in Eldora a few blocks from main square. Eldora is the county seat with courthouse which was given a makeover after 2009 storm with hail and 100 mile hour winds.
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| Picking up Bob (Blake, Greg, Bob, Jill and Steve) |
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| War Memorial in Williams population 360 |
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THIS MEMORIAL WAS BUILT BY THE
GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE
WILLIAMS COMMUNITY |
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| Detour ahead to Alden |
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| Taking a shortcut through the water! |
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| almost to the end of gravel road and construction |
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| We made it to Alden |
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| Alden Dam |
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| Lunch with Bob |
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| TP for the cornfields |
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| Backyard for the night ... were supposed to be in vacant lot to the left but talked owner of this house into letting us move to his back yard. Using the hose for our shower .... very cold water but feels good to be clean! Kybo's down the street. |
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| Eldora Courthouse - Hardin County |
Wednesday. Day 4 - Eldora to Cedar Falls (58 miles). Left at 6:30 this morning ... yes, it is true. Passing through Ackley in Hardin County I saw the Freedom Rock. Iowa plans to have a freedom rock in all 99 counties, 30 have one now. Giant wooden bicycle and "beaver" in Parkersburg. 80 degrees, very flat terrain. Overnight in St. Steven student center (on the campus of University of Northern Iowa) thanks to Father Ken Glaser.
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| Welcome to Ackley |
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| Freedom Rock Hardin County |
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| This is Ackley |
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| Giant wooden bicycle an giant "beaver" |
Thursday. Day 5 - Vinton (county seat Benton County) to Hiawatha, 25 miles, rolling hills. Second town Shellsburg celebrating their 100 year old bridge. Noteworthy mango, pineapple and protein smoothie in Shellsburg. Tonight we share 3 front yards with bathroom use.
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| Cedar River park in Vinton |
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| Vinton Fire Department with neat wooden carving |
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| Benton County Courthouse |
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| Tour of courthouse and court room |
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| Hanging out in Vinton |
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| Two Blue Bikes! Same bike as in Guttenberg last year. |
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| Shellsburg 100 year old bridge ... Happy Birthday! |
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| My tent under a beautiful Honey Locust tree in Hiawatha |
Friday. Day 6 - Hiawatha to Coralville, 65 miles. Left at 6 am cool cloudy morning, big rolling hills and awesome downhills. 15 miles from Coralville rain started, windy, thunder and lightening. Stopped to get out of the rain under tent for Amish cinnamon roll. Just as I got into Coralville it started to clear, by the time I found our house for the night the sun was out and it got hot. Our house for the night was a short distance from the main camping. Set up tent and put wet biking clothes on fence to dry. Took shuttle to Iowa River Landing (across the river is Iowa City) and walked through the vendors having a great hamburger from Iowa Cattlemen truck and a gourmet cupcake from Cupcake Delight
Sweet camel in Mt. Vernon
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| Pie truck entering Solon |
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| Coralville - wet biking clothes on fence |
Saturday. Day 7 - Coralville to Wilton, 41 miles. First stop Iowa City and the Old Capitol campus of University of Iowa. The old capitol was the first capitol built in Iowa City, until moved to Des Moines in 1855.
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| Old Capitol Campus - University of Iowa |
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| Iowa Hawkeyes |
Cloudy cool day with flat long roads the first 20 miles, then rolling hills into Wilton. Just as I entered Wilton (the meeting town) the sun came out with heat and humidity. Lunch at Hole Shabang with a tuna buca-wich (my third for the week) then found Mikey, Blake and Greg and we drove the van to Davenport.
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| Wilton the meeting town |
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| Biggest flag I have ever seen |
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| Steve, Bob, Mikey, Blake, Greg |
We found our gear on the side of the street and hauled it to a shady spot where Mikey brought the van. I got my car from the lot across the street loaded it up and said goodby to the guys (Steve and Bob had not gotten to Davenport yet) and left around 2:30 for Hannibal, Missouri home of Mark Twain about a 3 hour drive. Stayed in motel a 5 minute drive to downtown.
Mark Twain Memorial Lighthouse on Cardiff Hill. Construction began 1934. The lighthouse was built as a monument to Hannibal's most beloved son, as a symbol of his years as a riverboat pilot. President Franklin D. Roosevelt lit the beacon on Samuel Clemens 100th birthday. Hannibal, is the town in which Mark Twain spent most of his boyhood. In 1960 the lighthouse was leveled by a fierce windstorm. 1963 it was rebuilt and re-dedicated with President John F. Kennedy lighting the beacon. In 1994 a two year renovation revitalized the light and it was rededicated with President Bill Clinton lighting the beacon. In 2000 the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge changed locations, making it possible to walk up the steps from the Tom and Huck Statue to the lighthouse.
54 Feet Tall
200 Feet Above the Mississippi River
244 Steps From The Statue To The Lighthouse
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| lighthouse with Hannibal in the background |
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| view from lighthouse |
Left on Sunday morning and stayed Gatlinburg that night. Monday went to Great Smoky Mountain National Park and drove to Clingmans Dome. Home on Monday night.
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| Smoky Mountain National Park |
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| Clingman's Dome |
Thomas Clingman was born in North Carolina.
Clingman had another passion besides politics.
In 1858 he led an expedition in the Smokies.
The team included Arnold Guyot who recorded a
height of 6,660 feet for Smoky Dome. Guyot
then named the mountain Clingman's Dome in
honor of the leader of the expedition. Today
the official altitude is 6,643 feet above sea level.
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| View from top of Clingman's Done |
Sweet camel in Mt. Vernon
