Day 13 – Missouri Valley to Lewis & Clark State Park

46.9 miles today – 674.5 total miles

We got up early and left the motel at about 8 am.  We wanted to get most of the riding done before it got too hot.  We had a two good things in our favor – a headwind and clouds.  The clouds didn’t produce rain for us, but gave us shade.  The disadvantage to the tailwind is that when it is blowing at 15 mph and you are traveling at 15 mph you are basically in dead air with no breeze to cool you.

Today we made steady progress at about 10-11 mph most of the day.  I would ride in front and Keith would ride behind me doing what we call drafting to take advantage of my breaking the air.  The ride was mostly uneventful and mostly flat.

Part way though the ride, I did discover a problem with my bike.  My back wheel is no longer trued correctly.  We stopped by the road and work on it to get it better and we will be stopping by a bike shop tomorrow to have it properly trued.

We stopped in Onawa to mail a post card and to check e-mail at the library.  Then we went by the grocery store for food supplies and headed on the 3+ miles to the park.

We got to the park at about 4pm and set up camp.  When Keith went to use the computer he discovered that he left his USB drive in the computer at the library.  Fortunately a kind fellow camper gave us a ride in to town to retrieve it.
Today we have been asked several times if were are going to RAGBRAI.   RAGBRAI is an annual weeklong ride across Iowa that is starting this weekend just north of Souix City .

I just made a dive for the tent.  One mosquito found me and called all his buddies!

We are looked ahead at next week and we are currently projecting that we will end our trip Friday evening in Chamberlain, SD