My guess:

Onawa
Denison
Atlantic
Creston
Indianola
Oskaloosa
Washington
Muscatine

THEY’VE ANNOUNCED THE RESULTS OF THE GUESS THE RIDE CONTEST!!

Weeelll, not really:

https://ragbrai.com/2016/01/19/guess-the-route-contest-results/

But they did produce a nice graphic to show where all of our guesses went. Clearly south is the winner among the prognosticators. Last year I pretty much ignored the clues and batted a goose egg. This year I tried to slavishly follow every clue I could perceive or imagine and as a result I expect to do … no better! Good luck to the rest of you!!

My route guess for 2016 is:

GLENWOOD- Tabor, Malvern, Hastings, Emerson, RED OAK – Elliot, Grant, Wyman, Bridgewater, Orient, CRESTON – Afton, Arispe, Tingley, Ellston, Sun Valley Lake, Gran River, LAMONI – Davis CityLeon, Garden Grove, Humeston, Cambria, Millerton, Promise City, Seymour, Numa, CENTERVILLE – Mystic, Moravia, Hocking, Albia, OTTUMWA – Floris, Eldon, Selma, Hillsboro, Salem, MOUNT PLEASANT – New London, Lowell, West Point, Franklin, Donnellson, New Boston, Montrose, Galland, KEOKUK.

my 2016 route is:

Onawa
Denison
Atlantic
Creston
Indianola
Oskaloosa
Washington
Muscatine

Interesting…http://www.bandsintown.com/event/11224220?app_id=js_weezer.com&artist=Weezer&came_from=39

While I would love to stop in Lamoni (home of my alma mater, and home of my parents), I don’t think it will ever happen with SPECTACULAR happening that same week at Graceland University.

Greetings fellow RAGBRAI’ers! I’m proud to announce that, after going 0-fer-three years, I guessed 5 out of the 8 towns this year! I won’t win the pick the route contest, but at least I won a moral victory. I only missed Shenandoah, Washington and Muscatine. I picked Clarinda for a longer first day and Mount Pleasant/Keokuk for a truer southern route. There must have been dust on the crystal ball!

Now to begin the training in earnest. The Trek is on the Cycle-ops and is ready to go. Winter storm Jonas be hanged. 15″ of the white @#$$$%# is nothing in Emerald City, Colo’o but still must be removed. So off to the snow thrower I go. I’ll keep this cold in mind when pedaling RAGBRAI 44 this summer. See you along the I-O-Way in 181 days.

I had 4 Glenwood, Creston, Centerville and Ottumwa. missed on Red Oak, Lamoni, Mount Pleasant and Keokuk.

I had 6, missed the first two. Must not have me in contention for the Guess the Route Competition or they haven’t announced it yet because I have not heard anything. I live 10mi from Washington so whether I win a gift card to the RAGBRAI Store or not, I’m still pumped for this year’s southern route!