It’s never too early to start thinking about the next trip through the cornfields. I’ll begin the speculations with the starting and ending towns, saving the overnight towns for later (something to anticipate during the cold winter months ahead).
Previously, I’ve relied on a crystal
ball, a Magic 8-ball, tea leaves and an Ouija board, with no success. Today, I’ll rely on my sweet tooth! Since I love M&M candies, I predict the starting town will be Missouri Valley and the end town will be Fort Madison. I would have picked LeMars as the starting town, but we were just there a few rides ago. However, you can never have too much Blue Bunny ice cream, so maybe a pre-ride detour is justifiable!
What’s your guess? Let the games begin!
See you on the I-O-Way next year.
12 Replies
Never too early, indeed!
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/motor/2023/09/25/indycar-assigns-new-2024-date-for-hyvee-sponsored-race-weekend-at-iowa-speedway-ragbrai-newton/70834030007/
There are 1001 imaginative reasons besides the obvious reason of ” too much stuff going on at once for HyVee”….like Newton wants to put in for RAGBRAI next year! Newton was last an overnight in 2018, so they could want to do it again.
So, based on nothing more than utter speculation, a fresh bottle of Jack Daniels, and that the Oak Tree leaves are turning in an abnormal pattern….
Rock Valley
Cherokee
Lake City
Boone
Newton
Ottumwa
Fort Madison
Big ol’ diagonal across the state. I have no idea if the mileage works out even .025% correctly :)
No matter….RAGBRAI don’t care.
See you in July,
-Chris
I can not believe only 1 response in a few days. RAGBRAI L must of worn them out. All bets on North. Rock Valley or Hawarden. I have never been at Hawarden so I am hoping for that. It has been a while since they have been there.
LeMars was good but waiting over an hour for expensive ice cream for tradition can go. I like the free ice cream from blue bunny or farms along the way like it was years ago. I know I am an old timer but the northern route always seems better. There has always been great highlights along the way even last year with free beer in several spots with a donation which is great. Sitting across the table from an old German drinking bud light while you have a Hefe Weizen and seeing the look on his face when he realized he messed up was priceless. He said they had Hefe Weizen, I think he started crying. He chugged it down and went back and got another one. It is the small things like this that make RAGBRAI so much fun.
It’s reported that Glenwood is making a pitch to be a host town for RAGBRAI 51.
What’s Independence up to? I read they are campaigning for LI.
https://www.communitynewspapergroup.com/oelwein_daily_register/independence-applies-to-be-ragbrai-li-host-town/article_c2055de2-7411-11ee-bd75-0f115573354b.htm
Interesting… Independence seems further north than I anticipated for next year but I like it.
Like AMalier, I have a feeling that Glenwood is in the running for start town. I perused potential routes, thought it’d be nice to roll through Eldon, site of the American Gothic House. Tonight I see that the RAGBRAI LI logo incorporates a fair approximation of the American Gothic House. Maybe a perfect rendition of the American Gothic House would’ve infringed on a copyright, or some such. Anyhoo, ju-ju builds…
– Bobby
Glenwood would be perfect for me, grew up very near there and this will be first Ragbrai if plans do come together. Lithium Ragbrai (LI), love the idea of it.
direwolf/Bobby,
You have eyes like a hawk!!! You must be a resident of the Hawkeye State.
The Ragbrai LI logo matches the American Gothic house in Eldon in two important areas. There are four columns supporting the porch roof and the style of the window over the porch matches. If this isn’t a sign, then I don’t know what is!
See you along the I-O-Way next July
Put me on record for the ending town of Burlington and Snake Alley.
Just spitballing here:
Glenwood
Red Oak
Greenfield
Osceola
Knoxville
Ottumwa
Washington
Muscatine
Ending in Muscatine? Again? It seems Muscatine and Davenport have been getting a lot of love from RAGBRAI. Can that happy streak continue?