“Bicycle Bill” said:

Zinger said: Hey BB – how about some Spotted Cow or DTB??? Pretty please!

Howinthehelll do you know about DTB????-“BB”-
I was in Onalaska for some computer training and it was on tap at a restaurant I went to. I brought home several 6 packs. Then last year when my son ran in LaCrosse, I went to the brewery and sampled. DTB remains my favorite. I try to pick some up whenever I’m up that way. 

Boone!?!?
Do I remember a river valley? and a bridge? I’ve gotta get on the road fast.

northsea said: Boone!?!? Do I remember a river valley? and a bridge? I’ve gotta get on the road fast.

Des Moines River valley, a hill, not as bad as Potters, any way you come in from the west. Old 30 or Waterworks, unless they run us up north through Pilot Mound, then we get twister.  Boone to Toona, do they run us down by Madrid to see the A2W Bridge, (13 stories high 1/2 mile long, opens thia year) if they do we could head out of town on old 30, head south along the west side of the river by 7 Oaks and Mongonia, couple of good hill that way too. then we hit 210 and go up out of the valley to Madrid.

Gus Riley said: Does anyone know where in Davenport the ride will dip the river?

I’m assuming it will be in downtown Davenport since that is where the bix fest is.

jwsknk; this would be a great route, give us a chance to show off a great bridge/valley ride, the things that can be accomplished when nature lovers and bikers get together!

neilro51 said: jwsknk; this would be a great route, give us a chance to show off a great bridge/valley ride, the things that can be accomplished when nature lovers and bikers get together!

and if people want to take the trail out of Madrid to go back out to the bridge I suppose it could be done but the officials might discourage it if they though the traffic would get too heavy , 2 way traffic on a 10 foot wide trail. great photo ops though.

JimmyMac said:

Gus Riley said: Does anyone know where in Davenport the ride will dip the river?

I’m assuming it will be in downtown Davenport since that is where the bix fest is.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=41.519254,-90.576037&spn=0.002217,0.004823&t=h&z=18&msid=214625401817909771687.00049b13762aaa05e4e34

Like maybe Centinel Park?

We discussed this on the way back to Davenport last night. I think Marquette St Landing will be the dip site. While we all would like to see Credit Island. It has a bottle neck with only one way in/out. It would cause a traffic nightmare. Marquette St Landing has ample parking, and is adjacent to Centennial Park. This whole area next to the Bix Fest at LeClaire Park on the other side of the baseball stadium (JOD) or Modern Woodman Park as it is call now. The city has spent allot of money on parking and cleaning up Centennial Park. I think they will want to show case it. All the restaurant and bars are within walking distance too. Credit Island is a bit to isolated to show off the downtown too.

northsea said: Boone!?!? Do I remember a river valley? and a bridge? I’ve gotta get on the road fast.

You do, but when you get there you can enjoy a ride on the choo-choo.
Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad

-“BB”-

Speaking of trains. The Train Festival 2011 will be in Rock Island July 21-24.

http://www.trainfestival2011.com/

For riders starting there trip from Davenport. This would be a nice event to attend before leaving for Glennwood.

As a first time rider from San Francisco, I can’t wait to see the towns on the route–it will all be new to me.  I can’t wait to get to Grinnell to see the Louis Sullivan bank (which I have taught in an architectural history survey but have never seen in person).

Thoreau said: As a first time rider from San Francisco, I can’t wait to see the towns on the route–it will all be new to me.  I can’t wait to get to Grinnell to see the Louis Sullivan bank (which I have taught in an architectural history survey but have never seen in person).

that’s one of the “jewel box” buildings he did, right?  Boone has some big old houses, it was a big railroad town back 100 years ago, RR still there but not the money. Can’t think of much else of Architectural intrest in the towns right now.

It is one of the magical and quirky bank buildings that Sullivan did after the great skyscrapers.  There’s another one in Algona as well. 

As an architectural historian who studies vernacular buildings, I can’t wait for Iowa.  I’m more interested in farmsteads and small main streets than in mansions in Newport, Rhode Island.