RAGBRAI Route Inspection Pre-Ride Day 3 – Jefferson to Ames

We had a rockin’ good time in Jefferson last night, but this morning the tour kept on rolling and we headed to Ames. Headlining cities included: Grand Junction, Dana, Ogden, Boone (Meeting Town), Ledges State Park, Luther, and Ames.

Riders gather for a group photo in downtown Jefferson before leaving for day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

The ride took us through a comfortable 62.4 miles with 997 feet of climb. Click this text for a map of the third day of RAGBRAI XLVI.

We will ride day three of RAGBRAI XLVI in memory of Timmy O’Connor, from Team Sop N Wet. Anyone who ever met Timmy was touched by his kindness and friendliness on and off the bike. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and teammates of Timmy. We will miss you! The family has created a go fund me account: gf.me/u/ds4h94

Photos: Day 3 of RAGBRAI pre-ride route inspection

Here are the towns that we visited today:

GRAND JUNCTION

A biker puts on sunscreen in Grand Junction on day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

The first town out of Jefferson will be Grand Junction.  The town is very proud of their Historic Lincoln Highway heritage.  Grand Junction has a swimming pool, library, ball fields and a nice city park.

Just north of the downtown is the beautiful Grand Junction Lincoln Highway Garden.  The garden is in the shape of the United States and was designed by Bob and Joyce Ausberger.  The Lincoln Highway begins in Times Square in New York City and traverses the country to Legion of Honor Park in San Francisco.  There is also a museum dedicated to the Lincoln Highway in downtown Grand Junction.

Grand Junction will be serving pancakes for breakfast on Tuesday morning about 8 miles into the day.

For more information about Grand Junction, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/grandjunctionia/
http://grandjunctioniowa.org/main_page.html

DANA

Bikers ride into Dana on day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

Did you see this sweet piano in Jefferson with the RAGBRAI caricatures? It was created by Middle of Nowhere Studios out of Dana! If you care to check out more of their work they will be open during RAGBRAI and have free shipping.

For the breakfast bunch, Dana will have several delicious options including Breakfast Delights and a vendor selling crepes, breakfast burritos, and mini donuts. Yes you read that right, MINI DONUTS! They also plan on having plenty of kybos for our use. All of Dana’s RAGBRAI proceeds will go toward improvements in Juhl’s City Park including play equipment and replacing the fence.

OGDEN

Riders bike through downtown Ogden on day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

Ogden – Our Town, Make It Yours.  And you will, for a day.  Ogden is ready, and is planning on having local bands and dance teams, a beer garden with DJ, and food and beverage vendors.  Jam Time DJ productions will provide entertainment.

The high school music and band teams are raising funds for a trip to Orlando over spring break. They will be serving a baked potato bar, so stop by to help them get to Florida.  Other vendors will be serving pulled pork, pancakes & breakfast burritos. The Zion Church on Elm Street will have homemade pies.

Historical / Interesting Facts: The Lincoln Highway runs through the city of Ogden. The Lincoln Highway was the first highway to cross the continent from New York to San Francisco.

Famous Citizens: Home of many talented athletes, two four-time high school wrestling champions- Jason Keenan and Jesse Sundell. Professional football player – Mike Banks. And world known saddle bronc rider – Wade Sundell.

Interesting Buildings / Restaurants / Sites: The Lucky Pig Pub & Grill – awarded Best Tenderloin in Iowa.

Landscapes / Lakes / Parks:  The Kate Shelley High Bridge, located between Ogden & Boone, was one of the highest and longest double-track railroad bridges in the US.

Additional Info: Ogden is an attractive and friendly community of 2,000 people, nestled in the heart of Iowa.

For more info about the city of Ogden, visit:
https://ogdeniowa.org/

BOONE (Meeting Town)

The city of Boone on day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

Our meeting town for Tuesday is Boone, the birthplace of Mamie Doud Eisenhower, who was born in 1896 in Boone. She grew up to become the wife of the 34^th president of the United States, Dwight David Eisenhower.

Some of the neat places to visit are the Boone Scenic Valley Railroad and Museum, McHose Park, Kate Shelley Bridge, Seven Oaks Recreation and the Boone History Museum.  Boone celebrates Pufferbilly Days the first weekend after Labor Day each year. The celebration is rated as one of the top five celebrations in Iowa with over 30,000 people every year.

The southern portion of Story Street and the surrounding grassy areas will be the entertainment, food and drink zone for Boone’s RAGBRAI.  You’ll want to fuel up before tackling the Ledges State Park hill.

A beer garden with some entertainment and a hub of vendors and activities. They will have a variety of vendors with drinks and food comprised of both local and outside vendors.  They plan to have competitions as well as race cars along the route for photo opportunities.

A couple of local bands will perform, as well as the high school band and maybe some cheerleaders.

The towns theme is racing into Boone!

For more information about Boone’s RAGBRAI plans, visit:
https://www.facebook.com/booneiaragbrai/
http://www.boonegov.com/

LEDGES STATE PARK (yes we know it’s not a town)

Bikers ride into Ledges State Park on day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

Ledges is the first of two State Parks we will visit on RAGBRAI XLVI!

Ledges State Park is just a hop, skip, and a short bike ride from Boone. If you haven’t been there before this is a must-see. There are many gorgeous ledges just hidden from sight on the route. There will be plenty of signage to point the way and they are worth the (very) short trip to see them. One note – some of the road to the ledges may be under water and we recommend staying on dry land.

If you have heard that there is a humongous hill out of Ledges – it’s true. But it’s nothing you can’t handle if you trained and it’s also our last major hill of the day. So please use caution and ride right. That means literally staying on the right side of the road if you are going slowly and letting faster riders pass. If you decide to walk, please yell “bike off,” exit the road carefully, and walk up the shoulder. If you are a faster rider please stay to the left side of the road and be sure to communicate your movements.

Historical / Interesting Facts: On average, the campground at Ledges accommodates visitors from almost all 99 Iowa counties and 44 of the 50 United States on an annual basis, making it one of the busiest state park campgrounds in all of Iowa. Iowa’s many state parks provide the citizens of Iowa and beyond places of quiet beauty. These state parks make available some of the greatest natural resource treasures remaining in our state. They are a showcase of native plants, animals, geology, and water resources. Ledges State Park is no different in that it offers visitors with many recreational opportunities, stunning scenery, and a wide diversity of natural life.

The Canyon at Ledges is an ancient geological wonder and serves as the focal point of the park. It provides evidence of different eras in Iowa’s climate history. The massive sandstone deposits tell the story of a time when warm, tropical seas covered much of central Iowa and the fact that these deposits are now visible is proof of the powerful impact glaciers had across Iowa, shaping and molding our landscape to what it is today.

Interesting Buildings / Restaurants / Sites:  Ledges State Park is undergoing major renovations in 2018, none of which should affect the riders of RAGBRAI as they pass through the park. The Canyon Drive (a one-way road where motorists drive through 5 separate low water crossings) should be repaired and re-opened by the time RAGBRAI arrives in Ledges. In 2017 a landslide took out a large section of the road that provides access to the Canyon, but repairs should be completed by mid to late July of this year.

The campground at Ledges will remain closed for most; if not all of 2018 as major infrastructure renovations occur. New electric, water, and sewer upgrades will provide campers with better amenities when they visit in the future.

A new boat ramp will be completed by the time RAGBRAI comes through the park as well. This ramp will offer an established access point to the Des Moines River for visitors to fish, canoe/kayak, or boat up and down the river.

Description: Being only four miles South of Boone, Ledges State Park will be more of a place for rest and scenic beauty than your typical bustling pass-through town.

Food / Vendors: No food or outside vendors will be stationed at Ledges.

Entertainment/ Activities: Interpretive programming on the history and resources of Ledges will be available.

Additional Info: The Friends of the Ledges, a local non-profit volunteer group, whose sole purpose is promoting and enhancing Ledges State Park, will provide RAGBRAI riders with an opportunity to learn more about the park and what projects they are supporting. The major fundraising effort in 2018 for Friends of the Ledges is to replace the playground within the Ledges campground. The campground renovation project does not include replacing the playground, which is close to 30 years old. Through sales of Ledges memorabilia and donations, the Friends of the Ledges hope that RAGBRAI riders will consider contributing to such a worthy cause.

Ledges, along with Wildcat Den State Park, hope to provide 2018 RAGBRAI participants with a glimpse of the natural beauty that Iowa has to offer. Iowa’s state parks are gearing up for their 100^th anniversary celebration in 2020. It will be a time to celebrate the rich natural and cultural history of our state parks, but also an opportunity to inspire Iowans and others to take ownership in promoting, protecting, and enhancing these places of quiet beauty. RAGBRAI affords an incredible opportunity for the Iowa DNR and its supporters to celebrate, connect, and inspire riders about the people and places that tell the story of our state parks system.

For more info about Ledges State Park visit:
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Iowa-State-Parks/ParkDetails/ParkID/610148

LUTHER

Riders stop at the Whatcha Smokin’ BBQ and Brew restaurant in Luther on day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

Three bands will play on the stage to be located on Luther Street, next to the Watcha Smokin BBQ + Brew.  Hawk McIntyre will play from 10:45 – 12:45, Jake Doty from 1:00 – 3:00, and Stacy Peterson, lead singer for Saucy Jack and guitarist for Burnin Sensations will wrap things up from 3:00 – 5:00.

City Park in Luther will serve as the main venue.  With the stage at one end, and plenty of shade and grass, there will be plenty of reasons to get off your bike and rest a bit.  Bike parking should be available at the park as you ride in.  A charging station will be available to get your mobile device back up to fully functional.

Watcha Smokin will serve sandwiches featuring their smoked meats: Double Smoked Sausage, Iowa Pork Loin, Brisket, and Pulled Pork of Chicken.  Sides available include campground beans, Mom’s potato salad, creamy coleslaw, and cheesy potatoes.  Extra smokers will be obtained to help feed the masses as they ride into this last stop before Ames.

For more info on the city of Luther, visit:
https://www.cityofluther.org/

AMES

Riders pose for a photo inside Jack Trice Stadium on day three of the 2018 RAGBRAI Pre-Ride Route Inspection, Tuesday, June 5, 2018, in central Iowa.

Ames will be Taking the State by Storm on July 24, 2018, when RAGBRAI cyclists arrive in Ames.

Cyclists will be greeted with signs between Boone and Ames hinting to the “storm that is coming” when they arrive in Ames. As they approach Jack Trice Stadium, a human wind tunnel will form to cheer on the cyclists with Cycling Power. The cyclists will have the one-of-a-kind experience to partake in the Cyclone Loop as they will ride inside Jack Trice Stadium, the heart of CyclONE Nation. Food vendors, music, information stations, and easy access to the campgrounds and RV parking will be near Jack Trice Stadium.

Cyclists will find Downtown Ames is Brewing Up a Storm. The Ames RAGBRAI Entertainment Committee, in collaboration with Main Street Cultural District, has announced The Spazmatics and B2wins as the headline acts for the evening entertainment for the Brewing Up a Storm Downtown Ames Festival. The Spazmatics are the ultimate “New Wave” 80’s show and the B2wins explore pop music and the top 40 elements while injecting heavy use of signature instrumentation such as electric violin and ukulele for an organic sound. The diverse entertainment lineup also includes local country music favorite Danny Grause and classic rock band Richard Arndt and The Brew. A third stage will showcase a variety of unique performances featuring jugglers, stilt walkers and fire breathers.

The Festival located on several blocks on Main Street, in Downtown Ames, will be open approximately from 4:00 p.m. to midnight and will also include service and food vendors and a beer garden. Beverage and food vendor prices will apply. The public is welcome and invited to attend the event. Shuttles from the campgrounds will provide easy access to Downtown Ames for cyclists.

Ames is the Smart Choice…and we are proud of it! Ames is the 5^th “Smartest City in America’, #1 “Healthiest City in the Country”, and one of the “Happiest Small Places in America”. Cyclists will enjoy experiencing firsthand why we are smart, healthy and happy in Ames!

For more information about Ames’ RAGBRAI plans, visit:
https://www.amesragbrai.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AmesRAGBRAI/
https://twitter.com/amesragbrai
https://www.instagram.com/amesragbrai/

https://www.chicagospazmatics.com/
http://brazilian2wins.com/
http://dannygrause.com/
http://www.brewlive.com/

Don’t forget to check back the rest of this week for daily updates and photos from the route inspection ride here on the RAGBRAI web site www.ragbrai.com. You can also follow the pre-ride adventure and learn interesting tidbits about the route by following on Facebook Facebook.com/RAGBRAI or on TWITTER by following @RAGBRAI_IOWA, @TJRAGBRAI, or @RAGBRAI_Andrea

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