Town Trivia: Can you guess the RAGBRAI XLVIII meeting towns?

Do you fancy yourself an Iowa town historian? 

In celebration of this year's virtual RAGBRAI, we are publishing a daily clue to the location of a meeting town on next year’s RAGBRAI route. On the following day, we will publish the clue’s answer as well as a new clue for another of the seven towns RAGBRAI will pass through when we are back on the road in 2021.

Your first and only hint: The clues and answers aren’t in order of when they will appear on RAGBRAI’s route. We can’t make it too easy for all you nascent gumshoes! 

Day 8

Great job historians! 

In celebration of this week’s virtual RAGBRAI, we’ve been handing out daily clues to the location of the seven meeting towns on RAGBRAI’s 2021 Route. Today we reveal our last answer. 

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER: Cherokee

• Population: 4,900
• History: Cherokee has hosted RAGBRAI five times. The town first hosted in 1975, the third year of RAGBRAI, and again in 1982, 1998, 2002 and 2012.
• Fun fact: Cherokee is the annual host of the Mill Creek Festival in August. Past headliners include the Eli Young Band, Big and Rich and Kid Rock. 
• Learn more: cherokeeiowa.net

In order, the 2021 meeting towns are:

• Sunday, July 25: Cherokee
• Monday, July 26: Rockwell City
• Tuesday, July 27: Webster City
• Wednesday, July 28: Parkersburg
• Thursday, July 29: Center Point
• Friday, July 30: Oxford Junction
• Saturday, July 31: Miles

Day 7

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER: Oxford Junction

• Population: 488
• History: Oxford Junction has been a pass-through town four other times — in 1985, 1994, 2004, and 2012.
• Fun fact: The small town of Oxford Junction is nearby the Wapsipinicon River, which has been known to overflow and flood the town. 
• Learn more: facebook.com/cityofoxfordjunction

CLUE 7: The G stood for Government not General. It is a grand name indeed, and a great nation as well.

Day 6

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER: Rockwell City

• Population: 2,096
• History: Rockwell City has been an overnight town twice, first in 1979 and again in 1998. Riders passed through this town in 2004.
• Fun fact: The city's slogan is "The Golden Buckle of the Corn Belt."
• Learn more: rockwellcity.com

CLUE 6: Figure this out you road scholars. Lots of folks must have gotten lost heading east out of town.

Day 5

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER: Center Point

• Population: 2,557
• History: Riders have passed through Center Point four times starting with the Second Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa in 1974 and again in 1978, 1983, and 1985. 
• Fun fact: Center Point's name speaks for itself: The town got its name in the 1800s from its central location between Cedar Rapids and Quasqueton and Cedar Rapids and Independence.
• Learn more: centerpointia.com

CLUE 5: The name of a famous American painter … it could be on the cover of Post. Farley, Iowa claims they are the heart of the corn belt … this stop is so much more practical and golden!

Day 4

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER: Webster City

• Population: 8,000
• History: Webster City has been an overnight stop twice, first in 1980 and again in 2012. Riders passed through this city in 1995 and 2015. 
• Fun fact: Webster City is the only town in the country that is the hometown of two Pulitzer Prize winners! MacKinlay Kantor won the prize for literature in 1956 and Clark Mollenhoff won in 1958 for national reporting.
• Learn more: webstercity.com

CLUE 4: Don’t believe the name … not even close. There is no Horse Thief Cave and we are not that close to Illinois … And hey, haven’t we seen this park before?

DAY 3

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER: Miles

• Population: 439
• History: This year will put Miles on the (RAGBRAI) map! In RAGBRAI's recorded history, Miles has not been an overnight town.
• Fun fact: Each year, the town of Miles hosts a Great River Threshers event that includes a parade and truck and tractor pull. The event is meant to "celebrate the tradition of the Old Thresher's Days," according to its Facebook page. Threshers are a machine that separates grain from the plant.
• Learn more: cityofmiles.org

CLUE 3: The giant is no longer here nor any Old Castles … but they still remember their prize-winning journalists. (Hint one worked at the Register!)

DAY 2

YESTERDAY’S ANSWER: Parkersburg

• Population: 1,943
• History: Parkersburg has yet to host overnight. Riders passed through in 2010 and 2015.
• Fun fact: Parkersburg is the hometown of Ernest Hemingway's second wife, journalist Pauline Pfeiffer. 
• Learn more: parkersburgia.com

CLUE 2: Not just a vague distance and founded in 1876 … Centennial Park was a no brainer. Also, on that river valley tour. 

DAY 1

CLUE 1: You can find a miracle here. Last time through, we noticed how few trees there were. Still thinking of you coach!

RAGBRAI’s Town Trivia is sponsored by The Iowa Destination Marketing Alliance. The IDMA is comprised of tourism leaders from across the state of Iowa who have a hand in creating the overnight and meeting town experiences each year on RAGBRAI. Visit: traveliowa.com/destinationiowa for more information. 

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Town Trivia: Can you guess the RAGBRAI XLVIII meeting towns?

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