RAGBRAI 2014 Route for Tuesday, July 22: Emmetsburg to Forest City

Day 3: Emmetsburg to Forest City

Tuesday morning’s throng that wheels out of Emmetsburg should leave enough appetite for a second breakfast 21 miles down the road inRingsted. City clerk Cathy Wikert hinted that her town’s menu would feature aebleskiver (small, puffy Danish pancakes).

The day’s meeting town, Bancroft, will serve as a homecoming of sorts for its native son and famed RAGBRAI food vendor “Mr. Pork Chop.” The elder Chop, 85-year-old Paul Bernhard, can bask in his celebrity without having to stray far from the local nursing home where he has been on the long mend after suffering a broken hip. Meanwhile, his son, Matt, who has taken over the family business, will park the signature pink school bus downtown in the vicinity of Main Street Pub & Grill.

Titonka’s community groups will dish food out of the local EMS building. But this two-bar, one-grocery town also hopes that RAGBRAI might help sell its soon-to-be-vacant school building that was expanded and refurbished as recently as 2007, before students were absorbed into the Algona district.

Todd Schwartz, executive vice president of the local bank and a RAGBRAI rider for the last decade with the Bode Bunch team, said Titonka hopes “to route the riders past the school building, and so if there’s anyone, if there’s a business person looking for some place to expand — take a look.”

The “Karras Loop” named after RAGBRAI co-founder John Karras adds some 28 miles to Tuesday’s ride, pushing it past the 100-mile “century” mark. Those who pedal the distance get to visit two extra towns: Burt will open its local pool to let riders take a dip. The summer sport of choice here is the “toilet toss”: Men compete to heave an entire toilet bowl as far as possible, while the ladies can opt to throw just the rectangular lid (dubbed the “tank top toss”).

The second loop town, Lone Rock, is the self-proclaimed “neatest little town in Iowa,” Photo opportunity: The 175-ton solitary boulder that gave Lone Rock its name was blasted into four pieces 40 years ago and reassembled at the southwest corner of town.

Riders will roll through Crystal Lake (home of the world’s largest, 12-foot bullhead (another photo opportunity) on the way to Forest Cityfor the night, where they’re likely to encounter hundreds of RVs that have lingered in the wake of Winnebago Industries’ Grand National Rally held the previous week. More than 1,400 RVs are expected in this town situated near Pilot Knob State Park that also has played host to three previous RAGBRAIs.

Tuesday morning’s throng that wheels out of Emmetsburg should leave enough appetite for a second breakfast 21 miles down the road inRingsted. City clerk Cathy Wikert hinted that her town’s menu would feature aebleskiver (small, puffy Danish pancakes).

The day’s meeting town, Bancroft, will serve as a homecoming of sorts for its native son and famed RAGBRAI food vendor “Mr. Pork Chop.” The elder Chop, 85-year-old Paul Bernhard, can bask in his celebrity without having to stray far from the local nursing home where he has been on the long mend after suffering a broken hip. Meanwhile, his son, Matt, who has taken over the family business, will park the signature pink school bus downtown in the vicinity of Main Street Pub & Grill.

Titonka’s community groups will dish food out of the local EMS building. But this two-bar, one-grocery town also hopes that RAGBRAI might help sell its soon-to-be-vacant school building that was expanded and refurbished as recently as 2007, before students were absorbed into the Algona district.

Todd Schwartz, executive vice president of the local bank and a RAGBRAI rider for the last decade with the Bode Bunch team, said Titonka hopes “to route the riders past the school building, and so if there’s anyone, if there’s a business person looking for some place to expand — take a look.”

The “Karras Loop” named after RAGBRAI co-founder John Karras adds some 28 miles to Tuesday’s ride, pushing it past the 100-mile “century” mark. Those who pedal the distance get to visit two extra towns: Burt will open its local pool to let riders take a dip. The summer sport of choice here is the “toilet toss”: Men compete to heave an entire toilet bowl as far as possible, while the ladies can opt to throw just the rectangular lid (dubbed the “tank top toss”).

The second loop town, Lone Rock, is the self-proclaimed “neatest little town in Iowa,” Photo opportunity: The 175-ton solitary boulder that gave Lone Rock its name was blasted into four pieces 40 years ago and reassembled at the southwest corner of town.

Riders will roll through Crystal Lake (home of the world’s largest, 12-foot bullhead (another photo opportunity) on the way to Forest Cityfor the night, where they’re likely to encounter hundreds of RVs that have lingered in the wake of Winnebago Industries’ Grand National Rally held the previous week. More than 1,400 RVs are expected in this town situated near Pilot Knob State Park that also has played host to three previous RAGBRAIs.

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