Hiawatha to Maquoketa:  77.3 miles

As the group was getting preparing to depart Brian’s sanctuary in Cedar Rapids the rain started to fall a bit harder.  Darrin and I were outside helping Jason maneuver the RV and trailer so we could depart.  Fortunately for us, Brian came to our rescue and offered to pull the trailer out with his pickup as turning space was limited and we did not feel the need to re-landscape and plant new trees in his yard.  The plan was to drive back to Hiawatha and start there as a group.  The rain modified that plan a bit, as I walked into Brian’s basement the group was assembled and proposed we start the day by going for breakfast rather than going back to Hiawatha…I needed little convincing that this was a good idea.  We loaded up and sought out some Iowa café breakfast.  We were not disappointed as we had breakfast at Gwen’s in Lisbon, Iowa.  The cinnamon rolls were the size of small tires and the pancakes were huge; best of all it was dry.  We unloaded in Fairview, in the rain.  Fairview allowed Barry a perfect picture opportunity as that is the name of his practice in Minneapolis.  The rain continued through the morning and just when we thought things could get no worse, we had to navigate our bikes through about two miles of a muddy gravel road.  The bikes were a mess; the nice people along the route were more than happy to let us use their garden hoses to clean our bikes and ourselves.  After lunch the sun came out and our moods brightened as we went through the last few towns on the route enjoying the festivities.  Tip of the day:  be sure the stem on your spare tube is long enough to go through your rim.  Tonight we will stay with Bill and Marilou Risser in Maquoketa.

Contact Pedaling for Parkinson's. 404.441.8096

Contact Frazier Cycling Inc. 770.513.8640