54.5 miles, 1242 ft of climb

Wide Iowa map, Ames to Des Moines RAGBRAI 2023 routeClose up of Iowa map, Ames to Des Moines RAGBRAI 2023 route

This was the shortest and least climby day of the week. The opportunity to tank up during leisurely meals was taken, with the pictures to prove!

Me holding up a fork over a large stack of pancakes.
Flip’N Jacks in Ames was strangely quiet. People were missing out! I’m not going to claim I finished this stack myself. The camera operator got her fair share.
A set of three late 19th century brick storefronts, nearest with a large American flag on its long corner side and cyclists all around.
Slater (pop 1151) This was an early morning popsicle stop (from local kids). The Slater library is currently collecting funds for a new building.
Me fake grimacing with a late 19th Century corner bank building painted white and trimmed beige.
Madrid (pop 2802). Confirmed by a resident, the stress is on the first syllable with the “a” from “hat” (MAdrid). I learned a lesson after my 2016 Chicago-Mississippi River ride pronunciation debacle when going through Marseilles, Illinois.
A white two story wood building with small roof tower, bicycle lay everywhere
Polk City (pop 5751). The Big Creek Historical Museum is the former town hall built in 1863. The corn propaganda wagon at left made an appearance every day.
Numerous cyclists stand around a metal pyramid structure with attached bikes while taking pictures.
Ankeny (pop 70,287) lunch stop. The suburban sprawl (from/to Des Moines) begins. I chatted with a very nice local resident watching the show who said the bikes were added recently and she hoped they would stay.
Me facing the camera with cyclist sitting at red picnic tables and a beer themed mural behind.
Firetrucker Brewery mural in Ankeny. Food options were limited so we found an empty but delish Mexican restaurant. The young gals in the rolled ice cream place (below) said it had been a Long John Silver’s and no one eats there. A cautionary tale of listening too much to local people.
Me smiling with two containers of rolled ice cream in front of me
Rolled ice cream in Ankeny. Nitya got strawberries, me peanut butter. It was delicious of course but my overall impression is “labor intensive”
My tour bike leaning against a wall with a mural of male figure lounging back.
Des Moines mural from CERA, Chicago artist. Coming down a hill into town I really had to lay into the breaks when I saw a familiar style! Don’t get me started on those bike racks…
A recumbent tricycle passing the Iowa state capitol building
Iowa capitol building in Des Moines and one of the many recumbent trikes
A six story red brick former early 20th Century factory now lofts
Crane Co Building (1916). The former plumbing/heating manufacturer has a building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, also on the National Register. This handsome structure now contains artist lofts.
Me holding chopsticks looking down at the multiple plates of Thai food I'm chowing down on.
Lucky Lotus Thai, the winner of the week. Caught in the moment of realizing the chopstick plan is ridiculous and going in for the grab. Not pictured: a family style fried rice and a giant bowl of tom yum soup

Day 1 – Sioux City to Storm Lake (72.2 miles, 3592 ft of climb)

Day 2 – Storm Lake to Carroll (57.3 miles, 1778 ft of climb)

Day 3 – Carroll to Ames (86.1 miles, 1564 ft of climb)

…

Day 5 – Des Moines to Tama-Toledo (88.9 miles, 4218 ft of climb)

Day 6 – Tama-Toledo to Coralville (80.6 miles, 2881 ft of climb)

Day 7 – Coralville to Davenport (71.2 miles, 1892 ft of climb)

Contact CBA for custom guided rides through Chicago’s neighborhoods and for gift certificates for the cyclists in your life. Also, have a look at The Map, where you can plan your own ride, run, or walk around Chicago.

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