RAGBRAI day 3 and 4

When I left you we were in Algona, since we spent last night in Clear Lake and now we're in Charles Town and leaving for Waterloo in the morning. We stay with Tom and Jan Lovell in Clear Lake yesterday, what a place and they had a second home also on the lake 4 doors down with 5 bedrooms. This was fantastic, the entire team was able to sleep in a bed and not having to pitch a tent, what a great afternoon and night we had. We had planned on sloppy joe's as I said but here again Tom and Jan we're planning a big feed, BBQ chicken and burgers a number of salads (of which this cornbread salad was a thing of beauty.......yes corn bread salad to die for) and plenty of beer and gin and tonic's..................OMG and to be sitting on a patio or down on the dock off the patio with a much needed cool breeze off the lake. Needless to say the sloppy joe's were put on hold for another day.

After showers, some laundry, and a few beers and snacks the team basically just relaxed this night and had many conversations on a vast number of topics. Tom BBQ'd and the meal was just great and they had root beer floats after wards as a treat and boy was it. Non of us went into down town for any of the festivities, just hung around the lake house and enjoyed the cool weather and breeze. We had visitors from Des Moines on this evening and night, Susan and Luara and Brynner came to visit and stayed the night also and for breakfast the next morning. This was truly above and beyond for our host and it was greatly appreciated you can bet on that, especially seeing how they were leaving after us in the morning for Minnesota and then off to Alaska, fishing, hiking and wilderness watching. This was so nice what they did for us and more so considering their schedule right after our leaving.

Their dock went out into the lake a good 50 yards and some of the team went swimming when we first arrived, the water was about 80 degrees and very refreshing. At 10:00 pm the town of Clear Lake had a fireworks show for RAGBRAI and it was top knotch, Bev and I actually went out onto the end of the dock and sat on a bench out there to watch the display, couldn't ask for better seats or weather for such an event. In the morning it was bagels and cream cheese, cheese scrambled eggs, juice, coffee and a muffin variety and off to Charles City, Iowa. This was a short day for the riders and use support vehicles, just at 40 miles so the team had time to relax and goof off on the route and stop in each little town for some kind of grub and ice cream, Bev and I went on a head as usually and got set up at our next host site.

Charles City, and the home of Jim Erb who just happens to be the mayor of Charles City. We have a nice place along the curb in from of his home under very large and shady trees. We got things set up and talked a bit to Jim (when he was around) he was in and out with all the festivities he was speaking at or organizing. The weather was just great, 81 and sunny after a early morning rain between 1:00 am and 4:00 am so this day was the best, until tomorrow when it is scheduled to be even better for the riders.

The team went into the down town area tonight after a great sloppy Joe dinner, yes we finally had the sloppy joe's and Bev did a great job in the preparation. Along with the sloppy joe's we had a cheese tray assortment some beans and I did up some shrimp on the barbie! Plenty of beer on ice when the arrived too, with nuts, chips and dip other stuff. Plenty of activities down town and a couple of good bands and lots of food boths and odds and ends to look at and or buy if you so desire. Back to the RV and tents (yep in Jim's yard with tents tonight but not all that bad) we had a couple of scoops of ice cream, a bit more conversation and off to bed for what is scheduled as a big day with 82 miles. Tomorrow we'll be heading to Waterloo and some great entertainment at their venue, like the Fab Four which is supposed to be one of if not the best Beatles knock offs ever, can't wait to see them tomorrow night.

Bev and I will back up after they pull out at 7:00 am and hit the road to Waterloo and hopefully get some laundry done, yep running out of some duds and gotta do what ya gotta do! See you then......................