Entering Iowa

On Monday we entered the great state of Iowa... much the same scenery as we found in Nebraska: corn, soybeans and a very limited amount of coffee shops. We started to head north in order to arrive at Dordt College on Tuesday afternoon. We were very well received there, with dorm rooms to sleep in and a pizza and chicken dinner. I hadn't been to Dordt since I last visited my brother Justin there some 8-10 years ago, and there have been many changes made to the campus.

My friend Paul (used to live in the 10th street house in Portland with me) met me there along with his friend Nina, and we hit up the free bowling lanes for a few games. I somehow managed a score of 145 in the first game, but things steadily declined from there.

Later that night we had a celebration service, so i threw on the ole yellow shirt and suit jacket combination for good measure. Most everyone went to bed early since Wednesday was the first of three consecutive century rides. When we woke we were greeted by sheets of rain, although this was somewhat of a welcome surprise compared to the heat that we had been experiencing previously. After a typical dining hall breakfast, we hit the wet roads with eager anticipation of a west wind... and we certainly got it. The clouds cleared around noon, and the tailwind pushed us all the way into Algona - it's great to ride at 20+ mph and not have to pedal!

Today again, we set out for another 112 miles. However, this time we weren't as fortunate with the winds and actually had to work for this one! I took my sweet time mostly today, making long stops for gas station coffee and ice-cream, as well as popsicles provided by John Elzinga's fiancee who has been following along with us since Omaha.

Well, i pretty much stink, and i'm sitting in a public library making their keyboard all dirty, so i'm going to head back to camp and clean up... hygeine standards really go out the window on tours like this - except for purell, but don't get me started!