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We'ze going back...We will be leaving Tulsa on Friday at 7:00am and arrive in Sioux Center sometime Friday evening. Bob Knowler, who was our Friday and Saturday night host last year has graciously invited us back for Friday night. We look forward to seeing him again. After breakfast and a trip to Sam's to stock up on supplies, we'll be off to Sioux City to find a camping place for Saturday night and participate in the festivities. We have our school bus and are almost through with the conversion process. Click here for pictures or it's amazing transformation. Currently scheduled riders for this year are: Jim Griffin - Grandpa With our outstanding support crew members (Gunga-Dins): Barbara Knapp If you are interested in joining us this year, click here for more information or to join our Yahoo group. We mainly use that for a mailing list. More information will be coming as soon as I can get some pictures to scan and finish the text. Check back soon. Team Member PicturesTeam members from 2002 & 1999 and just good friends.
RAGBRAI 2002Well, we survived, with everybody coming back alive. A little worse for wear, but still alive. Here's a day by day summary. Friday - 19 JulyWe left Tulsa Friday morning with everything loaded in the bus and the bikes on the trailer at about 7:30 or 7:45. Not too bad considering we wanted to leave by 7:00. It wasn't too bad driving up, with the windows down there was plenty of air circulating and it was generally pretty comfortable. Stopping about every 120 to 150 miles for fuel for the bus and to empty our bladders broke the monotony. Lee, Jim and Pete shared driving duties without any problems coming up. Bob Knowler, our most gracious host from last year on Friday and Saturday nights in Sioux City invited us to spend Friday night at his place again this year as we were unable to come up with a host in Sioux Center. He didn't know there was going to be 14 of us this year, but that wasn't a problem as he has a large basement and everybody found a place to sleep. We arrived at his place around 7:30 that night, resulting in a 12 hour trip. Pretty good, if you ask me.
Saturday - 20 JulySomebody got the idea that all the guys had to paint their toe-nails in Team Crude colors with an oil splotch. There's a couple of pictures of this going on and the results of that in the pictures below. Everywhere we went that week, people were commenting on our toes and we had to have a 'toe jam' to show them all off. After toe painting, presenting Bob with his shirt, chatting and re-packing the bus, we were off to Sioux Center, about 50 miles up the road. Arrival was around noon and it took us about another hour to decide where to pitch camp. That was done in short order and we were off to the races. Actually, Cindy Lou and Tomilyn were off to the races when we first arrived, meeting Team Fish members while Michael and Lee searched for a place to setup. Walking around the expo and food area, we met a few people, toured a couple of other team buses and saw Scott and Vickie Lynn who were with Team Rainbow. Besides them, there are a few Red Dirt Pedalers from Stillwater that use Rainbow services for RAGBRAI. Saturday evening was great with a spectacular fireworks display finishing the festivities. Sunday - 21 JulyIt figures. The first ride day and it's hot. But, not nearly as hot as 1999 or some other days we've spent riding across Iowa. But, still it was wonderful to actually be riding. We told our virgins this year what to expect, but as always, they had to experience it for themselves before fully understanding what's going on. Coming into the first town, Randy looks at Jim and Lee and says "You guys weren't kidding, were you?". Bikes and riders all over the street. Vendors lining the streets selling breakfast items and the bars in full swing at 8:00 on Sunday morning. Welcome to RAGBRAI. Our hosts for Sunday night were Chuck and Charisse Peterson who insisted we sleep in the basement as a storm was expected in the middle of the night. A couple of brave souls did sleep on the bus deck and got a little wet, but the rest of us were warm and snuggly in the basement. Sunday evening also gave us a great opportunity to show off the bus and for Cindy Lou to see, up close and personal, a nasty rash. We parked the bus beside the entertainment stage in downtown Cherokee and partied until we were pooped. Chuck and Charisse visited us on the deck and drank a couple of beers with us as well.
Monday - 22 JulyWith the partying from Sunday night, we're all moving a little slower Monday morning. Besides being about 20 miles longer and a little hillier, it's also a little windier today, but the temperature is down quite a bit. Overall, a pleasant day for riding. Some partying went on during the day, as usual, and everybody made it in safely that afternoon to Jim and Stephanie Bird's house in Emmetsburg. What a wonderful yard they have and as everybody in Iowa is, very gracious hosts. Kevin, Cindy Lou and Tomilyn stayed downtown until they closed the entertainment stage and would have stayed longer. Everybody else was too tired, went back and hit the sack by 11:00.
Tuesday - 23 JulyNo host family for tonight so we're camping in the main campground. This gave our virgin riders an opportunity to experience a true RAGBRAI shower. That is a shower with no pressure and the temperature is maybe 40 degrees. And, yes, you still have to pay your $2.00 for the privilege of freezing your ass. At least, it keeps the line moving. Nobody's going to take too much time in the shower. Tomilyn's leaving us for a couple of days to ride with her niece. It turns out their team is one we've been running across all week. Corn-hell college with John as one of their drivers. Actually, I think it's really a summer job for David Crosby. Nobody goes to the party, instead opting to hang around and rest for one night. Wednesday - 24 JulyIf only we'd stopped at Chris Cakes just as we were leaving the campground. Michael said the line was short. But no, we decided to go on down the road and couldn't find anything until the first town which was 36 miles away. We could have gotten Mama Raphael's breakfast burritos at about the 20 mile point, but the wait was at least 1 hour. Instead, we hit the road and found nothing until Plymouth. But we did find a family serving breakfast burritos out of their garage that were fantastic. Once we had food in our stomachs, the partying began, with some partying all day long. It wasn't quite as wild without Tomilyn, but Cindy Lou and Kevin managed to have fun anyway. Our hosts in Charles City were Darren and Sheila Wolford. Again, most gracious and what a great shower. Warm water galore. We did get a good rain that night, but everybody came out ok. Michael and Cindy Friedman left us this evening as they had an event in Denver. That put us down to 9 team members riding the next day. Thursday - 25 JulyAnother relatively flat, easy ride today. The wind had pretty much died down and it was pretty easy with most of us choosing to just get to Oelwein rather than party along the route. Later that afternoon, as we're sitting around deciding what to do, Christie Vilsack (the Iowa Governor's wife) shows up and she's staying at the same house. I guess she heard Team Crude was coming to town and just had to pay us a visit. I guess that makes us the only team to sleep with the governor's wife, at least in Oelwein. We presented her with a Team Crude t-shirt and managed to get a couple of pictures of her wearing it. Our most gracious host in Oelwein was Jake and Peggy Sherrets. Apparently they're pretty involved in RAGBRAI as Jake wasn't at the house for very long and Peggy showed up late that afternoon and had been working all day.
Friday - 26 JulyWell, this was the party day. From the first town, to the last, especially the last. Actually, we rode through Stanley, had breakfast in Aurora and listened to Swing Crew in Winthrop. Then, bloody marys in Quasqueton, beer in Troy Mils and quite a lot of beer in Central City. Jim either won't be allowed or has an open invitation in Central City. With his fire escape dance he's become famous. That night, when we're at the shower, a rider looks at him and says "I know you. You're that guy in Central City." We'll have some pictures posted as soon as I get them. It was a long day, especially the last stretch going into Anamosa which had one of the worst campground locations I've seen on RAGBRAI. Saturday - 27 JulyWith rain all night and still coming down in the morning, we decide to head home. The only problem is the choice of campgrounds the Anamosa RAGBRAI committee made. It was freshly cut grass on top of soft dirt that quickly became mud. We could go nowhere. Pretty soon, a tractor showed up and began towing everybody out. In a few minutes a couple of more were there and we were on the road by 9:00. Just another exciting end to a great RAGBRAI week. Pictures in no particular order
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Last modified: February 20, 2005
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