Out of Iowa and into Wisconsin-riding the Mississippi

Marni J Harang


Todays ride from dyersvill IA to Prairie du chien WI, via New Vienna,Luxemburg and Guttenburg (are we sensing a theme here?) was nicer than yesterdays. Yesterday the headwinds were so strong that peddaling downhill and achieving 14 mph felt like a speed burst. Today the headwinds were lighter and much more doable. We had five hard hills of between 8-10% and each of them about 1 1/2-2 miles long. The down hills were fun though. I bettered my 38 mph personal best speed of the downhill on my birthday by 2 mph today. You know you are in trouble when the terms "steep hill", "scenic overlook", and "Pikes Peak(-named after zebulon pike) appear on the cue sheet.

We stopped for lunch and to recover from the last climb and downhill in the town of McGregor- home of the Ringling brothers (of circus fame) and charmingly preserved. I had Mississippi mud carp chowder and kickapoo coffee for lunch. The chowder was delicious as was the coffee and the fact that we only had to cross the bridge into WI was delightful. The headwinds are supposed to drop down from today's 10-15 to 5-10 but we have a long long day in which the masochists will ride the extra 4-6 miles to log yet another century- but it is also supposed to rain so.... today's high was 67 at noon.

The Americinn where we are staying has iced lemon water, and fresh coffe with torani flavored syrups in the lobby. They make popcorn about 3:00 and serve cookies in the evening. Best of all they have a really nice hot jacuzzi in the pool area and a full body message chair in the fitness room. I have indulged in both.

50 miles, 5 hours of riding and far too many feet of elevation

the pictures are of:
a cute pig sign in the Bluegill restaurant specializing in Mississippi Mud Carp Chowder
Sceninc overlook sign
Confluence of the Mississippi and Iowa rivers
Pikes peak sign
an amusing sign in the Old Man River brew house in McGregor, IA

Several years ago I did a tour that started and ended in McGregor. We rode into Wisconsin went south and returned back through Iowa. Sounds like we rode the same route into McGregor that you did. A couple of the hills were pretty brutal but it was a very pretty area, especially the town along the Mississippi.

todays highlight from leaving Prairie du Chien was seeing the Bob's Boats, Bait and Beer sign.

Todays high 54, miserable rain and 25 miles of poorly marked, incorrectly cued gravel bike trail.