[/caption]After spending an evening in air-conditioned luxury Wednesday night, we returned to the heat and humidity Thursday morning. Nevertheless, we set out on our ride from Altoona to Grinnell. The ride started out fairly well. Our first stop of the morning was in Mitchellville. We had already eaten breakfast at Patrick's house, so we just stopped for something to drink and to use the kybos. We did relax for a short bit before we left. While we were there we saw what was being billed as the only banana tree in Iowa, and a performance my the Southeast Polk High School Band. For one of their songs, Banana Man and his entourage came up and danced to their music.
[caption id="attachment_132" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="This ice sculpture of the RAGBRAI XXXIX logo was completed shortly before we arrived in downtown Colfax."]
[/caption]After leaving Mitchellville, we proceeded down the road to Colfax. However, before arriving in Colfax, Mel and I became separated along the route. I thought I was ahead of her, so I stopped at the top of a hill and waited for her for about fifteen minuted before deciding to proceed. It turned out that Mel was ahead of me all along. I eventually met up with her on the crowded main street through Colfax. We stopped to eat some lunch. While we ate our lunch, we could hear some kids drumming on the other side of the kybos from where we were sitting. They were pretty good. I had thought that what I ordered for lunch would sit well with me, and it kind of did, but my stomach was still giving me issues. I think that I had a problem other than being overheated and dehydrated. I think I may have had some kind of stomach bug that was making it difficult for me to eat. However I did continue to try to eat. Leaving Colfax we had to climb a rather long and steep hill that they dubbed Mount Colfax. Both Mel and I ended up walking at least partway up the hill.
[caption id="attachment_137" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Cyclists climb Mount Colfax."]
[/caption]Things got more difficult once we left Colfax. Turning north toward Baxter, we encountered a strong headwind which we had to contend with for a good portion of the fifteen-mile ride between the towns. Fortunately we, as well as many others, rested by either watching, or by enjoying the water slide that someone had set up on a big hill in their yard. There was an ambulance parked across the road from this water slide. I joked that it was probably there to take away any injured sliders.
[caption id="attachment_135" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Many riders cooled off on this water slide."]
[/caption]We eventually made it to Baxter where we had some more to eat and then took a brief nap before continuing on our way. And it figured that now that we were going east instead of north, the wind seemed to have shifted to be coming from the east instead of the north. This was really wearing us out. About forty-five miles into our ride, twelve miles short of Grinnell, both Mel and I decided we had had enough, and we stopped to wait for the sag wagon. While we waited for the sag wagon, we saw a couple of interesting cyclists ride by, including Elvis Pressley and a guy on a homemade Big Wheel bike.
[caption id="attachment_141" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Elvis is alive, and riding a bike on RAGBRAI."]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_142" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="Why ride a bike when you can ride a Big Wheel?"]
[/caption]We did not have to wait too long for the sag wagon. Mel and I got the last two seats available. Once our bikes were loaded on the trailer, another man came up and wanted on as well. He appeared very upset that there was not room for him. But they have a fifteen-passenger van, and once it has fifteen passengers, the driver can not allow anyone else on. We eventually made it to Grinnell, riding in the packed sag wagon along the rest of the route there. Once we arrived we found our campground without much difficulty. And after setting up our tent for the final time and showering, we walked down the street to the Dari Barn for a bite to eat.
[caption id="attachment_144" align="aligncenter" width="584" caption="After picking us up, the sag wagon was full."]
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