Another RAGBRAI is in the books

     I spent the 50th edition of RAGBRAI as a volunteer photographer during the ride’s visit to Grinnell on Thursday, July 27.
     The heat and humidity were muggy and miserably uncomfortable. There was a nice breeze and some cloud cover on occasion and that made the day a touch more bearable.
       It reminded me of my growing up days in Oklahoma when summer temperatures were well into the 90s most days. Our house wasn’t air conditioned until the late 1960s when my folks bought a 400 BTW Frigidaire window unit. That AC was as big as Mack semitruck.
       The temperature had to reach 92 before Mom would fire up the air conditioner, and it ran most days. We used box fans to circulate the cold air through the house.
      At night, the air conditioner was turned off and all the windows were opened. The attic fan, a common fixture in Southern homes, was turned on. By morning, I was usually wrapped up in a blanket.
      At RAGBRAI, I found a bench on the southwest corner of Fourth and Broad Street across from Grinnell’s Merchants’ National Bank, commonly referred to the “Jewel of the Prairie,” where I met some of the most interesting people.
      Folks from all over the United States, and probably the world, came through Grinnell and they all had a story to share.
       Everyone I talked with, I asked where they were from and how many times they had ridden RAGBRAI. I was surprised at the number of first-timers.
       I met a plant-based vegan, a retired lawyer who was on the ride with his brother, a retired judge. There was a father and son duo from Marquette, Iowa who was with a group of bicyclists called, “Team No Rules.”
       This was the father’s 28th RAGBRAI and the son’s 20th ride and the first in eight years. The father still lives in Marquette, but the son, a U of Iowa grad, now calls Los Angeles home.
        Some of the bicyclists’ articles of clothing adorned with unique and fun items.
         I met a lot of first time riders and some were passing through Grinnell for the first time, too. Many were appreciative of the town folk’s hospitality and event organization.
       “This is the best stop over town,” said Ryan Clark, who was on his first RAGBRAI. “Grinnell is easy to get through and there are lots of choices.”
        The event was starting to wind down around 2:30 p.m., even though bicyclists were still rolling into town. It was just after 8 a.m. when I met my first bicyclists of the day. One man said he left Des Moines at 5 a.m.
         I’m glad he didn’t hit a deer on his early morning ride.
         I wanted to stay past 3 p.m., but my body was telling me it was time to find the comfort of my lazy chair at home. I had hoped to stay for Whiplash, the Grinnell-based rock band that has been playing together since the mid-1980s, but it was time to go home.
         This was the fourth RAGBRAI I have been involved with as a journalist since coming to Iowa. My first was when the ride rolled through Montezuma in 2001 and a second time in 2006, which was a lunch stop. I was not involved when RAGBRAI rolled through Montezuma in 2018.
           I can still hear Harold Wheeler’s booming voice, “Welcome to Montezuma.”
           The biggest hit was the hot coffee that greeted riders that first year.
         And it was 2011 the last time RAGBRAI rolled through Grinnell. That year, Grinnell was an overnight stop. The town square looked like the Grand Concourse at the Iowa State Fair with people everywhere.
        There’s a lot of work, planning and organizing that goes into hosting RAGBRAI. Thanks to the chamber and all who were involved in the Grinnell stop. Everyone did a great job!
        In my thoughts, RAGBRAI is an Iowa institution. You’d never find me riding RAGBRAI, but it gave me a chance to meet and mingle with lots of good people. It would be nice to know what positive things the pass-through towns will do with the money they made from RAGBRAI.
          Come on back, Poweshiek County is a great place to call home!
          Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.