July 14, 2016
Day 42 - Rock Creek to Oxford
Before sunrise, of course.
Got to Grinnell by 6:00 with lots to do.
But the laundromat didn't open until 8:00. Oh, noes!
And, trust me, laundry was the first order of business.
So I spread my tent and rainfly out in the parking lot to dry.
And had breakfast at the Hardees, nearby.
I got to Craig Cooper's "Bikes to You" before he opened.
He was expecting me and let me in.
Not only did he replace the tires and do a tune-up,
but he also retaped my front handlebars - which needed it.
(The Fine Arts Building is off to the left.)
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I had the better part of the day to spend at Grinnell College.
I went straight to the music department to work on compositions.
(The piano practice rooms are always in the basement.)
I was the only person there - so I felt completely uninhibited.
And I finished up the 2nd movement of my spring composition.
And because it was a nice piano -
I was able to hone the nuances of the entire work.
After lunch at McNally's I went back to the bike shop.
Craig charged me almost nothing for the work.
I am stunned - and grateful. Thank you, Craig.
Then it was off for more than 50 miles.
Why? Because there was a tailwind. Woo-hoo!
The first 7 miles on US 6 were nasty -
Narrow, no shoulder, bad pavement, and heavy traffic.
But one you got on Old US 6, it was smooth sailing.
(Maybe I Should Have Stayed Here?)
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I even got to take in the Amana villages in the evening light.
And pulled into Kent County Park just as the sun was going down.
(Or Here?)
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Terrible, terrible encounter with park ranger.
I had the temerity to ask about getting a non-electric rate at the park where all 100 sites are electric. He gave me a lecture on park policy - snarkily told me that there were non-electric sites in a park 25 miles away - then demanded my driver's license and began doing a background check. When I asked for my license back and said that I would just pay the full rate, he refused. You could see that he was enjoying "punishing" me. 40 minutes later, when it was almost pitch black, he was done with me.
From perfect to scary in a flip of a coin.
Today's ride: 64 miles (103 km)
Total: 2,230 miles (3,589 km)
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