RAGBRAI.....the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa....6 months ago I had never even heard about this thing...Sean's sister Michelle had just moved back from Alaska and she wanted to try to register for it. Her good friend Naomi had done it 15 years ago and she always wanted to try it....but it was a lottery, they only allow about 9000 people register so we weren't sure if we could even get in...so
Sean and Michelle came up with a team name, Katz and the Dogheads (long story), we sent in our $ and waivers....sure enough they cashed our checks and we were in. Ugh! I kinda hoped we wouldn't get in...I don't really like bicycling.
The first day:
I am still thinking at this point that I must be totally crazy to try this. I've only ridden about 10 miles this summer and they reccomend that you get at least 500 miles in before attempting RAGBRAI. Well we packed up the van and started on our way on Saturday morning....there really wasn't even room to move in the van...we had way too much stuff! The kids starting fighting right away and the 8 hour ride to the Western edge of Iowa was pretty much miserable. The only peace we had was when the kids watched a movie. Gavin was pretty unhappy to be in his carseat for so long...and he let us know it!
We picked up Dave, my sister-in-law's brother about an hour and a half away from Seargent Bluff, the starting town, so he could leave his car with family. He was an experienced RAGBRAIer so we picked his brain while Gavin kicked him in the shoulder several times and screamed. We think Dave will be waiting to have baby #2 for quite some time! Good thing he is an easy going guy!
We got to town just before 5pm. I figured would spend most of my time in the van so I wanted to go to the driver safety meeting at 5 so I jumped out of the van to find it while everyone else found a place to camp. The expo area was bustling with hundreds of people. I felt so inexperienced and green! I found the meeting at the local high school theatre but I didn't learn much more than I had already learned online...but I was glad I went because I need to feel like I know what I 'm doing.
I called Sean after the meeting and he told me where they were, near the city pool about a half mile away...so I went to the info tent, figured out the general direction and started walking. There were hundreds and hundreds of tents... as far as you could see. It was crazy how many people were invading this small Iowa town. But everyone seemed happy and excited...me, I was nervous, I still really didn't know what to expect.
I found everyone at the campsite. The kids were itching to go to the pool so we took them over to swim...it was 8pm before we realized we needed to eat. We didn't really know where to go or what to do and most of the food venders were packed up and gone. We hiked quite a distance (should have been on the bikes) and finally found a spaghetti dinner at the primary school given by the local high school football team. I was either really, really good or we were VERY hungry....but we scarfed it down and headed back to camp. We stopped at the fire station on the way. They had all the trucks out and the kids got to go sit in a few of them and got little plastic fire hats. Gavin was in heaven. We got back after dark and went right to bed. Thank goodness I had read about bring earplugs, the band in the beer garden was about a half a mile away but was very loud....popped those babies in and I slept like a log....just got a little cold in the night because we didn't put the rainfly up....
later on. Yikes! 
and somehow ran into Naomi and Barry...amazing that we can run into people so easily...more good meet up karma!
But hey, it is ok! 
, Audubon, Iowa and found where the RADPAN team was camping....Gavin was thrilled that we were camping in the infield of the racetrack at the town fairgrounds. He ran up the the guard rails to check out the other side. 
After dinner we rode over to the local pool and cooled off, another cold shower after waiting in line, then back to the camping area to set up the tent and crash by about 11....exhausting, crazy, but kind of fun. Tomorrw we are taking the day off, getting a hotel in DesMoines....thank god because I am pretty sore EVERYWHERE. Advil is my new best friend. 
They just cracked each other up with new names like "Gavin and the sausageheads"....and "Barry and the cowheads." Barry also told Gavin that the cows would come steal his pancakes if he left them sitting too long....Gavin took that pretty seriously. :)
We got back on the road and it was another 15 or so miles before we found another place to stop for cold drinks and snacks. It was tough because we were so late that we were just barely making it to the stands along the route before they closed up. Normally there was almost zero car traffic on the route since we were kind of at the end of the pack there was much more traffic that totally stressed me out. I was ready to sag (have the sag wagon take us to the next town) but Sean kept us going....a few miles later I saw the sign "Mr. Porkchop, 11 miles" I soooo wanted one of those porkchops ( I bypassed his stand yesterday and regretted it). This guy is an institution on RAGBRAI...he parks at a different farm everyday on the route and yells out this long pig call...PooooooorkChooooooooooops! So you give him $6 and his granddaughter hands you this HUGE steaming porkchop in a papertowel. Seeing that sign was all I needed to get me motivated again. But it was a tough 11 miles. I was so incredibly happy to come over the hill and see that pink bus...and once again the good karma was there because we got 2 of the last 10 or so porkchops for the day. Yum. They also had some amazing fresh lemon slushie....cool and refreshing. Gavin still likes to do his own version of the porkchop call! Funny. 
this morning!
I pretty much ran right into Sean and the kids. Wierd. 10 minutes later Michell and gang showed up so we all got something to eat and drink and did the big switch. It took forever and we were boiling in the heat and sun but eventually they all took off and I drove to the sleepover town, found team RADPAN to camp by, cruised around town on my bike and waited for our team to get in. When the finally did we rode ove to the local pool, cooled off, showered (freezing) and found something to eat. Most of the vendors were done since it was so late (around 8:30pm)so we had to scrounge a little. I had my first of many pork burgers to come.....no losing weight on this trip! Back to the tents, by the time we got the kids ready for bed and ourselves...it was easy to pass out! 
Sean and Michelle came up with a team name, Katz and the Dogheads (long story), we sent in our $ and waivers....sure enough they cashed our checks and we were in. Ugh! I kinda hoped we wouldn't get in...I don't really like bicycling.
I called Sean after the meeting and he told me where they were, near the city pool about a half mile away...so I went to the info tent, figured out the general direction and started walking. There were hundreds and hundreds of tents... as far as you could see. It was crazy how many people were invading this small Iowa town. But everyone seemed happy and excited...me, I was nervous, I still really didn't know what to expect.
Commando girls get together at Shannon's...another gracious hostess...and we were all drooling over her new scrap room. Sorry about those drool spots on your carpet Shannon!
