RAGBRAI 25 (1997)
Get on your bike and ride! One week, camp in tents and ride your bike from one river to the next across the Great State of IOWA! It's a family thing. This year my computer stopped working, my son's computer stopped working and my wife's stopped for 1/2 day! The miracle was that on the last day, everything started working! They've been working ever since. Go figure! We all made the trip, and what a trip it was! In the above photo we stayed at the home of the Gripps. They were so nice to us! They even made this super cool sign! During the night we got hit by heavy rains. Our tents started leaking pretty bad! We had to move to the garage for most of the night. So many memories this year: The yellow brick road, remember the looney tune haystacks? Crossing the same river over and over. The hills and then the really BIG hills! Leaving Fairfield on the same road we rode in on! The rain, both at night and during the day. John Wayne's birthplace. Clarence's bike and helmet from the 1st RAGBRAI. On the last day, as we sat down near the river, we even witnessed an entire group finishing in the buff! (we don't even want to think about sunburns!). Homemade icecream, pork sandwiches, Tender Tom's and what happened to the Pasta Boys? Entire towns running out of beer (say it's not true)! I caught the end of a "Ragbrai 25" program on Iowa public television. For $25 you can get a copy of it on tape by calling 1-800-444-IPTV
My wife found out she was "with child" during the ride this year! Speaking of babies.....Did I mention this was a "wild" ride! It seems as though 3 of our female members won't be riding this year due to Pregnancies! Hmmmmm.....
My wife (Joy) and son (Jake)
My son Jake (on the left), and some friends, jump in the Des Moines river
Just thinking about Tender Tom's makes my mouth water!
Ever wonder what those people do with their bikes that don't finish the week!
Follow the Yellow Brick road to the Emerald city
Bike info:
New bikes for Jim and Joy, Raleigh M-400's (new $689.99/each) Jake gets GT Tequesta (its 4th year now)
We stayed overnight in Fairfield at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Andrew P. Edlin, they video taped their experience of hosting RAGBRAI riders at their home. We asked for a copy of the finished tape and left our address with them. We never heard from them again....until, here it is March 30th 1999 and this tape arrives in the mail marked RAGBRAI 1997! We watched it and remembered the memories of over 2 years past, it was great! All I can say is better late than never.