Day 6: North Liberty to Tipton

Jeff enjoying some cajun shrimp in Mechanicsville.


Josh standing in the crowded town of Mt. Vernon.


Jamie riding early in the morning on Day 6.


Day 6 – North Liberty to Tipton

I’m realizing that many of you may not know what our normal day is like. I’ve focused on the highlights of each day but have forgotten to include the simple things that make up the RAGBRAI experience. Here’s what our typical day consists of:

Anywhere from 5:30 am to 8:00 am – We wake up, brush our teeth, pack up our tents, put on our bike clothes, use the restroom (port-a-pottys), pump up our bike tires, fill our water bottles, eat something and hop on the bikes. Sarah gets in the van and drives to the next camp site along the vehicle route and is awesome about setting up camp and preparing for our arrival later in the day.

Morning – Most of us try to get a few miles in before we stop and eat breakfast. Jim has to have his coffee and often ends up on his own because of this routine. He’s fine with it, though, and is very good at meeting people and doing his own thing. On Day 6, Jamie and I had “breakfast” in Mt. Vernon. It consisted of a rib-eye sandwich, Doritos and water. On most days, rib-eyes at 10:30 am would seem weird but not on RAGBRAI.

Noon – With a late breakfast in our stomachs, the noon hour typically passes by on our bicycles. The noon hour on Day 6 made me bonk.

Jim explained to our group that bonking occurs when you’ve either gone too many miles or haven’t eaten enough to keep your legs going. I thought it was the mileage but found out later it might have been the food.

Afternoon – By about mid-afternoon, most of us are ready for a true lunch. On Day 6, I had one goal: to eat Cajun shrimp at Mechanicsville. I achieved my goal.

Jamie and I joined Seth and Jeff in Mechanicsville. Jamie, Jeff and I had the shrimp while Seth had a pork loin. The shrimp gave me some sort of boost and I was no longer in bonk mode.

The 14 miles from Mechanicsville to Tipton flew by – thanks in large part to joining a draft line – and we reached the campsite by 4:00 p.m. A pretty standard time for arriving in town.

Evening – When we arrive in camp we head to the showers, which usually cost $5 and are typically located in trailers. It’s not The Plaza. That’s for sure.

Then we grab something for dinner, sit in our canopy tent on lawn chairs, talk about the day, read the newspaper and enjoy some quiet time. Some nights we head to the downtown area and the concerts. Other nights we are content to stay at the campsite.

We also take time to hand out Waldorf College t-shirts and tonight we had a special opportunity. (Random note: Jeff says, “Hi DeAnn.”)

There is a Dream Team that rides RAGBRAI and this team consists of kids who are identified by teachers in the Des Moines area as young men and women who might benefit from training for and riding RAGBRAI. The Dream Team opportunity gives them a chance to ride RAGBRAI, camp with mentors and experience Iowa through the eye’s of a Great Bike Ride Across the state.

It’s a cool opportunity for the kids.

As I walked to our trailer to get my shower items, I saw the Dream Team campsite and about 10-15 kids were sitting in lawn chairs talking. We also happened to have over 20 Waldorf t-shirts still in the van so I grabbed the box and headed back to the Dream Team campsite.

I should have taken a picture. The kids were literally yelling for t-shirts. I got a shirt to all of the kids who were sitting in the area. They unrolled the shirts and almost all said, “Awesome,” as they checked out their new Waldorf gear.

I’ve experienced many incredible moments this week, but handing out Waldorf t-shirts to kids who truly appreciate getting something for free was one of the highlights.

A mentor yelled at me as I walked away. “Thanks Waldorf College,” he said, not knowing my name.

“Not a problem at all – thank you,” I replied.