Wrap up. When they announced the "hilliest ride ever" and the southern Iowa route, that drove many away. I'd say the numbers were back to normal after the crazy high turnout for the 50th. There were still interesting sites. The tornado path through Greenfield. John Wayne Museum. Best pass through town, the National Lampoon movie fandom of the Vacation flicks in Griswold (hey, the family name in the movies) Uncle Eddy pumping sewage from the motorhome, the family truckster and aunties cat food desert. Why is this box meowing? A pair of good vintage museums in Griswold as well. No rain on the route. Dense fog the first morning so thick you couldn't see the bottom of the hills.

My prediction is for a northern Iowa route next year. They used to alternate north/middle/south with the previous organizer so maybe they will get back to that pattern.

For the 50th the Iowa Highway Patrol was clearly keeping cars off the route. Ramps were closed at 4 lane highways, something we've never seen before. With so many riders this was a good thing. For the 51st that was not the case, more cars and trucks on the route. Some of the roads were in areas between the rivers so there weren't decent options for the bikes or for the trucks headed for missouri. One in-town route meant to run by the local college took us on really bad pavement with a big hill. I wonder if anyone got hurt on that pointless detour.

Fairfield Iowa. Home of Maharishi U (transcendental meditation U) was different from most of Iowa. The official bike route through town was okay. But I went off the route and found some really trashy neighborhoods. Like a cross between deep south poverty and California hippies. Mountains of junk in yards around totally neglected houses. Oummmmmm.
"Sleep is the best meditation" Dali Lama
"I'll sleep when I'm dead" Warren Zevon
"Put me back on my bike" Tommy Simpson moments before he died while racing in le Tour on dope.