Started from Sac City, which is where Wilma and Bob Frey reside. When we awoke, the wind was blowing fiercely out of the South, even some lightning in the distance, and thunder. But it all cleared, thank God!

Bob fixed us a wonderful breakfast of OJ, omelet, toast, and bacon. We got to see their Border collie Katie, who is brown and white. Fond farewells after photos, 68 degrees at 7:49 AM.

I saw a few more barns painted with quilt block designs, including one with a Bear's Paw.

I stopped in the quilt shop on the Town Square, in Lake City. Bought a couple of novelty fabrics, one with a snowboard motif, and one with a mountain bike motif.

Continued through Lohrville ("Better not bigger") to Farhamville, where we ate lunch in the City Park. After lunch, one of the roads I rode reminded me a lot of Route 66 in rural Oklahoma, with grass growing in the cracks in the road.

While riding South on Hwy 169, I passed a "Burma Shave" type set of signs. "Down the road, a mile or two, we have a pew, reserved for you. Jesus Saves."

Finally got to Hwy 30, a main E-W thoroughfare. Busiest road we've been on during this ride.

Charlotte rode the last leg, so I scoped out directions to the beautiful home of tonight's hostess, Barbara Stotts. Barbara rode her bike out to the entrance to her sub-division and lead us in. Huge, lovely home; basement unfinished. Six year's ago, she lost her husband and older son in a private plane crash.

After showers, we visited with Barb, her friend Lynn from her church, and my friend Robert Brink, who drove to Boone from Panora, about an hour away. Some may remember Roberta from the Hunt-Dis list. Her family was instrumental in HD research in Iowa. So good to see Roberta!

Gourmet dinner with chicken and rice casserole, asparagus, biscuits, strawberries, grapes, and Rhubarb Custard Pie for dessert. Got the pie recipe for the "Bike For The Cure" cookbook I have been threatening to put together. Hopefully 2006-2007 will be the year.

Lots of discussion on routing through Ames to Toledo tomorrow. My head was spinning, but I think we have a route. Guess we will find out tomorrow!

With love from the heartland,
Marie and Charlotte

Route miles -90
Marie - 36.67
Charlotte - 54
Road change - 0

Barbara Stotts lead us out of her Subdivision (riding her bike) after a breakfast of cereal and milk, fruit, and juice. What an enjoyable stay! Barbara and her golden retriever Smoosh were memorable.

Passed a sign which said "Mamie Eisenhower Birthplace" in Boone. Getting from Boone through Ames was a snap, due to the mapping done last night. Stopped at the home of Bill and Jane Ripp in Ames. Charlotte went to school with them in Amherst, NE. Nice couple. Bill just celebrated his 70th birthday, and their living room couch was covered with 70 black balloons!

The wind had picked up considerably by the time we left the Ripps. Charlotte got across the railroad tracks on her bike, but I got caught first car behind the wig wag, and had to wait first for a long Westbound Union Pacific train, then an Eastbound train with empty cars.

We are riding on the old Lincoln Highway. It has a place in the Americana mystique, somewhat related to its more famous "cousin" Route 66. Not sure where it starts and ends (sorry for letting you down, fans).

Passed through Nevada (pronounced Nuh-VAY-duh) where there were hundreds of full sized flags in the cemetery.

Came upon the Reed/Niland Corner. In the early days of motoring, two major automobile trails, the Lincoln Hwy and the Jefferson Hwy (later US 30 and US 65) crossed at this site, on the SE corner of a farm, owned by Charlie Reed. Spotting a business opportunity, Reed began to sell gas to motorists in 1923 and soon added food and lodging to his roadside services, creating a "1 stop" haven for travelers. Reed was assisted in running his blossoming business by a nephew, M. Reed Niland and his wife Florence. In the mid 1930's they were followed by another nephew, Clare Niland and his wife Margaret. In 1952 their son John joined them. After Clare died in 1978, John managed the business with his mother and later his wife Joan until operations ended with the close of the motel in 1995. Three generations served motorists for more than 70 years.

Ate lunch at the City Park in State Center, which is billed as "the Rose Capital of Iowa."

The crosswinds had become quite severe, but Charlotte only had 22 miles (2 more than me) so she wanted to gut out another 5 miles, so she did. We hung it up at that point, and drove the rest of the way into Toledo.

Found Alice Campbell's apartment in a senior complex. Sweet lady who opened her modest 1 room apt. to us. Charlotte is sleeping on the living room couch and I'm on an air mattress with attached platform and legs.

After visiting, Alice, Charlotte, and I each took a nap. We slept from 5-7 pm, a first on this trip. Nice homey dinner of roasted chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, cottage cheese, and pineapple.

Spoke to our third rider, Sherri Kole. She flew into Cedar Rapids and I will be picking her up tomorrow morning, while Charlotte is riding.

All for now.
With love from the heartland,
Marie and Charlotte

Route miles - 90 (we rode 47, drove the rest)
Road change - 47 cents (all in Ames)

Fond farewells to Alice; such a dear person. Stopped at the Maid-Rite restaurant and bought 2 coffee mugs, one for me and one for Dixie Burmeister, our local food/nutrition guru in Grand Jct. A Maid-Rite is a kind of Sloppy Joe.

Rode 6 miles on Hwy 30. Plenty of "roller hills." Passed the Ced-Rel Motel, from the heyday of the Lincoln Hwy. Charlotte continued riding the route, while I drove the van to Cedar Rapids to pick up our third rider, Sherri Kole. So neat to have Sherri riding with us again.

Got Sherri's bike loaded up, and transferred the ride t-shirts we are selling, from a cardboard box into the case in which she shipped her bike. This helps to conserve limited space.

Drove towards the Amana Colonies area where we were to rendezvous with Charlotte. Finally met up with her near Marengo "Our town, make it yours." Lunch in City Park (the usual peanut butter/lettuce sandwiches.)

Rode through the 7 Villages of the Amana Colonies. Immigrants from Germany came to Iowa in 1855 to practice their Inspirationalist religion. They had a form of communal living, with a centralized kitchen (no kitchens in the individual homes.) "Amana" means to remain true, and is from the Bible Song of Solomon 4:8. All the villages have "Amana" in the name: High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, East Amana, etc. The Amana Colonies became one of America's longest-lived and largest religious communal societies. In the villages, residents could count on receiving a home, medical care, meals, all household necessities and schooling for their children. Property and resources were shared. Men and women were assigned jobs by their village council of brethren. No one received a wage. No one needed one. In 1932 during the Great Depression, the Amana Colonies set aside its communal way of life. The communal way of life was seen as a barrier to achieving individual goals. They established the Amana Society, Inc., a joint stock, profit-sharing corporation to manage the rich farmland, the mills, and the larger enterprises.

Stopped at Fern Hill Gifts in So. Amana. Looked at the quilts for sale (very pricey) but did buy a few fat quarters. in conversation, discovered that the clerk went to school with Alice Campbell's sons, and knew Alice as a band chaperone.

The Memorial Day weekend had a Cajun and Zydeco Festival in the Amanas, but didn't see any signs of it.

After the loop through the Amanas, we went back to U.S. Hwy 6 "The Grand Army of the Republic Hwy." Not sure where Hwy 6 starts in the West, but it passes through Grand Junction CO (we have Hwy 6 & 24 and Hwy 6 & 50) but its Eastern Terminus is Provincetown MA, at the end of the "hook" of Cape Cod.

We stopped for a treat at a large ice cream place in Tiffin, then Charlotte and Sherri rode the last 12 miles, with me going ahead in the van, making sure they took the right roads.

Arrived safely at the lovely condominium home of Chris Werling, an administrative assistant to Dr. Jane Paulsen, at the U of I. We were welcomed by Chris and her 1 year old dauschund Mocha, who growled a lot at us at first, but then warmed up and was very sweet and loving, giving us kisses, etc.

Chris' condominium is decorated in two main motifs - John Deere and golf. Our dinner dishes and silverware were John Deere even! One of her daughter's worked for John Deere.

Wonderful dinner of Chicken Tetrazini, peas, salad, and chocolate cake. Lots of visiting made us feel very much at home. I am sleeping on a day bed with the mattress top about 4 feet high.

With love from Iowa City,
the Meanderers

Route miles - 77
Marie - 20
Charlotte - 57
Sherri - 40
Road change - 1 penny (found by Sherri)

"Sleeping in" is always a highlight of a rest day, although as you will see, it's not rest-filled at all! My husband said it should just be called a "non-riding day."

After a wonderful breakfast with egg casserole and fruit, we followed Chris to work. She is an Administrative Assistant to Dr. Jane Paulsen at the Univ. of Iowa. Dr. Paulsen, as many know, is one of the premier researchers for HD in the USA.

We chatted with Dr. Paulsen before getting a grand tour of the facilities which house HD related work. Stacie Vik showed us the Medical Education Bldg, which formerly housed a state mental institution. Ellen Samuel showed us around to different sites. We displayed the Phase III Quilt in a central lobby in the Pappajohn wing of the Hospital. The box lunches provided were tasty and hit the spot. After lunch, Sarah Van Der Heiden showed us some of the tests they do to evaluate people with HD.

The U of Iowa is the largest teaching hospital in the USA. We were told that there are 16,000 doctors in Johnson County, population 90,000. We learned more about the PREDICT Study for those who have tested gene negative and those who have tested gene positive but asymptomatic. We were given metal drink containers with the PREDICT name on it - thanks!

Last visit was with Leigh Beglinger and Bill Adams about the clinical trials going on with Celexa, Strattera, and Ethyl-EPA fish oil.

Back to Chris' condominium for naps. After Chris got home, we all drove back in the van, stopping at Radio Shack for a phone charger for Sherri (she had left hers in the motel room at Cedar Rapids) and at Walgreens for film pickup. Anne Leserman hosted a party for us, and their team members at the U of I. Her home is on a wonderful street which has a huge sledding hill at the end of the street (Lexington Street.) She has many baskets decorating her home, including a sweet gras basket from Charleston,SC. Met Dr. Hank Paulson (no relation to Jane). Great food and visiting. Sold 9 t-shirts, too!

Our only non-riding day has come to a close. Now we head North, towards Rochester MN.

This was an outstanding stay in Iowa City. Only thing that would have been nicer is if Elizabeth Penziner would have been here, but she is in Europe.

With love from Iowa,
Marie, Charlotte, and Sherri

So difficult to say goodbye to Chris and her little dauschund Mocha. They were such good hosts!

Up out of Iowa City on Hwy 1 through Solon (where Dr. Jane Paulsen lives). In Mt. Vernon, Charlotte got to take a quick look at Cornell College, where her granddaughter Emma will matriculate in Fall 2006. The city was established in 1837; the college was started in 1835!

Hwy 151 was pretty wicked. A divided 4 lane hwy, with just 2 1/2 ft of shoulder, with rumble strip indentations every 40 ft or so. Had a crosswind or headwind the whole way. Very slow going; it took me 4 hours to ride 30 miles.

Lunch at a new city park in Monticello, then on to Cascade. Last 10 miles were on a County Rd. I was driving the van, and Sherri and Charlotte both were very tired when we reached New Hope Lutheran Church. Rev. Beverly Short met us there, then at our request, she drove us (in her 2005 Chevy Malibu Maxx) to Dyersville, the "Field of Dreams" movie site, filmed in 68 days in 1989. It was nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. "People will come, Roy. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway, not knowing for sure why they're doing it, and arrive at your door, innocent as children, longing for the past." (Terrance Mann's prophecy in the film) "Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa." And of course, "If you build it, they will come." A very cool place!

Dyersville is also famous for its National Farm Toy Museum. Last but not least, it is famous for the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, one of only 52 Basilicas in the US, and the only one outside a metropolitan area. It was completed in 1889, and its twin spired Gothic architecture is one of the finest examples in the Midwest, reminiscent of Gothic cathedrals in Europe.

Stopped by a parishioner's home. Shelly had prepared a Mexican dinner for us, which we ate at the home of Rev. Bev. Then we caravaned over to the home of another parishioner Jody Mizell. Beautiful large home in a lovely sub-division. Jody and her husband have two children, Zak and Makenzie.

From the heart,
Marie, Charlotte, and Sherri

Route miles - 78
Sherri - 78
Marie - 30.75
Charlotte - 47.25
Road Change - 2 cents

Nice breakfast with Jody and Makenzie. They fixed us a shake made from one of the USANA products Jody sells.

We got started right at 7:00 am after our morning prayer. West to Dyersville then North to New Vienna "the eNVy of Iowa." This settlement on the Maquoketa River was founded by German pioneers in 1843. Huge Gothic-style St. Boniface Church was completed in 1887, and is made of white magnesia limestone. I started riding there, and went through Luxemberg "Where Highways Meet."

We had been warned about the two long hills going into Guttenberg from the South, and one long hill going out. Luckily, I didn't end up riding any of them! Stopped at the Mississippi River Overlook and a woman was setting up honey for sale. After I went over and talked to her, she gave a $20 donation!

Guttenberg was founded in 1837, and originally called Prairie La Porte. Located on the Great River Road, the town is nestled between high Galena bluffs and the Mississippi River.

I took the Great River Road out of town, and Charlotte and Sherri took Hwy 52, so it took awhile to get back together, but we did, in Garnavillo. Had lunch there, in a shady city park right off the Hwy. I started riding again, feeling a bit like a slacker since I had only ridden 10 miles.

The wind wasn't real bad. Arrived in Postville at about 3:00 pm. Postville is a unique community. It has descendents of German settlers, Hispanics, and Hassidic Jews living with their diverse ways of life. The book, "Postville: A Clash of Cultures in Haertland America" by Stephen Bloom. a professor at the University of Iowa. In a nutshell, it's the John Deere cap meets the black fur hat. When the local Hygrade meat packing plant was about to go belly-up, Sholom Rubashkin bought it and turned it into a Kosher processing plant. By the late 1980's, Postville had more rabbis per capita than any other city in the US, perhaps in the world. This book tells about how the goyim culture and the Hasadim culture live. I am going to read the book when I get home.

Instead of staying in the youth room of the church, the Pastor paid for us to stay in the Goodliving Suite in downtown. Great upstairs suite, with kitchen and laundry area.

Shopped for dinner food in a Kosher market. Each of us fixed what she wanted.

with love from the Heartland,
Marie, Charlotte, and Sherri

Route miles - 68
Sherri - 68
Marie - 24
Charlotte 44
Road change - 0

Earliest start yet on this year's ride. On the road at 6:45 am. Headed up Hwy 51 to Decorah, through Frankville "The Nicest Little Spot in Northeast Iowa." Dekorah is named for the chief who helped settlers during the Black Hawk War. It is the home to the Norwegian-American Museum and Luther College. A huge hill lead out of the city, but it did not deter Charlotte and Sherri forging ahead.

Crossed into Minnesota and into Amish country. Saw a number of horse drawn buggies. Because of the Amish, there are nice wide paved shoulders on the road. Sherri had an interesting encounter with an elderly Amish man, who offered her a ride in his buggy. Harmony is one of the largest Amish settlements in the Midwest. Wish I would have had more opportunity to tour, but I did get to go into a quilt shop.

On to Preston, where we had our usual lunch. The Hwy we were following had a construction zone, and was closed to through vehicular traffic, but Charlotte and Sherri were OK'd to ride on. I had to take the van on a 17 mile detour. Came out in Fountain, "The Sinkhole Capital of the USA." How comforting!

Finally I got to ride again. Chatfield (est. 1853) billed itself as "Bandtown USA."

We decided to pack up all 3 bikes when we got to I-90. Managed to get everything in place, then drove to the home of our hosts, Pastor Larry and Dianne Orth. Dianne had prepared a very good dinner of spaghetti, carrot and celery, corn on the cob, bread, and peach ice cream for dessert. Both Larry and Dianne had lost their first spouses, and have a combined family of three daughters and a son (Macai, Renee, Ben, and Becca.) They live in a wonderful 6 bedroom house. We felt their Christian love as they tended to our needs.

Sorry we were unable to take Dianne's offer of touring us around downtown Rochester, but we were too tired, and had to work on our E-mails.

With love from Southeast Minnesota, Marie, Charlotte, and Sherri

Route miles - 100
Marie - 26.9
Charlotte - 53
Sherri - 84
Road change - 0