RAGBRAI Day 4

Leon to Centerville - 37 miles ( for me)

I had a plan to sag early today, to try to get in early and let my tent and everything dry out from the dew, and to give my saddle sores a rest (TMI, I know).

There were a lot of little cities between the two stops today, which was nice.  Humeston made an impression with a bull you could actually pay to sit on.  I had to get the shirt.  The back says "My other ride is a bike!"

I was taking a break at the top of a huge hill when the sag wagon came along, and I decided it was my time to join them.  There were only about 4 other people when I joined, but we packed that van in the next 10 miles.  I couldn't even keep my eyes open in the van, and neither could anyone else.  It was a quiet ride to Centerville.

Once I got there and unloaded, I wanted a shower, and someone at the info tent overheard me asking about them and offered to give me a drive up, which was so nice.  People in these towns are genuinely happy we are there.  So I showered in the shower truck again, then got on a shuttle to downtown instead of the campground, so I just went with it.  Ran into Angie and two of her friends, and we had a slice of pizza together.

I went on a hunt for wifi, since I had no cell service and couldn't let anyone know I was still alive.  I found it at an old fashioned ice cream shop, also selling food on the sidewalk.  The guy working the register was nice, and we talked about him being from Colorado and how weird the Midwest is for its homogeneous small towns.  Nice guy.  I laid on the grass in the town square for a while and just watched the sky.  It was a beautiful and relaxing evening.

I wandered and had a maid-rite for second dinner, since I'd never had one.  Basically just ground beef on a bun, but it  hit the spot.  The I wandered back o the ice cream shop for wifi, charging my phone, real bathrooms, and ice cream.  Spent the rest of my evening in there just lounging.

Got back to camp, and spent 30 min blowing up my air mattress.  What a pain!  We could hear the nights entertainment, Hairball (the band that covers 80's Hair band hits) all the way from downtown, at least a mile away.  Then, a couple who must have been down there partying starts to set up camp within inches of my tent.  And they argue, and speak in normal voices, even though they know everyone else is asleep or trying to get there.  Jerks.