The culinary wonders of Iowa have been destroying my recently installed healthy eating habits.
Yes, they had a bin piled high of strawberry rhubarb fry pies. So good. This is at a random Amish farm by the side of the road. Max had a giant cinnamon roll.
Next up, at Houghton, I took the required RAGBRAI photo of Max sitting in a giant tractor wheel. He decided to look happy in this photo, because he accepts that during RAGBRAI he must be photographed sitting in a giant tractor wheel. It's part of the event.
This was in Houghton, which was in the middle of the ride and nearly 20 miles to the next town. So we had lunch, even though it was only 10:30. I had a very tasty chicken burrito and smoothie from Garden of Eden, who have the best smoothies on RAGBRAI (secret ingredient is cantelope).
We did have a delicious lime ade from the lime ade guy by the side of the road 10 miles later, so we did not have to do the whole 20 miles in one shot. And the "town" was Geode State Park, which had food trucks by the lake in the middle of the park which was followed by a brutal climb up away from the lake.
Dinner tonight was another adventure. Our charter has several special events throughout the week. One event is ice cream sundaes. Another is when they cater dinner. But tonight was the best of all, when they have their favorite local band plan and they hold happy hour with margaritas.
I mean what could be better than having margaritas while sitting in a plastic stackable chair while listening to this?
The answer is obvious! All of the above, but the song is Rocky Top!
Watching Jim and Murray and I drink margaritas while listening to boring dad music all afternoon eventually drove Max crazy and he me get up off my white plastic chair and do something about getting him some dinner.
The problem is that our charter is out on the outskirts of town at the county fairgrounds, far from any food, except at the gas station across the street. (Max: No way Dad).
But wait, the county fair is actually going on right this minute! They have food trucks! Let's go check it out! Yes. Funnel cakes and three different trucks selling smoked meat and barbeque! (Max: No way Dad).
The boy says we are going to a sit-down restaurant with air conditioning. And he will find one with Google Maps. (Max: a mile and a half down the highway, 4.3 stars.)
So we get on our bikes, and ride down the highway to this alleged restaurant. Past Menards. Past WalMart. We get to the Kohls. Across from Kohls is a Toro commercial lawn mower dealer in an industrial park. The sign at the park entrance says there is a tenant called "Uncle Ronnie's Bar and Grill". Max says turn here.
So we head into the industrial park. Behind the mower dealer is a windowless building covered in aluminum barn siding. That would be Uncle Ronnie's. We go in.
It's a restaurant, full of regular Iowa people. It was great. No waiting in lines. Way off the RAGBRAI radar. I had another margarita!
Here is the Strava track for today.
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