http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Iowa/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , Iowa en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:04:33 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 02:04:33 UTC Well world I'm still here biding my time until my next European adventure. These days I distract myself from my Italian daydreams by working to finish up another semester of college in Iowa but I can never ignore those memories for long. As I approach the one year anniversary of my departure it's only natural to reminisce...January. An airport taxi hurtles me through the streets of Florence I http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Des-Moines/blog-350814.html Many of you have been praying as we were were seeking the Lord's Will as whether we would stay at WRBC or move to Emmanuel Baptist Church in Toledo. After much thought and prayer we have decided to continue at WRBC and not accept the invitation to move to Toledo.While we were in the Cayman Islands we spent many hour reading the scriptures praying and walking around discussing issues related to th http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Cedar-Falls/blog-350665.html Hello friendsThis is my first entry for my blog on my upcoming travels. I will be leaving the country on Saturday Nov 1st from AtlantagtLos AngelesgtBangkokgtKathmandu Nepal When I arrive in Kathmandu I am meeting up with the rest of my group 45 physicians and a few RN's and our coordinators from Himalayan Healthcare. After a couple of days of orientation we head off for a medical t http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Cedar-Rapids/blog-337074.html Travel destinations often have their genesis in very modest settings and so it was that I was sitting with a friend on a public bus in Ottawa talking about the San Diego Zoo when I saw a sign for a special fare for bus tickets within North America. As my mind drew together two related threads I began to work the logistics of the possible journey. As every traveler knows the two most essentia http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Des-Moines/blog-334363.html This set of blogs is another Group Vacation. Our 2008 trip was from KC up and around Lake Superior into Canada and then a slight detour to Milwaukee for a few days for the 25th and 105th celebrations for HOG and Harley Davidson. The blogs are broken into sections each being a day in the trip. The first blog of this trip is here DAY 10 SUNDAY We were all to meet at 9am to start the trip home. Will http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Dyersville/blog-332060.html We awoke refreshed and found dew on the grass for the first time. We drove up out of the wooded river valley and back up onto the plains although there do seem to be a few more trees now. We crossed the Missouri between Omaha and Council Bluffs Iowa. We have passed the halfway point. We have been buying American fuel the whole way BP Conoco Sinclair Phillips 66. Some places say they have http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-331261.html We've named our Carver Riviera Better 2getherWe fueled up at the end of last week YIKES... With the cost of fuel and the 280 gallon tanks we will be taking our time heading south to conserve fuel. We saw our families and said our good byes over this past weekend. Leona and Dick gave us tomatoes blue cheese dressing and homemade cookies YUMMY. Mom and I went grocery shopping yesterday purc http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-329520.html After deciding to venture to the blue waters of the world after hurricane season a new boat was in order. Our current 57 foot wooden Chris Craft Motor Yacht would be a great luxury but maintenance from saltwater and speed were an issue. I wanted a speedy fiberglass cruiser comfortable large raised salon roomy galley and private owners quarters. The deck had to have room for relaxing and the s http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-323486.html To start off this blogging adventure I need to be honest. What is written below was posted on a different blog site on Aug. 22nd. It is now the 13th of September and I am just now adding my adventures through France Italy and Ireland. Please bear with me as this will be a very interesting journey for everyone.First things first I Kristin Brodie am studying abroad this fall semester. Hence the http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/blog-323256.html This set of blogs are another of the Group Vacations. Our 2008 trip was from KC up and around Lake Superior into Canada and then a slight detour to Milwaukee for a few days for the 25th and 105th celebrations for HOG and Harley Davidson. The blogs are broken into sections each being a day in the trip. The first blog of this trip is here .23 AUG 08 Saturday A tour of SW Iowa.I wanted to be http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-322904.html The next 10 blogs are another of of the Group Vacations. I act as the tour guide plan the trip after getting some guidelines like dates and destination. They following me blindly not knowing the destinations for each day. Its like a game. I give hints some are really big some are very small they try to figure it out where we are going and guess amoung themselves. This is the second year we http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-322898.html Well folks I leave in less than 24 hours I just took the rest of my stuff to my house in Des Moines including my car i'm gonna miss the white taurus with the hole in the bumber. Courtney and I are meeting in Paris luckily our flights are only 20 minutes apart so hopefully it won't be too hard to find each other We have some awesome plans to travel through Italy before I start work so http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Iowa-City/blog-322043.html I made it home and it feels so good Flights went really well. Will talk about it later I'm unpacking now. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Cedar-Rapids/blog-313376.html What's hot Farmland in full abundance. What's not Being the only female in a car with three men for 30 days. Travel lesson of the day Who needs lsquoemfrom KathyGray day over South Dakota. Odometer reading is 6429. We try to wake early but the boys are somnolent. Finally JJ moves from bed to a long long shower. Scott complains that his brother takes such long showers in these hotel roo http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-313230.html AhhhhhhhhhAs it turns out it's a little more difficult than I expected to simultaneously move out pack and plan for a trip all in a week. Oh well... sleep can always be removed from the todo list I guess. I think I could pretty easily run on pure excitement at the moment. I do however need an occasional break which is why I am currently sitting in my almost completely empty room with a yogu http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/Iowa-State-University/blog-311005.html Hello Bonjour Ciao HalloAs promised I am delivering my first post and it's not even Sunday yet. Or has only been Sunday for about an hour.I think for this first attempt at writing in quite a while I'm going to keep it simple. I'm a little tired at the moment so I'll save my profound thoughts and witty humor for later updates and just stick to a basic overview of everything I'm doing on my http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/Iowa-State-University/blog-307706.html July 26 2008 LeClaire IA We made it Today was a beautiful day for riding and a fitting way to end RAGBRAI. We got an early start and pushed ourselves hard to the end. It was a short and relatively flat ride. Our hotel was near the route a bit downstream so we simply left from the hotel parking lot. Diana drove the van through the chaos in LeClaire where all the support teams were trying to http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Iowa-City/blog-305092.html Top Ten Things I Appreciate even more Because of RAGBRAI1. The crest of a hill2. Water3. Paceline Productsrsquo Chamois Buttrsquor4. A peloton paceline on a windy day5. Overcast skies6. Shade7. Hotels v. tents8. A big van9. A big trailer with bike rack10. Scott and Ann Johnson for organizing it all http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Davenport/blog-304554.html July 25 2008 North Liberty IA Today's jaunt took us 65 miles with a fair amount of NorthSouth riding as well as the West to East route that we're on. The climbing was modest with rolling hills through several small towns Solon We Lisbon Mount Vernon Martelle Morley Machanicsville and finishing in Tipton the overnight town. We're staying down the road a ways in New Liberty not North L http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Cedar-Rapids/blog-304547.html July 24 2008 Chelsea IA While staying at Gary Lambrsquos Lodge in Chelsea we were joined by the remaining team members Ken and Diana Bannon from Wichita. Ken is riding and Diana is our support driver for the remainder of the trip unless one of us gets too tired sore or intimidated and then shersquoll have company. Ken hasnrsquot done as much biking as he should of like me but is an http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Cedar-Rapids/blog-304175.html July 23 2008 Ames Iowa For all of you following the blog you have to realize that we're staying in some pretty remote areas where we don't have access to the internet and many areas where our cell phones don't get coverage. Hence the one day late blogs that are just now coming out. Its the problem being the blogger because after everyone starts figuring out what its all about then they exp http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/blog-304144.html It has been crazy trying to plan everything to make my study abroad possible. I am so stressed trying to plan and coordinate everything. Of course to make things more difficult everything always has to happen in a certain order. For right now I am still home in Iowa but will be leaving in a few short weeks to study in Perugia Italy at the Umbra Institute. http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-304108.html July 23 2008 Ames IA Four of us made the effort to go to the Styx concert and were pleasantly surprised. It was held on the University Campus on a big parking lot and they expected about 30000 people across all age groups. It was a perfect evening warm with a nice intermittent cool breeze no bugs and clear skies. The band came on as the sun was setting and sang a lot of their hits Lady http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/Iowa-State-University/blog-303448.html July 22 2008 Ames IA The riders made it in to the Comfort Inn in great shape. A flatter course made for more efficient riding in the peloton of riders. Sunny but not too hot this morning. The route actually goes right in front of our hotel so we take off from here tomorrow. Scott will be the designated driver so he won't even need to get up since we can take off directly from our parking lo http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/blog-303365.html July 22 2008 Ames IA This is a story from the Ames Tribune describing the concert tonight... RAGBRAI concert featuring Styx and The Nadas to benefit flood victims07012008The rock band Styx will headline the Ames RAGBRAI CYcling Country entertainment festival which will benefit victims of the recent floods in Iowa. The concert will also include an appearance by the popular Iowa band The Na http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/Iowa-State-University/blog-303248.html July 22 2008 Ames IA Today I was the designated driver i.e. the support team. That means that I get up with everyone else at 530 and then drop them off in the starting town we stayed about 25 miles away from Jefferson. The trailer has all the equipment and we have to set up all the bikes fill the tires make sure everyone has food fluids and all their equipment. From there the riders http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/Ames/blog-303231.html July 21 2008 Jefferson IA Well today was day 2 of the ride and considered to be the hardest longest mileage most vertical climb and we were offered the opportunity to do a few extra miles 17 miles and 900 extra feet of climbing to make it an even 100 miles and about over a mile of vertical climb. We had sort of decided NOT to take up the offer but when we got to the turnoff only a few m http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-303206.html July 20 2008 Logan Iowa We got up at the crack of dawn to load everything up again and trundle down to Missouri Valley for the anticipated start. Bonita cooked us up some breakfast and we all consumed mass quantities for the first dayrsquos ride 59 miles and 3200 feet of climbing. The sun was shining on the dew and there was a little fog over the fields on the drive in which made for a ver http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-302675.html Blue Bird Run Bed BreakfastJuly 19 2008 Logan IA We spent our first night in Logan just a few miles away from the RAGBRAI starting point in Missouri Valley. It was a quaint little bed and breakfast run by Bonita Custer a charming lady with a lot of enthusiasm. We basically took over the whole place for the evening and she fed us well. She collected catskittens as well and lived in a sep http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-302521.html The TeamSo there are five of us trekking through the Great Plainshellip1. Scott Johnson an anesthesiologist that works at the McGee Eye Center. Porsche afficcionado races them and gadget owner of many types boats vans cars toolshellipbut no planes yet. 2. Ann Johnson general dentist that runs and bikes a lot. She and Scott have 2 dogs a big black lab Boomer and a small terrier http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/Iowa/blog-302515.html