Lowden, Iowa to Muscatine, Iowa

Start:  Lowden, Iowa
End:  Comfort Inn, Muscatine, Iowa

Mileage:  30 miles
Weather: 

States Conquered:  Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota
States Being Conquered:  Iowa
States to be Conquered:  Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine

Particulars:  A report from Joe Thompson:  We rode a leisurely 30 miles to Muscateen IA today. This was to be a rest day, and we needed to ride a bit due to weather delay Sunday AM and a series of flats. The source of the flats was finally detected: the tire on Kelly's bike was coming unstuck from its self, and fibers from the bead were abrading the tube. So the tires were replaced at the local bike shop and we checked into a hotel for the evening and our rest.

My impression of Iowa is that it represents what is great about the USA. Of course it has perfect crop growing weather and good soil, so farming and animal growing work well. But as the size of a one family farm increased from 100 acres to nearly 1000 acres the change has been accommodated in real time and the population has adjusted. Government subsidies have clouded things, but the change happened nonetheless, and the American penchant for creative destruction produced a "new normal" from the ashes. We saw the same depopulation trend at work in Montana and North Dakota as well.

Tomorrow we cross the river into Illinois to resume our Eastward journey.

Interesting People Along the Way: