Photos: Bean field Meets Barn
Tony attacks the bridge over the Mississippi leaving Mt Pleasant
The crew makes it to Illinois: Marci, Tony, Sylvia, Bill, Kevin, Susan and Diane
Sylvia and Marci on Henderson County covered bridge
Evanscense on the covered bridge with Diane
The story really starts Friday night in the town square at Mt Pleasant. During RAGBRAI the town squares get transformed into a big central beer garden with stage for bands surrounded by fairground type food trailers. Thousands of cyclist and locals show up for the big goings on. This night Kevin was wearing a C2C T-shirt and a woman noticed it and started to ask him questions. She was planning on riding her bike back to Vermont after RAGBRAI and was wondering if she might join our group. We knew what we would be staying a the Arrowhead Motel in Burlington so we passed along that information to her and she went on her way.
The guys that run the Arrowhead Motel are some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. I mentioned that a cyclist named Marci may show up during the day and that she is with us while on my way to walk up to the BP for stuff. Once there the very guy I had left this info with 15 minutes ago shows up at BP and offers me a ride back to the motel. A cool guy, he has his head screwed on straight. When I commented about the nice Jaguar he was driving he said, “Its only a Jaguar for the first six months…after that its just a car you drive from point A to point B.” When we pulled into the parking lot Marci was just coming out of the office with a room key in hand. He had left a note to her and a key for her when he left the office. She came our the room and made herself at home. Taking a shower, relaxing and telling us about herself. Born and raised in Vermont, conservationist/environmentalist. Grew up on a farm. Doesn’t own a car. Takes care of a foster child. Dislikes the current job she has with the government. Has read many of the same books I have. Even scolded me for leaving the water running while I brushed my teeth. Holy crap she’s a feisty one.
She had free tickets and wanted to go to a baseball game so she and Tony went. Now who’s Tony? Before the ride Kevin had heard from Tony and he was covering some of the same terrain as us and figured we would cross paths sometime and here he was at the Arrowhead. Tony’s company made the buttons for the OBAMA campaign and he decided a nice ride on the recumbent would get him over the frenzy of the last year.
So they were off to the game and we went to the office and asked them for the name of a good steakhouse and taxi service number. The owner gave us directions along with the keys to his truck. Marci returned about the same time as us and the conversation continued once the sleeping arrangements were agreed upon and her fascination with cable TV subsided. She and I shared a bed and discussed environmental issues, her thru hike of the Long Trail, and life in Vermont till Kevin admonished us for keeping him awake at 11. Of course, my brain was buzzing now so I only napped briefly till I fell asleep around 3. In the morning I regretted the we had not gone outside and continued our conversation, especially when I found out she had decided to ride with Tony instead of our group since he will be averaging more miles per day and she is on a limited time schedule. But the little woodland nymph may check in with our group since we will be passing within 20 miles of her hometown a couple days after she returns her job, child and dog.
So the group grew for only a day...too bad.
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