Description
Road
Distance - full standard rte - 60 miles per day but any distance can be accomodated
Day One: 60 beautiful miles (with a century option)
The ride begins from Southeastern Community College, West Burlington at 8:30 am. The bikers will take the rolling hills to Denmark for a SAG stop by the Boy Scouts. Then head toward Ft. Madison, passing the Tri-State Rodeo Park, down over the hill and follow the bluff road west into the Mississippi River Flats. Drink stop at Montrose -- an interesting old river village with a nice view of Nauvoo and the new temple across the river. Here we will pedal along the river to Keokuk, home of the Keokuk Power Plant & Dam with barge locks (you can view from the old bridge). A SAG stop will be in Rand Park overlooking the Mississippi. Then we pedal across the bridge into Hamilton, IL. Overnight camping in this beautiful community at Wildcat Springs park, with its brand new swimming pool and showers. (If you would rather “camp” in a motel room, we suggest: Holiday Inn Express @ 524-8000, or Bed & Breakfast @ 800-524-6310 & 888-581-3343 – all back across the bridge in Keokuk. Luggage shuttle available.) After a swim and a catered supper, we will gather for announcements, door prizes, awards, and songs around a campfire or other entertainment.
Day Two: 59 miles
Start the day with Bickel’s Big Biker’s Breakfast 7-8:00am. (Baggage must be loaded by 8am). Then begin pedaling north along the Mighty Mississippi to Nauvoo. Don’t forget to stop along the way to take in the beauty and take pictures, i.e. Mt. Moriah. The first sag of the day will be in the Nauvoo State Park.. Nauvoo was bigger than Chicago “in its day”; and now the Mormons have rebuilt their temple. Then we’ll take the cornfield tour of the countryside through the town of Colusa, and on to Dallas City where we will have a sage stop right along The River – a good place to photograph waterfowl and other wildlife. Then, Lomax is the town where the train lines and the river canal were to merge, (never quite happened). But it is home to The Pink. Then it is on into Burlington, IA across the Great River Bridge. Save a little pedal power for the challenge up the bluff, through side streets to SCC, where your gear will be waiting for you.