RAGBRAI 2009

The Des Moines Register has announce the overnight towns for the 2009 edition of the ride.They are:

• Council Bluffs (4)
  
• Red Oak (3)
  
• Greenfield (2)
  
• Chariton (1)
  
• Indianola (0)
  
• Ottumwa (2)
  
• Mt. Pleasant (4)
  
• Burlington (4)
  

It's going to be a short one, 442 miles and 22.8k feet of climbing. We've been in most of these towns before, the number of times noted in the parentheses. All except for Indianola where the traveling freak show / circus that is RAGBRAI will stop for the first time. That is going to give us two logical day one's midweek with everyone and their brother joining us on the ride in and/or out Indianola from Des Moines.

I have not so fond memories of Mt. Pleasant from the 1984 edition. Ever since then, I've been calling it Mud Unpleasant. We overnight in Red Oak, which was my Dad's home town. I'll have to see if I can remember where the farm is and maybe do a ride by. I haven't been to Red Oak since the last time RAGBRAI was there in 1997. Just 170 days and a wake up to go.

Note: One other highlight for this year is the lack of Lance Armstrong. Lance Boy will be "le Touring" in France, so his little entourage / sideshow won't be with us this year. Woo Hoo! RAGBRAI - It's not about the Lance.