While I was sad to leave Omaha–I’m excited to cross another state line into Iowa. Wee had a very pleasant 55 mile ride. Our four man paceline was talkative as the sun shined down.
Upon arrival into good ol’ Griswold, we did a team rack the next 2 miles into the Creighton University Retreat Center over gravel roads. The CURC was very nice and we were greeted with a fabulous lunch spread from our main Iowa sponsor Dave Adickes.
After lunch, the team set up camp in the retreat center and I spent some time cleaning my bike. Soon following, we were informed we had some freetime to spend at a quarry turned swimming hole. We hopped into “team tux” and packed the vans like a boys ranch. The quarry was beautiful and was complete with a rope swing, a diving platform, and floating dock. After my failed attempt on the rope swing in front of all the locals, I sent it to the floating dock where I would spend the next several hours chatting, laughing and hanging out with my fellow teammates.
Finally, we went to a homey dinner at Mr. Adickes mother’s house where we were treated to sloppy joes and ice cream sandwhiches galore. I shamelessly had multiple helpings of sloppy joe and several ice cream sandwhiches. The Adickes were very friendly and sure that we were full and having a good time. Once dinner was over they gave us parting gifts to make sure we would stay cool in the humide midwest summer.
Back at the CURC several of the team members and I went on a scenic hike thorugh the forest which culiminated in a rock facewith hundreds of names carved in. Needless to say we scrawled a masive “JOH 2017”.
TOday was a good day. It is hard to believe that we are already over half way and soon this journey will come to an end.
Eric Smith
Cyclist