Hiawatha to Maquoketa

This day began wet and turned rainy just like the previous day. The only difference was that the rain quit a bit sooner this day. We ran through some more gravel this day, but it was wet this time. I think the wet gravel was a bit easier for me to ride on but it sure did make a mess on the bike. We found a hose near the campground at Maquoketa and washed all the gritty dirt off the bikes at the end of the day’s ride.

With this being the sixth day of riding, I can’t say that there was much new to report. The terrain was a little bit more hilly as we got closer to the Mississippi River. I can’t remember now if it was this day or the previous one, but there was one particularly steep incline. It was fun to look ahead at the riders as they began the climb. Many pulled their bikes over to the side of the road right away and began walking their bikes up the hill. I shifted down and climbed right over the hill. By this time of the week I wasn’t so concerned with babying my knees, which I was doing earlier in the week.

I did the same thing this day as the previous. I rode about 45 miles before making a stop for refreshment, then rode the rest of the way to Maquoketa. Jeff got there about 15 minutes before me and Brian probably got there 15 minutes after me. Josh and Ryan weren’t far behind.

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We camped on a high school football or soccer field in Maquoketa. After setting up the tents we showered at some portable showers nearby, and I would say these were the best showers of the week as far as water pressure and temperature.

After this we took the shuttle to the downtown area. We first took in a movie. All five of us watched a movie which I can’t remember the name of as I write this. It’s about a group of people, maybe 50-100, who live in this village without any contact with the outside world. It was ok but I would recommend other movies before this one.

After the movie we indulged in our favorite pasttime ,,, eating. I did take a picture of a barber shop in Maquoketa for my wife Vickie. We all went back to the campground for a while. Then everyone else went back to the downtown area but I stayed at the tent and talked with Vickie for a while.


	[RAGBRAI 2004] [Onawa] [Onawa to Lake View] [Lake View to Fort Dodge] [Fort Dodge to Iowa Falls] [Iowa Falls to Marshalltown] [Marshalltown to Hiawatha] [Hiawatha to Maquoketa] [Day 6 Photos] [Maquoketa to Clinton] [Steve Pope Photos] [RAGBRAI History] [Detailed Map] [Pass-Through Towns] [Ride Overview] [GeoBike Factoids] [GeoBike Climb & Wind]