In Which I announce RAGBRAI 2017—Middle Earth

OK, I mean my route guess for RAGBRAI 2017. Don’t y’all submit the same cities to the RAGBRAI contest, because that would not be kosher.

I toyed with the idea of the “urban tour,” and trying to fit Iowa’s largest cities into one route, which would be something You might be able to include Iowa’s 5 largest cities on one RAGBRAI. You could start in Sioux City (bigger than Council Bluffs) and hit Des Moines, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Davenport all in the same week. You need stops between Sioux City and Des Moines, and between Des Moines and Waterloo, so I’m not sure it works.

I just think it’s a cool idea. Not the 2017 theme, however, which instead I’m calling “middle route,” because I think it’s going to be a middle route so we can cross Middle Earth and toss the ring of power in into the Mississippi were it was forged, and “why not stop in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids?” just because I can.

Here is my unlikely-to-win guess:

• Sunday: Missouri Valley to Harlan
• Monday: Harlan to Carroll
• Tuesday: Carroll to Des Moines
• Wednesday: Des Moines to Marshalltown
• Thursday: Marshalltown to Cedar Rapids
• Friday: Cedar Rapids to Tipton
• Saturday: Tipton to Clinton

That’s my route. Maybe they can plan the “Urban Iowa Tour” in 2018. Anyway, we shall see soon where RAGBRAI 2017 will actually go! Iowa, I’m thinking.