In Which a Warm Ride Pauses at Police Station

Riding on boat pier at Ellis Park.

So on Wednesday, I rode over 60 miles on a warm Iowa day. My sister rode with me, but I had quite a few miles more due to riding for almost an hour before we met.

The ride was quite interesting. We headed down to Ellis Park, and my sister suggested we ride out on the boat pier, which I had not done before.

It was fine and kind of fun. Then, when we got to the end of the park, we didn’t simply turn around. Instead, my sister took me on a ride she does where you turn south at a street at the end of the park, bike up a hill and ride by the golf course—which I knew existed, but had not seem before.

We ended up riding through a Northwest side neighborhood I had never been in before, when our local contact with law enforcement began. Near the corner of J Avenue and Ellis Boulevard, eagle-eyed Cate noticed a cell phone laying on the curb. It’s battery was still good, and we figured out whose phone it was, but when she was going to call a contact, we realized it was a phone that charges for outgoing calls.

What to do? Since we planned to head over towards the Prairie Park Fishery anyway, we decided it was easy to pass by the CR Police station. So we stopped there and turned the phone in.

Looking down steps of Cedar Rapids Police Station. Had not been in it before.

We then rode out to the Prairie Park Fishery. It was getting warm and past noon, so next we headed to the New Bo neighborhood. We debated for a while about whether to stop at Parlor City or try Fong’s Pizza.

Well, I do like Parlor City, but I don’t regret lunch at Fong’s. The lunch special was two slices of pizza, so we each ordered two different ones, then cut them and shared, so that we each got to sample four pizzas—a cheese, pepperoni, steak and peppers and Polynesian.

I liked them all, although the Polynesian was my favorite.

Pizza at Fong's in New Bo.

Peaches and cream ice cream in Ely.

After that, we headed down to Ely for ice cream, and then turned for home. It was a warm afternoon, and included a RAGBRAI-like distance, as well as heat. It was a good practice day.

The next day, Thursday, was hotter. I wanted to stop on campus, but first rode down to Cedar Lake. I took the good camera, knowing it would encourage me to stop and snap some images—making for more frequent breaks, important on a hot ride.

My mileage was less than half, but I did do the four climbs of the MMU Hill.

The final week of distance practice for RAGBRAI is coming to close. My wife has unearthed most of my stuff. Next week I will ride, but deliberately cut back on miles. RAGBRAI is getting close!

Here are images of nature stuff I shot on today's ride: