A side trip to Coon Rapids, Iowa

After yesterday's rain  it was a fresh and sunny morning when I left the motel for Star Motorsports in Lincoln. I'd intended to ride on US 34 all the way to Lincoln, but a few miles down the road there was a sign advising that the road was closed ahead, so I rode south to I-80 and blasted along the Interstate. A few miles from Lincoln I noticed that there was a several mile backup on westbound 80, and I guessed  that  there  was a football game at the University of Nebraska today. I found the motorcycle shop (where the service writer confirmed the cause of the backup) with no problem and had breakfast at a nearby Cracker Barrel while the shop installed the tire. Just after I finished breakfast the shop called to say that the bike was ready. I paid up and as I was loading the bike  the mechanic came out to tell me what tire pressures he'd set, why he'd replaced the tire valve stem, that he'd taken it for a test ride, and that the brake linings would need replacing before too long. A nice touch by the mechanic.

Following breakfast I'd booked a room in West Des Moines, and now I had several hours to kill before I could check into the motel, which was only three hours away via  Interstate. While I was looking at the map yesterday, I noticed that there was a town called Coon Rapids a mere 80 miles or so out of my way, so I decided  to go there. Rather than get back on the Interstate I went into Lincoln and followed Ave. O (US 34) east out of town to US 75 by the  Missouri River, where I went north. This is all rolling hillsides and prosperous farmland, the road was in good  shape, there was no traffic, and a town every 15 miles or so gave me something to look at besides the fields of brown corn. The temperature  had been 56 degrees when I left Aurora in the morning, and 65 by the time I arrived in Lincoln. It stayed around 70-75 for most of the day, maybe a little warmer by late afternoon. Perfect riding weather.

A small hotel by a small rail yard - maybe Carson, Iowa

Impressive building in downtown Griswold, Iowa

I remembered that US 34 crossed the Missouri at Plattsmouth, but there's now a new and improved 34 and a new bridge that  crosses the river several miles  north. No matter, I turned north a few miles into Iowa on a small, twisty road that is apparently a favorite of  the local motorcycle cruisers - I saw dozens of bikes out for a ride on a beautiful  autumn Saturday. The road wasn't challenging, but with the  hills and gentle curves it kept your attention, and it was very scenic with woods, creeks, a few small towns, and patchwork farmland. East of Council Bluffs I picked up State Road 92, which I followed east through more rolling hills and farmland until I arrived at US 71, which I took north to the intersection with I-80 and then for another 15 miles to 44 east and then Chester Street into Coon Rapids. There's a rail yard on the edge of town, and Main Street is very wide with small shops and businesses on each side and parking in the middle of the street as well as at the curb. It's a little to rough and run down to be quaint, but that may come. I stopped at Chuck's Place  where I had coffee and a slice of peach pie - they listed strawberry/rhubarb but were out of it. While I was there the waitress educated me on corn harvesting - I'd thought that the fields of brown stalks were evidence of a dry summer, but that is a normal cycle for corn, and it isn't harvested until some time after the stalks turn brown.

Downtown Coon Rapids, Iowa. It may not look like much but it has a certain charm.

Back on the bike I took State Road 141 east  towards Des Moines. After 30 miles the little country road became a four lane expressway as it  angled to I-35 south to Des Moines. I found the Valley West Inn with no problem, but the place isn't quite as upscale as I'd thought it would be. It's a bit like the Broker's Inn in  Boulder - there's a sort of faded elegance to the place. To add to the disappointment the hotel's Internet is down, and I'm writing this via my phone's mobile hotspot. There's an Olive Garden and a Red Lobster just across the street from the hotel, but when I checked both places there were dozens of people, mostly families with kids, waiting outside both restaurants, so I went the opposite direction to a Mall where I dined at a Chipotle's.

Tomorrow, the car show!