A steady head wind is on of the most discouraging things a biker can experience. As I headed East out of Iowa Falls on D15 the wind was the last thing on my mind. I got a late start on my ride and my concern was more about whether I could still make it to the scheduled veterans memorial in Steamboat Rock and not whether I would make it there at all.
As I left the greenbelt river valley and arrived on the doorstep of the flat farmland east of Iowa Falls the full force of the wind became very apparent. The wind gusted so hard that there were times where I could sense that both my bike and I were nearly at a 45 degree angle pressing against the SE wind. The trip was expected to take just over an hour to cover 20 miles, but instead I arrived in Steamboat winded and tired nearly 2 and a half hours later.
Needless to say, I missed out on what was described to me as a well attended, emotional ceremony at the veterans memorial, My disappointment was quickly alleviated, though, by the warm smiles and hot coffee brewing at the Steamboat Rock Historical Society. Mildred and Keith Griffin were the first people to greet me at the door and quickly showed me everything the busy building had to offer. The societies' displays where separated into individual stories from the past and I took my time as I viewed everything from a typical school room display to a set of information and photos from the infamous Rainsbarger family. The historical society takes extra pride in their display of Rainsbarger items and will even be presenting a multi-media show on July 10th at the Steamboat Rock boat club.
Once I had viewed everything the historical society had to offer, I followed Steamboat resident Janice Kramer to the local Veterans Memorial which was dedicated in 2009. Kramer is the spear head of a large group of dedicated residents that all contributed their individual specialties to make the memorial a reality. The monument consists of several black granite monoliths inscribed with local veterans names and the conflict in which they served. The stones display 550 names and includes 34 civil war veterans.
Next, I rode my bicycle South out of Steamboat and down a winding gravel road to Tower Rock County park. There is a beautiful bike trail that connects this park with the boat launch and downtown Steamboat and provides a much needed connection to this expansive park hugging the shores of the Iowa River. As I rode back down the hill towards the river I heard voices coming from below the bluffs. A large group of exuberant young tubers were just setting off on their way towards Eldora yelling and cheering as they sipped their beers splashed in the murky water.
After riding back into downtown I stopped at the school house on Market Street and found my way to the comparably cool basement which houses Mama's Kitchen. The tables were filled with Memorial Day revelers and the kitchen was busy with cooks and a lone waitress rushing back and forth between tables. I enjoyed people watching as I finished my light breakfast and coffee while reading the paper in busy underground diner.
My final stop before leaving Steamboat was a short trip down the hill to the dam where a lone fisherman casted his line into the bubbling waters. The site offered a great overlook of the Iowa River valley as I sat in the shade, reapplying my sunscreen for the long ride back to Iowa Falls.
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