Day 0: Update

We have arrived in Glenwood after a bit of a delay on I-80 near a town called Menlo. Seems that a few tractor trailers ended up on their sides this morning, blown over by high winds. Even at 2 pm one lane was still closed in each direction as they were working to clear away the carnage.

When we arrived at the campsite we stepped off the bus to the feel of ..... opressive humidity. I felt like I was walking in a sauna. When the weather gets this bad in Atlanta we all go hide indoors. But there was no hiding from it here. Tent located, luggage moved, a quick change in to shorts, bike fetched off the truck, and I was ready to explore the RAGBRAI Expo. It was only a mile walk away from the campsite. But believe me after being cooped up in a car and a bus for two days, the walk felt good.

Five minutes down the road as I was talking to my wife on the phone, the tornado sirens started sounding. Really? Now in some parts of the country they use those for severe weather too. And a look to the southwest showed that there indeed was some unpleasant weather headed our way. But the closest shelter was actually the high school where I was headed, so I kept walking. And I got there before the downpour. I haven't even started riding yet and this is already an unforgettable adventure.

I have also discovered that my phone has no data service in Glenwood. No data service mean I can't update the blog from my phone. So I am sending this update from the Windstream Internet trailer. This also means that my live tracker will probably not be working tomorrow morning. I believe that once I reach Atlantic I will have data service and the updates will start working. Sorry about that.

The storm seems to have passed so now I must go in search of some food.