Day 42 – July 15 – Dyersville, IA to Lowden, IA – 59 Miles

After the long day yesterday we slept in and got our latest start of the trip.  It was approaching 1:00 in the afternoon before we got on the road.  Our goal was Lowden, IA a stop within 40 miles of Muscatine.  The day was not wasted as we got some rest and did a couple loads of laundry.  Between Dyersville and Lowden were a number of small towns spaced about every 10 miles. This afforded us the opportunity to cool off, rest and get some liquids during the heat of the day.

In the morning I called ahead to reserve a room at the Lincoln Inn in Lowden. The owner Liz, assured us our room would be cooled off before we arrived and recommended the chicken dinners at Schneid’s, a sports pub across the street.  She would meet us there with the room key.

The heat was a test, along with the humidity, hills and headwinds, what Joe and I have defined as the dreaded 4-H’s (Not to be confused with the youth agriculture development organization).  After every stop along the way, it took extra motivation to get back on the bike get back into the sun and move onto the next town.  Around 6:00 PM is when there is a noticeable drop in the temperature, as the sun gets lower in the sky.  The sun was just above the horizon when we arrived in Lowden.  We found Schneid’s and Liz arrived a short time later with our room key.

The Lincoln Inn dates back to 1915 and sits on Main Street in Lowden.  It was restored from severe disrepair through an historic preservation grant by the State of Iowa.  It now serves as the town’s only hotel in the form of a Bed and Breakfast.  The accommodations were just what we needed after another long and hot day on the road.

One interesting note, Lowden is situated along the Lincoln Highway otherwise known as US 30.  The last time we were on US 30 on this trip was in the Columbia River Gorge in The Dalles, OR.  It was tempting to get on US 30 for our trip across Illinois and Indiana.  We will cross it again near Ft. Wayne, IN.

We will start early tomorrow.  It is only 38 miles to Muscatine and the temps are forecast to be in the upper 90s.  We will consider tomorrow a rest day even though we are riding. We will try to get to Muscatine before the heat sets in.