{"id":17349,"date":"2015-08-04T20:59:16","date_gmt":"2015-08-05T00:59:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=17349"},"modified":"2015-08-06T07:46:20","modified_gmt":"2015-08-06T11:46:20","slug":"day-25-wednesday-august-5-onawa-to-denison-iowa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourdebocrie.com\/?p=17349","title":{"rendered":"Day 26. Wednesday, August 5 – Onawa to Denison, Iowa"},"content":{"rendered":"

We checked out this morning to\u00a0the same temperature and wind as we checked in with yesterday afternoon (70\u00b0\u00a0wind in our face).\"DSCN5844\"<\/a> \u00a0Legs were sore from the hill assault of yesterday, so\u00a0today’s nine mile warm up on flat road was helpful.\"DSCN5849\"<\/a>We crossed the Little Sioux River\"DSCN5850\"<\/a> and several others that all looked identical. \u00a0Pretty farms emerged \"DSCN5860\"<\/a>and then we began our climbing in\u00a0the Loess Hills.<\/a>\"DSCN5871\"<\/a>These beautiful\u00a0hills started off rolling\"DSCN5863\"<\/a> then got a bit more aggressive.\"IMG_0868\"<\/a> \u00a0Though not the 18% grades that we struggled with\u00a0yesterday, they were much longer \"IMG_0877\"<\/a>with the same effect on the legs. \u00a0It was another enjoyable\u00a0morning to ride, however,\"DSCN5881\"<\/a>as much a credit to the overcast, cool temperatures\"DSCN5876\"<\/a> as it was to the landscape. \"DSCN5877\"<\/a>\u00a0After 23 miles of up and down climbing, we reached the top of our last hill \"DSCN5898\"<\/a>then had a wonderful one mile fly down to our mid-ride refreshment stop.\"DSCN5899\"<\/a> \u00a0The last 17 miles we rode the Lincoln Highway,\"DSCN5928\"<\/a>\u00a0a straight, flat road paralleling a busy\u00a0railroad \"DSCN5909\"<\/a>\u00a0and flanking hills.\"DSCN5907\"<\/a> \u00a0In passing a huge ethanol plant,\"DSCN5918\"<\/a> we realized all the corn we’d seen was not<\/em> going to market, but to the pump.<\/p>\n

Our historic pre-war highway motel offered an unexpected and pleasant surprise. \u00a0Not only was the beautiful star of the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life” \"DSCN5930\"<\/a>born in Denison, the hotel had a room dedicated to Donna Reed.\"DSCN5932\"<\/a> \u00a0Our other treat was the farmer’s truck across the street overflowing with fresh goodies; our choice, amazing<\/em> cantaloupe! \u00a0And for dinner, a well deserved and much anticipated good glass of wine\"DSCN5940\"<\/a>a perfectly cooked steak dinner (unseen is beef barley soup, ham & bean soup and salad)\"DSCN5944\"<\/a> finished with Pat’s surprise! \"DSCN5949\"<\/a>\u00a0Fifty miles never felt so good.<\/p>\n\n\t\t