Day 7 - Lowden to Muscatine, Iowa 5-28-2011 54 miles today

We slept in this morning because we figured we only had about 43 miles to bike today to get to Muscatine, Iowa.  We left our hotel about 8:00AM and as soon as we got on the bike it started to sprinkle.  That's just Gods way of letting us know that he is in control. lol  We biked two blocks down main street because there was suppose to be a restaurant that was open but it was closed.  (we found out that it is now closed permanently) so we biked out of town and there was a gas station with a nice restaurant right next door.  As we were waiting for our food we started up a conversation with another couple and found out that the road we were suppose to leave town on (Y14) was detoured due to a bridge being out.  So we ended up biking about 11 miles out of our way due to that detour.  It's a good thing we start early. 
So we ended up biking from Lowden, to Clarence, to Bennett and then on to Muscatine.  Just outside of Clarence we came upon a patriotic mural on the end of a machine shed with the American Flag in the background and in the foreground soldiers setting a flag on Iwojima and  the Statue of Liberty off to the side. (see picture below).  What a beautiful tribute to the American Way.  That alone made the detour worth while.

On our way to the town of Clarence John had to make a nature call and for a little bit of privacy he crossed a set of railroad tracks that ran parallel to the road and went down into the ditch..  Wouldn't you know that while he is tending to business a mile long train comes along so here I am on one side of the tracks and he is on the other.  Even the best of plans don't always work out. lol

We also passed a home that had their own little golf course set up and they had mounted lawn mowers and  golf cart on post.  Obviously they had a good sense of humor.

We arrived in Muscatine about 3:00PM and checked into a Super 8.  We had a little trouble finding a hotel because there is a bike race in town so we were happy to get a room.  After checking in I fired up the laptop and we checked out the nearest Catholic Church and found out that there was a mass at 5:00 at St. Mathias so we got cleaned up and then bicycled about 4 miles to church.  We have so much to be thankful for!

After Mass we went to Applebee's and we both enjoyed delicious salads and came back to our room to call it a night.  When we came back from Applebee there was a couple standing outside by their vehicle and bikes and we stopped to ask them about the race.  They are from Toledo, Ohio and we had a very nice visit with the two of them.  They have invited us to their home as we pass by Toledo.  There are so many wonderful people in this world. 

We will finally be heading East tomorrow and we are looking forward to leaving the hills of Iowa - look out Illinois here we come!

Amazing mural just outside of Clarence, Iowa!

Farmer has his own private golf course in his yard and had golfcart and lawnmowers on post!

John on the other side of the tracks!