RAGBRAI

RAGBRAI - the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Up to 20,000 of us on the road for the six-day, 418-mile crossing of Iowa. Gorgeous landscapes, small town fun, food, and friends - what's not to like about that?

Team Groucho 2014

Dawn of day one - RAGBRAI campers shake out of bed.

Flags flank the start line at the edge of Rock Valley.

Jeff Birkby embarking on his third RAGBRAI.

And we're off!

Iowa's small towns welcomed us with open arms as we swept in like locusts and ate everything in sight.

Of course the small towns managed to suck our wallets dry as we passed through. It was all good.

Calories. Yummm!

Pull up a couch in the shade of a tree and rest those weary legs.

Jeff misunderstands the rules of the Guinness “Most People Wearing Fake Mustaches” challenge.

. Towns got out the big flags to wave us in.

Our friends NPR political correspondents Don Gonyea and Scott Horsley wearing "No Pie Refused" cycling jerseys.

Birkbros prepare to relieve RAGBRAI of another four ears of spectacularly yummy sweet corn.

Fire departments set up hose battles for blasting a beer keg down a cable.

Wind machines signaled whether we fought headwinds or cruised with breezes coming from behind.

Yes, that is a pedal-powered Yellow Submarine with onboard speakers playing Beatles' hits.

Give these ladies a dollar and they'll skewer you a boiled egg and two cubes of ham.

The cement plant outside of Mason City that formed the financial success of the town so Meredith Wilson could come along and write "The Music Man."

I do adore Iowa when it insists on being gorgeous.

RAGBRAI - where you can cuddle a piglet in the morning and enjoy lunch twenty miles later at Mr. Pork Chop.

Stir fry, anyone?

Fantastic days on the road under Iowa skies.

Amish at a country school observe RAGBRAI passing by.

Amish girl.

The "Made It" guy! He didn't appear until nearly the end, but it was good to see him welcoming us to Independence.

Overlook above the Mississippi. One mile to go and the celebrations have begun.

Dipping our tires in the Mississippi River.

RAGBRAI

Robert Birkby