RAGBRAI XXXIV is coming to Newton!

It has recently come to my attention (thanks jillywib!) that the Des Moines Register has announced the route for this year's RAGBRAI. And the city of Newton, my home in the U.S., is not only on the RAGBRAI route, but it is also an overnight town! This is a big deal for local Newtonians. For those who are unfamiliar with this Iowa tradition, I will give a brief overview:

Each year, during the hottest week in July, thousands of people gather on the Western side of Iowa with their bicycles. Their goal is to ride from one side of the state to the other in seven days. Some make it all the way across, many do not. Either way, they have a lot of fun. By the way, RAGBRAI stands for the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, and is a copyrighted logo of blah blah blah....

Back to business: You don't need to ride the entire week to enjoy RAGBRAI. You can ride one day, two days, or whatever you can manage. This is a great opportunity for new riders to try it out. If you are riding RAGBRAI this year and need a place to camp, let me know. I have a large backyard for tents, a driveway and on-street parking for support vehicles, but most of all, I have a working shower. Start training!