Polk City Mile Long Bridge and an Old Friend: Sunday Riding

Limited riding time weekend because I had to work and much needed rain fell upon our fair region.  Sunday was it.  Mary's call for the route.  We headed north for a change.  First time this year.  Target For the Day: Polk City.  Our trusty steeds would be our roadies that we are taking across South Dakota next month.

As usual for what seems like 5 or 6 years, we skip the Neal Smith Trail with its rough surface and endless detours of construction.  Just head north from Birdland Park, going to be one of the few options when construction begins there soon, and ride through Saylorville and eventually arrive in Ankeny.  Get off the roads and ride the sidepath along Irvinedale Drive until we reach the High Trestle Trail.  I do admit I was tempted to stop at Ziggi's Coffee near the HTT but we'll save that for another ride.  Tailwind all the way from the very start to the Oasis where we turned toward Polk City.

The High Riser Hefe Hefeweizen and the Whimcycle Raspberry Wheat.  I had the former and Mary had the latter.  I love a good Hefe and this one did not disappoint.  I wish we could have stayed for more.

Commie Jersey Sunday

We were well behaved at Fender's Brewery.  That was hard since we only get up here a handful of times every year.  Still sated from breakfast we did not order a pizza from Papa's Pizzeria next door as we usually do.  Time was now of the essence.  According to our weather aps and watching the news, 2 pm would be the time that the rain would hit.  I really did not want our new bikes melt.  We were 21 miles from home and it was noon.  The sky north of us was cloudy but that is not where the rain was to come from.  Just as dark from the south.  Check radar again.  It may dissipate before we get home.  Then Mary had a suggestion: ride across Mile Long Bridge and go home through Johnston.  We had not crossed that bridge in years.  Why not?

We pulled off the road to finalize the decision to ride the mile across the bridge.  the white line made the choice for me.  Damn these cars, full speed ahead!

One thing to point out right now is that we got a late start.  Normally we would have been on the road by 8 am at the latest.  Today I was the Lector at church (sinful me read two readings from the Bible for the parishioners attending Mass at 8 am) and thus we probably did not get on the road until almost 10 am.  Our normally peaceful road (NW 6th Dr or R56) through Saylorville was full of vehicles departing or going to church services. Even Sonny's Pizza Bistro was busy!  We are normally so early that place is NEVER open.  Honestly, I have never seen a car there.  One of these days we will visit.  Back to Mile Long Bridge, just as everyone in Saylorville was driving everyone in Polk City was driving and thus the traffic on the bridge was a bit heavy for the faint of heart.  Nothing terrible but people were out and about.  There is a white line providing about 18" of "bike lane" which worked for us.  Mild debris to avoid.  The wind seemed to die down for us to prevent us from getting blown off the bridge and no one honked or yelled at us and we made it across without incident.  First right onto NW Beaver Dr.

The A-7 Corsair II which was flown by the Iowa National Guard.

There is a "protected" sidepath on this road a few miles into it although any car at the right speed or basic SUV/truck could hop over the concrete and hit us.  Traffic was much lighter than the previous roads and think maybe 4 vehicles passed us before we reached the sidepath.  Conversation?  There was some.  "What is the name of the bar across from Hyperion?"  Nautical theme.  The Boat House.  We did not stop.

Once displaced in Merle Hay Mall for decades this statue spent the last 20 years in someone's backyard.  Anyone who visited the mall saw this.  It seemed much larger in the mall perhaps because it was set higher than the walking shoppers.

Rear view

Nice detail on the hubcaps.

Interesting bike racks.

We were going to blow through Johnston without stopping until Mary brought up the statue of the tricyclist, titled 'Updown' from Merle Hay Mall that had recently been placed on display in this town.  This was an icon from the mall's glory days and anyone who had visited that shopping place had seen it from the 70s until about 20 years ago.  We stopped at the Kum & Go for restrooms and Gatorade and to inquiry about Updown.  Nobody knew.  A quick internet search found the article of its relocation and we were off the find it.  Read more about the statue.

Traffic Calming Measure at this trail/street intersection.  Pinchpoint narrows the lanes and slows vehicular traffic and the median strip prevents cars from changing lanes.

From there it was an easy trip home.  Despite the vanguard of the rain in the form of very fine sprinkles, we rolled through Riverview Park to look at the renovations.  Also stopped in the East Village to look for a vegetable to photograph for Ride & Seek.

Found corn! Of note is the fact that my second Gatorade is mostly full.  I did not touch my water bottle at all.

Got home dry and then we rested a bit before seeking food.  44 miles ridden and 6 hours since we ate anything.  Changed clothes and noticed that the rain finally hit.  An hour later than predicted.  We drove.