Off Hours: Here's how to have fun on RAGBRAI even when you're not on a bike

Sarah Kay LeBlanc, Des Moines Register
·6 min read

Hi, folks! I'm Sarah and I report on all things western suburbs for the Des Moines Register. I love baking, reading the last page of a book first, and eating way too much candy. 

Welcome to Off Hours, your free weekly newsletter from the Des Moines Register that showcases all things fun you can do in central Iowa. If you sign up for our newsletter, you get to see this early Thursday morning in your inbox. Let's ride.

The Deal

Here's the deal: Like almost every other person in the country it seems, I started biking in the summer of 2020. My ultimate goal was to participate in the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa the following year, and I did — but not on a bike.

I got my first taste of RAGBRAI last summer in 2021. The ride had just returned after a year-long hiatus due to COVID, and I had just bought this hat.
I got my first taste of RAGBRAI last summer in 2021. The ride had just returned after a year-long hiatus due to COVID, and I had just bought this hat.

True to my identity as a faithful procrastinator, I was not in shape to ride about 450 miles over the course of a week by the next July. I was ready, though, to act as crew for the Des Moines Register photographers and reporter who were riding and working.

When I set out for Le Mars, RAGBRAI's 2021 launching point, I was so nervous. I'd volunteered to drive the route, report on stories along the trail and shuttle reporters and photographers from the hotel to each day's starting line.

I wanted to see what RAGBRAI was like before I rode it for myself, and I wanted to tell the stories of all the brave (and athletic) souls that took a week out of their lives to cross Iowa on two wheels.

So the day before the ride started, I loaded up my car with water and snacks, slapped RAGBRAI staff decals onto my car and put on one of my four identical "news team" shirts. I looked up routes to each meeting and overnight town that wouldn't take me straight into a sea of bikers and prepared to be exhausted.

Back in 2021, I got my first taste of RAGBRAI in Le Mars.
Back in 2021, I got my first taste of RAGBRAI in Le Mars.

And I was — but it was worth it. Waking up at 5:30 a.m., talking to people who are having the times of their lives, and eating pie every single day — I truly could not think of anything better. Sure, I got lost on gravel roads in cornfields for about three hours one day, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

In just a few days, RAGBRAI cyclists will ride from Sergeant Bluff to Lansing July 24 to July 30. This year I'll be driving RAGBRAI again with the new goal of actually getting on my bike next year — the 50th.

If you're interested in seeing what all the hubbub is about, you can follow me on Twitter or check out the Register's coverage!

This is absolutely one of my favorite trails to ride.
This is absolutely one of my favorite trails to ride.

Are you going on RAGBRAI? Shoot me an email with your plans at sleblanc@registermedia.com.

My Top Three Trails to Bike in Central Iowa

1. High Trestle Trail: I usually park at a trailhead in Madrid (about 30 minutes from Des Moines) on Southwest Third Street between Southwest Cherry Street and Southwest Maple Street and bike north toward the bridge, which is about a mile in. The trail is really well kept, and the views on the bridge over the Des Moines River are hard to beat. If you're a long-haul biker or training for RAGBRAI, you can ride the whole 25 miles from Ankeny to Woodward.

2. Clive Greenbelt: If I'm in the mood to bike with some shade, the greenbelt is my go-to. The trail is paved and takes you through a few wooded areas along 11 miles all the way to Des Moines where you can transfer to Gray's Lake or the Great Western Trail. Bonus: The Clive goats hang out along the greenbelt in the spring and summer.

My most-biked trail in Central Iowa is probably the Great Western Trail. I snapped this picture last summer during a break.
My most-biked trail in Central Iowa is probably the Great Western Trail. I snapped this picture last summer during a break.

3. Great Western Trail: This one is my go-to, mostly because it's closest to my house. I'll jump on at Gray's Lake via the Bill Riley Trail and ride about 10 miles, but you can take it all the way to Cumming. The paved trail goes about 19 miles and takes you through a golf course and past some cows, which is my favorite part.

What are some of your favorite trails to bike? Send me some of your favorites at SLeblanc@registermedia.com.

GIVEAWAY: Win VIP tickets to a special Des Moines screening of B.J. Novak's 'Vengeance'

Eat This, Drink That

The egg roll du jour at Coopers on 5th in Valley Junction is a treat. I ate half of it before I took this photo. It comes with two fried egg rolls cut in half. When I visited, the flavor of the day was beef and cheese, but it's different every day.
The egg roll du jour at Coopers on 5th in Valley Junction is a treat. I ate half of it before I took this photo. It comes with two fried egg rolls cut in half. When I visited, the flavor of the day was beef and cheese, but it's different every day.

Egg roll du jour — $8: These are egg rolls like you may never have had them before. With the same crispy crust you're used to, the rolls are filled with different ingredients every day. When I went, the roll of the day was beef and cheese. Think: bite-sized hamburger.

Get it: Cooper's on 5th is, as it says, on Fifth Street in Valley Junction. The restaurant, which also proclaims to be West Des Moines' first craft cocktail bar, can be found at 227 Fifth St. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Cooper's is closed on Mondays. Reach the restaurant at 515-255-9895.

I'm the type of girl Carrie Underwood sings about - I love a good fruity little drink. The Mexican Cloud at The Winchester was incredible.
I'm the type of girl Carrie Underwood sings about - I love a good fruity little drink. The Mexican Cloud at The Winchester was incredible.

Mexican Cloud — $12: I'm the type of girl Carrie Underwood sings about — I would rather sip a fruity little drink than shoot whiskey. Found at The Winchester, this is one of more than a dozen cocktails on the bar's menu. The Mexican Cloud has tequila, pomegranate liqueur and house sour mix. The foam on top is delicious, and might give you a little white mustache if you get really into it like I did.

Get it: Sip this at The Winchester Public House at 224 Fifth St. in Valley Junction. The drink is part of bar's signature cocktail menu, and if you go I'd recommend checking out the house and seasonal cocktails as well. The Winchester is closed on Mondays and open from 2 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Saturday and 2 to 10 p.m. Sunday. Call the bar at 515-499-4002.

48 Hours Off

Country singer Vince Gill plays the Des Moines Civic Center in July.
Country singer Vince Gill plays the Des Moines Civic Center in July.

Friday night: Spend An Evening With Vince Gill at the Des Moines Civic Center. Gill is an award-winning country musician and has won Song of the Year four times at the Country Music Awards. His song, "Don't Let Our Love Start Slippin' Away," has more than 34 million streams on Spotify.

More: Country star Vince Gill gets back on the road with his big hits and a stop in Des Moines

Saturday morning: As much as I love the downtown farmers market, this weekend I'll be checking out the Global Greens market at 3200 University Ave. The farmers are former refugees and are part of a program sponsored by Lutheran Services in Iowa. You can stop by the market between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Eggs de Burgo is one of the new dishes on the menu at The Breakfast Club. Each beef medallion comes with poached eggs topped with a creamy de Burgo sauce on an English muffin.
Eggs de Burgo is one of the new dishes on the menu at The Breakfast Club. Each beef medallion comes with poached eggs topped with a creamy de Burgo sauce on an English muffin.

Sunday morning: Sunday is brunch day for me, and my favorite spot is a popular one. The Breakfast Club in downtown Des Moines has some of the best eggs Benedict I've ever had — and they have five different options.

Read This

I've started reading "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig this summer, and I'm really enjoying it so far.
I've started reading "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig this summer, and I'm really enjoying it so far.

I'm just getting around to a book you may have heard about last year: "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig. As an indecisive person, I often wonder about whether I'm making the right choice. This book introduces a library that could show you the results of different choices and allow you to go back and change them.

Around Town

My Day Job

I love my job because every day is different, and sometimes I get to hug goats.
I love my job because every day is different, and sometimes I get to hug goats.

One of the (many) reasons I love my job is because every day is different and I'm constantly learning. I cover nearly every aspect of West Des Moines, Urbandale, Johnston and Waukee.

If you've seen my name in the paper, it might have been about anything from goats (I call myself the animal beat reporter), to a dispute between the Urbandale School District and a principal suddenly placed on leave.

If there's something going on in my neck of the woods that you want written about, please reach out at sleblanc@registermedia.com. You can also DM me on Twitter or follow me @sarahkayleblanc. Thanks for spending some time with me!

Next week, Register chief politics reporter Brianne Pfannenstiel gives us some things to do around the Dew Tour.

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Off Hours: How to have fun on RAGBRAI even when you're not on a bike