What are Slater, Madrid and Polk City planning to do for RAGBRAI riders?
Fun themes await riders on the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa as they make their way from Ames to Des Moines on Day 4 of the ride. Slater, Madrid and Polk City will be the first towns to greet them.
Slater’s “Wacky Wednesday” theme is inspired by Dr. Seuss. The Mad Hatter’s tea party from Alice in Wonderland spurred the “We’re all Mad(rid) here” logo in Madrid. And “a dam good time” is planned by Polk City, which is located between Saylorville and Big Creek lakes.
The 50-mile ride will have 1,216 feet of climb between Ames and Iowa’s capital city.
More: RAGBRAI's 50th anniversary inspection ride: The variety of Iowa
RAGBRAI riders should watch for prairie plants on the way to Slater
Wildflower blooms along county road R38 between Ames and Slater may appear to just be a natural occurrence, but the plants were helped along by Story County Conservation’s Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management crew.
The workers encourage a “living roadway” full of abundant blooms, SCC posted on its Facebook page.
The prairie plantings include some of Iowa’s native species, including leadplant, wild white indigo, purple prairie clover, butterfly milkweed, pale purple coneflower, white sage and various sunflowers.
This roadside prairie restoration project began in 2007 and took several years to plant and get established. The plantings are not just a one-time project, but are a complex undertaking that requires maintenance and care, including a spring prairie burn some years to help the area flourish.
Slater’s library project will benefit from RAGBRAI riders
Some of the vendors in Slater will be raising funds for a new $7 million public library. The town already has raised $1.5 million, Jennifer Davies told the Des Moines Register during the RAGBRAI pre-ride on June 7.
After the 12.8 miles from Ames, riders can find a wealth of food, drink and entertainment in Slater.
Pancakes will be served at Gross-Wen Technologies. Slater Animal Hospital will have popsicles. Both are fundraisers for the Library Building Fund.
The two bars in the downtown area will both have food and drink. The Slater Station will have drinks, live music, ice and shade. Food will be available from Stop and Smell the Flours bakery, Two Peas N a Pod and Nacho Daddyz Tacos. The Nite Hawk will be serving breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns and blueberry muffins.
More: Built with many reclaimed materials, The Station bar in Slater offers indoor tables, patio
Dr. Seuss-themed photo opportunities on Main Street will include the Zike-Bike sculpture, Horton Hatches the Egg, Oh the Places You’ll Go signs, a Truffula Tree forest, One Fish Two Fish water fill station and a live hot air balloon.
Story County Conservation will have Gatorade, water and bananas.
There will be many other food and drink vendors, including pie and ice cream at the Lutheran church, located on Story Street two blocks south of Main.
Slater is located on two major trails — the High Trestle Trail and the Heart of Iowa Nature Trail — so its businesses and residents are accustomed to welcoming cyclists. Last year, Local Spokes opened for business on Main Street, renting and selling electric bikes.
More: Local Spokes' e-bikes help cyclists of varying abilities access Iowa's 'beautiful trails'
Cycling is key to Madrid’s economy, identity
As many as 100,000 riders could show up in Madrid on Wednesday, according to RAGBRAI organizers.
It’s apropos for the community that finds its identity so closely connected to the High Trestle Trail and its iconic bridge, which is located just west of town. The trail is Iowa’s most popular biking trail, with its 140-foot-tall bridge across the Des Moines River.
The trail and bridge draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, and hosting RAGBRAI as a pass-through town will help Madrid celebrate how important cycling is to its economy, Don Lincoln with the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, told the Register during the pre-ride June 7.
“Bring them on,” Lincoln said. “That’s a bunch of people. It will be good for the local economy.”
The Cellar Winery, 2183 320th St., will be open Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Located just a short distance from the RAGBRAI route, the winery will have a bloody mary bar, mimosas, wine and beer. They also will have energy bars from Fenceline Beer Lab in Huxley.
Riders who are still looking for a place to camp and shower might be able to find a place at The Cellar Winery. There’s limited space available, so call or email them for information or to make accommodations, 515-367-7777 or info@thecellarwinery.com.
More: Bicycling central Iowa for ice cream, Ames man takes on sweet summer hobby
Stone Bridge Church will be whipping up root beer floats in downtown Madrid, raising funds to help with church construction in Granger, just down the road from Madrid.
A beloved local organization, the Madrid Beer Drinkers Association, will have a beer tent in downtown Madrid. Also known as the Madrid Betterment & Donation Association, the group has a long history of supporting great projects in Madrid including the annual Easter egg hunt and Santa Claus providing gifts and winter coats to local school kids.
The Tiger Bowl on the north corner of Highway 17 and 210 will have a ton of fun activities in their parking lot, live music, beverages and a food menu, including Italian tenderloin sliders.
Madrid Lions will be selling roll-and-dunk pancakes from 7 a.m. until they’re sold out. Proceeds will help complete a historic coal mine replica along the High Trestle Trail.
Cup of Joy Coffee Truck will be set up on East Second and South Cedar streets.
The restaurant Sisters in Cheese at 203 S. State St. will offer quick but sophisticated menu items such as the Wakey Wakey sandwich, which has bacon, egg, hollandaise sauce, sharp cheddar, muenster, greens, chives and tomatoes on brioche. With a selection of salads, bowls and grazers, Sisters in Cheese also offers a Picnic Sammie that has been pressed for 24 hours and has fresh mozzarella, turkey, salami, smoked gouda, pesto and garlic aioli on ciabatta.
Madrid’s ice cream parlor, The Filling Station, is located at 129 S. Water St. in a former service station. They’ll have their famous soft serve, flurries, hard-pack ice cream, malts and shakes.
Polk City offers 'dam good time'
As the RAGBRAI route inspection team rolled into Polk City on June 7, mayor Steve Karsjen said cycling could help the fast-growing Des Moines metro town.
The High Trestle Trail runs just east of the city to Woodward, Madrid, Slater and Ankeny. The Neal Smith Trail runs just south of town. Polk City is working to connect the two trails, he said.
“Cycling is very much in our planning for the future,” he said. “We want to promote Polk City as central Iowa’s recreation destination.”
On Wednesday, the local American Legion will have an outside bar one block east of the town square on Broadway. They’ll be serving ice-cold beer, vodka lemonade, jungle juice and apple pie shots. Burgers and hot dogs with chips will be available.
The Farm Story Meats booth will have jerky and snack sticks.
Center Grove Orchard will be selling fresh-baked pie slices in a variety of flavors.
The Creamery will have a grab-and-go tent outside its shop offering cherry + blue razz freeze, which is a slushee plus soft serve vanilla ice cream, as well as hard-pack scoops in flavors such as cookies ‘n’ cream, cookie monster, puppy chow and strawberry cheesecake. A full menu will be available inside the ice cream shop.
From Polk City, riders will leave for the 9-mile trip to Ankeny and then on to Des Moines for the overnight stay.
Ronna Faaborg is a reporter for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: RAGBRAI rolls through fun themes in Slater, Madrid, Polk City on Day 4
