LA VOYAGE A DES MOINES.

This was the earliest morning of the entire trip. I had everything packed up and started pedaling around five in the morning. Darkness consumed me, but my shitty amazon bike lights provided me with enough visibility. As I navigated through the gravel roads, the red lights atop the windmills blinked brightly. It felt like a dream while I conquered these rolling hills as the sun slowly rose. Eleven miles later, I found a gas station at my turn-off point. After chugging an energy drink, I continued north on the T-Bone Trail, which ran along Highway 71. Shortly afterward, I arrived in the familiar town of Hamlin. 

This was when I started heading East on 44 towards Gutherie Center. Twenty-one miles of rolling hills later, I arrived at the halfway marker. Having overcome roughly fifty miles at this point, I treated myself to some breakfast. My meal was some black coffee and two chocolate donuts, the carbs were necessary. Seven more miles, and I found the Raccoon River Valley Trail in Panora. Being on this tremendous trail added a new spark to my morale. Redfield was my next destination, and the park provided me with a water refill and a small shower. 

The way from Redfield to Adel was still shut down. They had two whole months to finish it, and I was very disappointed to see this continued closure. Rather than stopping constantly and lugging my bike over obstacles, I jumped onto Highway 6. After traveling through Adel, the trail resumed, and my next destination was Waukee. This was the hardest part of the ride. It was mile eighty-seven, and my body was begging for a break. The familiar territory inspired me, and I made my final push. Ready to get home, I was zooming harder than ever. As I approached home, Jeffdawg appeared again. This was kind of expected, but I did not slow down to chat. I kept pumping away, and he attempted to keep pace. 

Finally, I arrived in my neighborhood and routed myself to Denise's pool. Jumping into that cold salty water was wonderful. Jeff and Lori provided me with a mid-afternoon feast as well. I destroyed four ribs, a fried chicken breast, watermelon, chips with salsa, and a Des Moines IPA. It felt so good to be back home. What a perfect way to complete my first-ever centennial. Several members of the neighbor gang arrived at the pool to congratulate me on my safe return. After relaxing and chatting for a bit, it was time to meet up with family. 

After a quick shower, we headed to a nearby Russian restaurant known for its extensive selection of vodka. My mom's youngest brother Dirk and his wife Kayla met us for an evening of comradery. These two cracked me up, and we dined for about three hours. I was rather stuffed from my meal earlier and just had a martini and a charcuterie board. Kaitlynn had arrived at the house, and we headed back to greet her. I promised to show her Des Moines upon my return, and I am a man of my word. It was a long day, and I promptly passed out after getting her all settled in. Check out my record-breaking day, here.