Sergeant Bluff – Splash Pad Park – across the street from 101 Baker Drive
Ida Grove – Elementary School
Pocahontas – Elbert Park
Emmetsburg – Holy Family Catholic Church (2003 Broadway Street)
Mason City – East Park (802 3rd Street NE)
Charles City – Merten J Klaus Park (Corner of Clark Street and B Street)
West Union – Rotary Park
Current camping highlights for the week
Holy Family Catholic Church in Emmetsburg will offer dinner
Jersey Freeze Ice Cream – Charles City
Swing Crew will perform in West Union
Overnight town highlights
Sergeant Bluff (population 4,798) Fun fact: The city was named after Sergeant Charles Floyd, the only member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to die on the journey
Ida Grove (population 2,000) Fun fact: Strangely Full Of Medieval Castles. Midwest Industries founder Byron Godbersen started building his own castle in Ida Grove, Iowa in the 1970s
Pocahontas (population 1574) Fun fact: The Pocahontas statue, a 1954 project of Albert J. Shaw and Frank W. Shaw is said to be the “World’s Largest Indian Maiden” and stands at 25 feet tall.
Emmetsburg (population 3705) Fun fact: Iowa’s Irish Capital. Official sister city to Dublin. They celebrate the heritage of the Emerald Isle with a festive St. Patrick’s Day each March.
Mason City (population 26523) Fun fact: Bill Baird: World of Puppets. Bill was a puppeteer that grew up in Mason City. A well known part of his collection appeared in “The Lonely Goatheard’ scene in the Sound of Music.
Charles City (population 7185) Fun fact: The 1906 Suspension Footbridge spans the Cedar River, which is located along Riverside Drive. Most of the bridge was lost during a massive 2009 flood, but parts of it remain and local agencies are trying to rebuild it. Another interesting sight is the Little Brown Church (littlebrownchurch.org), which dates back to 1864. The church, which is made of rustic wood, was originally the center of the community. Today, all visitors can ring the historic bell and tour the interior.
West Union (population 2490) Fun fact: Home of the Fayette County Historical Center
Lansing (population 968) Fun fact: Enjoy views of the Black Hawk Bridge, connecting Iowa and Wisconsin, from Mount Hosmer City Park. Lansing’s downtown area is a National Historic District that has several buildings constructed of local limestone and brick Italianate as well as a variety of great shops.
THANK YOU so much for the amazing week. Everyone at and with Brancel Bicycle Charters were exceptional. We had a such a wonderful time on our first RAGBRAI adventure. We hope for many more to come.
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I found that the great reputation of Brancel is well deserved. The service Brancel’s team provided was top notch.
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Still my go-to choice for transportation to the start of RAGBRAI. Thank you!
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You guys rock! Nothing missed, nothing to add. You are dialed in. Thank you for your hard work to
make our RAGBRAI so enjoyable and worry-free!
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Your staff is wonderful and so helpful and polite. It was a pleasure to travel with you again this year!!!
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rate the overall experience with our charter excellent or good
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rate the value for services offered excellent or good
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would recommend Brancel Bicycle Charters to others