RAGBRAI® in Allamakee County

Waukon RAGBRAI hosting Town Meeting June 28; All are encouraged to attend

The Waukon RAGBRAI Committees will be hosting a Town Meeting Wednesday, June 28 from 6-7 p.m. at Iron Ridge Church, located at 512 Ninth Street SW in Waukon. Residents and others interested from all communities in the Allamakee County area, including the pass-through and final destination towns, are invited to attend the meeting.

More specific details will be presented about RAGBRAI's overnight stay in Waukon, including information about road closures and layout of the entertainment and other venues in downtown Waukon. Additional information will address volunteer and rider hosting opportunities, as well as funding and other logistical information. Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to ask questions in regard to RAGBRAI and its July 28-29 visit to Allamakee County.

Why should I host? Local school superintendent shares his experience as a RAGBRAI rider host

by Brianne Eilers

With RAGBRAI a little over a month away, Waukon is gearing up for riders staying overnight Friday, July 28. The Waukon RAGBRAI Housing Committee is seeking area individuals who are willing to open up their homes, yards or driveways to riders or support crews for RAGBRAI's overnight visit.

Allamakee Community School District Superintendent and Waukon resident Dave Herold has experienced hosting RAGBRAI riders in the past. Herold said his experience hosting riders has been extremely positive.

"Anybody considering hosting should feel at ease," Herold said. He noted that riders want the experience to be positive for both the riders and their host communities. In 2005, the Herolds hosted a group of between 35 and 40 riders, which had an entourage. He noted that the riders don't expect any special kind of special preparation from their hosts.

"They just want a place to rest," he explained. If it's possible, the riders certainly won't mind being able to relax in air conditioning or having a roof over their head if it's raining, but a spot in the yard to camp or a spot on the floor to sleep will also be sufficient.
In his experience, Herold noted that the riders got to their home in the afternoon, rested for a bit, then headed out into the community to explore. The riders returned in the early evening, and in his hosting experiences Herold noted that the groups were in bed fairly early in order to get up for the next day's ride. "You hardly even know they're there," he said.

The RAGBRAI riders like to get out and explore in their host communities. "You get to meet a lot of new people," Herold said. Guests may not only be from another town, but possibly even from another state or country. "They're just like the rest of us, they want to enjoy their vacation and have fun," Herold said.

He said his guests were respectful, responsible and caring, and he noted that the hosts may even learn some interesting things when visiting with their guests. "They will sometimes tell you things about your community that you didn't know," he explained, adding that it's always interesting to hear the riders' perspective on the local community and the things that they liked. He said hosting riders was an experience that he will never forget.

Those with concerns about opening up their homes for property or liability concerns should know that those seeking housing have filled out an application form and submitted a fee through Waukon RAGBRAI. That application and their registration with RAGBRAI includes insurance coverage for any property damage or personal injury riders may incur during their RAGBRAI journey. Those who may already be hosting a group or individual are also encouraged to have those riders register through Waukon RAGBRAI for the sake of record keeping and location knowledge in emergency situations.

Waukon RAGBRAI also wants potential hosts to know that many of those seeking a host home for an overnight stay are typically older generation individuals who are not necessarily in the camping mode and are simply looking for a place to rest and get a good night's sleep. A very unique example of such a housing request received is a couple named Jack and Lucille who will be making their 25th RAGBRAI ride this year at the ages of 90 and 89, respectively.

Those interested in providing such hospitality for that July 28 overnight stay are invited to fill out the form available at www.ragbraiwaukon.com under the "Get Involved" tab at the top of that home page and then under the "Housing" link on that drop down menu. A click on the PDF or "Want to Become A Host?" link will take interested individuals to the form they can fill out with their available selection of hosting options. The completed form can then be saved and emailed to ragbraihousingwaukon2017@gmail.com or printed and dropped off at Main Feature Theater on Main Street in Waukon daily during business hours of 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Those with further questions can also send them to that ragbraihousingwaukon2017@gmail.com email address. Anyone interested in hosting but who does not have internet access can visit or contact Main Feature Theater in Waukon at 563-568-6134.

Area resident shares his RAGBRAI experience in an effort to familiarize residents of Allamakee County

In an effort to make Allamakee County residents more aware and comfortable with what will be taking place when the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI®) visits local communities later this summer, The Standard has invited area residents or natives to share stories of their RAGBRAI experience. Below is another pair of installments received, with others planned to be published in the future.

Get Ready For a Rewarding RAGBRAI Experience
Get ready! Soon you will have cyclists from all over the country embark on your community of Waukon to experience the beauty of Allamakee County and the kindness of its residents. As someone who has participated in four RAGBRAI events, I can tell you there is no greater feeling than arriving to the eastern part of Iowa (with hundreds of miles under your belt) after experiencing a vast change in landscape in the span of seven days. For many of the riders it will feel like a new world as they ride through the Yellow River State Forest into Harpers Ferry and onwards to Lansing via the Great River Road. I cannot think of a more beautiful place to end a 400-plus mile bike ride.

RAGBRAI cyclists have very few expectations of any host community. Friendly people, a variety of local food vendors, a place to shower, an outlet to charge a phone, and nice weather. While the nice weather might be hard to promise, the others are easy! I would encourage residents to consider providing floor space for cyclists staying overnight, or a hot shower after a long day’s ride. Yard space for tents is also a bonus for many teams riding across the state.

If you are thinking of riding a day of RAGBRAI, do it! You will find riders of all abilities and ages, and those riding for pure enjoyment or for a charity or cause. I assure you it will be a day to remember. If you do decide to ride, I encourage you to register as an official rider on www.ragbrai.com. The organizers spend countless hours making this event a success, so the small registration fee is certainly worth the price of admission.

One thing to remember is this. Please don’t let a few bad apples spoil your impression of the RAGBRAI cyclists. You will encounter an appreciative, thankful, and yes, fun, group of people. Any ungratefulness expressed by one individual will be met with a hundred (or a thousand) grateful cyclists for the community’s hospitality.

I encourage residents to show up July 28 and demonstrate how northeast Iowa treats its visitors to this beautiful corner of the state.  Safe riding to everyone, and thank you for your efforts in making this a rewarding experience for both Allamakee County residents and RAGBRAI cyclists.

~ Carson Eggland, northeast Iowa resident