RAGBRAI 2015

RAGBRAI 2015

Take home a Sioux-venir 11 Who’s who from Sioux City 21 Don’t miss this tree 12

READY TO ROLL Bike ride begins, once again, in Sioux City

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LETTERS

HISTORY

FROM THE MAYOR

Dear RAGBRAI Riders, support teams and guests: On behalf of my fellow City Council members and the citizens of Sioux City, I would like to welcome you to Sioux City! This is the seventh time Sioux City has been the starting point for RAGBRAI and we are happy to once again host this world class cycling event. We encourage you to experience our local attractions and historic sites, view unique architecture and visit the eclectic shops and restaurants throughout the city. Downtown offers an award-winning

Art Center, interactive Public Museum, the beautifully restored Orpheum Theatre, the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and two historic districts to keep you entertained. Sioux City is proud to be your host and we are confident you will experience outstanding hospitality, great food and good times. Enjoy your stay with us!

Sincerely, Robert E. Scott, mayor City of Sioux City, Iowa

AND FROM THE COMMITTEE

Committee members include Jim Clark, Brent Stockton, Susan Fey and Matt Salvatore. Not pictured is Mark Aesoph.

On behalf of the RAGBRAI co-chairs for Sioux City, we genuinely extend a big “Welcome to Sioux City” to all of our guests who will be venturing off for a week of new, exciting experiences, and to those who are supporting riders along the route. It has been an exciting few months preparing for the start of RAGBRAI. From choosing our slogan, keeping our social media current, ordering T-shirts, organizing campgrounds and volunteers, ensuring safety and traffic patterns, and booking entertainment. We have been immersed in planning for the big weekend of July 17-19 to start the ride in style. It is amazing to think that the largest bike ride in the world began here in Sioux City in 1973 with only a few hundred riders. Now it has grown to tens of thousands participating in RAGBRAI. We hope you enjoy all of the vendors, live music, fun places to visit in our community, and of course the

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new friends you meet in Sioux City. So, “Party Like it is 1973!” and if there is anything you need, don’t call us, we’re tired. JUST KIDDING! We are happy to help, and you can easily find a friendly volunteer in a yellow “Volunteer” shirt on the day of the event. Remember to offer them a “thank you” for offering their time during the weekend to ensure a successful start to RAGBRAI. Thank you to all of the people who helped us do our jobs, the generous members of our community who volunteered their time, opened their homes to riders, and offered to sell T-shirts and offer RAGBRAI deals through their businesses. Finally, thank you to the sponsors and donors of our RAGBRAI Sioux City event. We appreciate you! To all the riders, have a great time in Sioux City!

Have a safe ride, ride right!

Sincerely, The Fabulous Five Co-Chairs of RAGBRAI Sioux City 2015: Mark Aesoph and Jim Clark, Safety Susan Fey, Marketing Matt Salvatore, Housing Brent Stockton, Entertainment

ON THE COVER: Kathy Roberts, North Sioux City, S.D., and Amy Hansen, Sioux City, ride along the bike trail at Chris Larsen Park. Sioux City Journal photo by Jim Lee.

SIOUX CITY & RAGBRAI MICHELLE KUESTER

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mkuester@siouxcityjournal.com‌

or the seventh time, RAGBRAI will return to its original starting point with riders dipping their tires in the Mighty Mo’ in Sioux City this year.

During the first RAGBRAI in 1973, organizers Donald Kaul and John Karras, writers for the Des Moines Register and Tribune, wanted to see the state from their readers’ perspective, according to “The History of RAGBRAI,” a brochure about the ride created in 2005.

The first ride, held Aug. 26-31, took participants from Sioux City to Davenport by way of Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Ames, Des Moines and Williamsburg. Approximately 300 people showed up for the first day’s ride, with 114 completing the ride that day.

1978: July 30Des Moines Register Aug. 5. The route was similar to the Riders travel on the first RAGBRAI in 1973. original route in 1973.

1988: July 24-30. The ride, which included a night’s stay on the capitol lawn in Des Moines, passed through Ida Grove, Carroll, Boone, Des Moines, Oskaloosa, Fairfield and Fort Madison. The route was 433 miles.

1993: July 25-31. This route featured an overnight stop in Machester with a finish in Dubuque.

2001: July 22-28. Spirits were high despite leaving Sioux City in a downpour and the route being the second longest and hilliest RAGBRAI ever.

2010: July 25-31. A number of riverfront projects had been completed since RAGBRAI’s last Sioux City showing, including the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Betty Strong Encounter Center. A restored Historic Fourth Street was host to entertainment.

2015: July 19-25. This year’s route will take riders through Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Eldora, Cedar Falls, Hiawatha, Coralville and finishing off in Davenport.

The newly constructed Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City will provide a large portion of the entertainment.

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RIDE RIGHT

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MUSIC

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The RIGHT Stuff The RIGHT Gear The RIGHT Communications The RIGHT Riding The Legal RIGHT The RIGHT Frame of Mind The RIGHT Abilities The RIGHT Attitude The RIGHT Attention The RIGHT Condition

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Huey Lewis and the News will headline an outdoor concert at the Tyson Events Center on July 18, the night before RAGBRAI leaves Sioux City.

KICK-OFF CONCERT Featuring Huey Lewis and the News and Collective Soul

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Collective Soul and Dishwalla will be performing at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Sioux City on July 17.

sold more than 20 million albums.

Prior to Saturday’s concert, ‘90s alhe night before RAGBRAI everyone ternative rock band Collective Soul will will remember that it’s still hip to be take to the stage Friday at the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel Casino Sioux City’s new square.

Battery Park.

Huey Lewis and the News will headline The group received international success an outdoor concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Tyson Events Center. The next morn- in 1993 after it released its album “Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid.” The ing participants will begin the bike ride band’s notable songs include “Shine,” across Iowa.

“Heavy” and Gel.” Rock band Dishwalla The Grammy Award-winning group is known for its classic hits such as “Workin’ will open for the group.

General admission tickets, including for a Livin,’” “Do You Believe in Love,” seating on the venue’s bleachers, for Col“The Power of Love” and “Hip to Be lective Soul range between $24.61 and Square.” $48.15. VIP tickets are available at $69.55.

Huey Lewis and the News tickets are Battery Park, formerly known as The available for $20. All registered RAGBRAI Backyard, is the casino’s revamped outparticipants will receive a ticket to the door venue. The concert area’s remodel concert. included trees, hedges and bushes that City officials said they wanted Lewis’ group to perform at RAGBRAI when event were planted along Water and Fifth streets and Wesley Parkway. The park also inplanning began.

Erika Newton, the city’s executive direc- cludes a beer garden and 101 additional tor Events and Facilities Department, said parking spaces at the casino.

Other pre-RAGBRAI activities include the group is a “very high class sort of act a smaller stage at the Tyson Events Cenfor an outdoor environment that brings ter parking lot that will feature local and tons of energy.” regional musicians Saturday. This concert Lewis’ group is among the handful of musical acts that will kick-off the RAGB- is free.

As part of Fridays on the Promenade, RAI celebration in Sioux City, which first Jimbo Mathis & the Tri-State Coalition started here in 1973. It’s the seventh time will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. on Historic the city has hosted the event.

Fourth Street. Mathis, a Mississippi musiHuey Lewis and the News formed from two rival San Francisco, Calif.,-area bands cian, will feature Southern blues, soul and roots music. Admission is $3. in 1979. Since its formation, the band has KIRBY KAUFMAN

T

kkaufman@siouxcityjournal.com‌

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FOOD

EA T & RUN Enjoying local flavors while on the road EARL HORLYK

W

ehorlyk@siouxcityjournal.com‌

ith more than 60 bicyclists congregating outside of his 2421 Riverside Blvd., restaurant on a recent Tuesday night, Rudy Navarrete, Jr. prepared plate after plate of what he called “The Rudy Special.”

A variation on the classic Tex-Mex chimichanga, the special includes layers of meat, rice and beans between deep-fried tortilla shells. Navarrete covers it with homemade salsa, guacamole and creamy sour cream.

“After a long bike ride, I figure the cyclists will be hungry,” Navarrete said.

“This will fill ‘em up.”

For the past six summers, Rudy Navarrete’s Mexican Food has been a weekly destination for a bike club headed by Kathy Roberts.

“At first, we chose Rudy’s restaurant because it was near the route we took,”

Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal

Cyclists participating in the Tuesday Taco Ride roll along Highway 12 north of Sioux City.

Roberts said of the 18-mile trek that took riders up Iowa Highway 12, past Stone State Park to County K18, over to South Dakota Highway 105, near Jefferson, S.D., and back again. “Now, we just come because the food is so good.”

A manager for Friendship House, a Sioux City social services agency, she is a pro when it comes to scoping out places where cyclists love to eat.

After all, Roberts has plenty of

experience. A lifelong cyclist, she has ridden every RAGBRAI since 2007.

So, besides tacos and burritos and other Rudy Navarrete specialties, what do bicyclists need to nosh on?

According to Roberts, portable food is often preferable.

“Tacos and burritos are easier to carry than, say, pizza and gyros,” she reasoned.

“They’re also a heckuva lot less messy.”

In addition, Roberts said saltier foods

19 ES MIL IKE B OF ILS TRA

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are something many cyclists crave since they’re losing bodily fluids through perspiration.

“Hot dogs, corn-on-the-cob, you name it,” she said. “The saltier the better.”

Still, Roberts said, think before you scarf.

“You have to remember you’ll actually need to be riding for miles,” she explained.

“You don’t want to eat anything too heavy.

And don’t forget that Port-A-Potties

y t i C x ou

v i s i t s o u t h s i o u x c i t y . c o m

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aren’t as plentiful as you think.”

Indeed, Roberts often craves for something light.

“Whenever I’m on RAGBRAI, it seems like I’m always in the mood for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich though I seldom find it on the route,” she said. “For me, it’s either PB&J or frozen grapes.”

Traveling from community to community, Roberts personally likes to hit up a

diner or small cafe in order to capture the local flavor.

“Although many church groups and service organizations will have special stands, they lack the character an old-fashioned diner has,” she said.

As RAGBRAI cyclists prepare for Sunday’s 76.5-mile route between Sioux City and Storm Lake, Iowa, here are some distinctive and original restaurants to try.

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on the menu at Doosky’s East. Located in the clubhouse of golf course, this sporty pub will be packed with cyclists making their way to Kingsley, the third stop during the first day of RAGBRAI.

Miles Inn

Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal

A half Rudy Special at Rudy Navarrete’s Mexican Food

Rudy Navarrete’s Mexican Food

2622 Leech Ave. Sioux City, 712-276-9825 Originally opened by Charlie Miles as a convenience store in the 1920s, Miles Inn is now best known for its Charlie Boy (a peppery loosemeat tavern) and beer served in a distinctive mug called a schooner. With the slogan “Smile with Miles,” it’s hard not to be grinning from ear-toear at this venerable Sioux City sports pub.

2421 Riverside Blvd. Sioux City, 712-2527795 A favorite among Sioux City cyclists, this quaint Riverside mainstay offers a full menu of tacos, burritos, entomatadas (a deep-fried corn tortilla served with cheese and bathed in a zesty sauce) and “The Rudy Special,” which owner Rudy Navarrete, Jr. is a top seller with the Tuesday Night Bike Club who frequent the Tex-Mex restaurant.

Milwaukee Weiner House 301 Douglas St. Sioux City, 712277-3449 For nearly a century, Milwaukee Weiner House has been a downtown Sioux City institution. Located a few blocks from the Tyson Events Center, brothers John and Mike Eliades have their hot-doggery down to a science. What’s on the menu? Coney Island-style chili dogs, potato chips, drinks and that’s about it. Why mess with success?

Doosky’s East 101 Highway 140 South, Kingsley, Iowa, 712-378-2822 Prime rib, pizza and everything in between is

30+ Undergraduate Degrees File photo

Miles Inn’s signature combo – a Charlie Boy sandwich and a schooner of beer.

Jim’s Burger 4030 Floyd Blvd.

Sioux City, 712239-1460 Wanna hefty breakfast? Sure. A juicy burger with all of the fixings? No problem. Well, how about a classic wet burrito?

If you’ve ever been to Jim’s Burger, you know all of the above is available, all day long. This something-for-everybody approach has made this fast-casual cafe a popular place for Sioux Cityans. It’s convenient location will no doubt make it a favorite for RAGBRAI riders racing through Leeds.

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ENTERTAINMENT

NEW TO-DO Hard Rock casino complex adds to downtown Sioux City entertainment DAVE DREESZEN

M

Jim Lee photos, Sioux City Journal file

The Pearl Street entrance for the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City is shown above.

ddreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com‌

ore than 1.8 million people have entered the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Sioux City since its opening nearly a year ago.

The world famous brand has drawn visitors from around the United States, as well as several other countries. A 60-foot-tall replica of an electric guitar, perched on top of one of the city’s landmark buildings and visible for miles, helps pull motorists off nearby Interstate 29.

“We’re still hearing from people that it’s their first time here,” Hard Rock Sioux City general manager Todd Moyer said.

“We’re also seeing people come back again and again.”

All the new visitors have generated

added traffic and customers for other downtown businesses downtown. One of the biggest beneficiaries has been the Historic Pearl District, which is a short walk up the block from the casino.

Several bars and restaurants have become popular gathering places for casino guests, as well as Hard Rock employees after ending their shifts.

The 100,000-square-foot Hard Rock complex boasts 839 slot machines and 25 table games, as well as a bevy of nongaming amenities.

“I think the property provides much more to do than traditional casino gambling,” Moyer said. “We have three restaurants, three bars and a very diverse entertainment lineup.”

Sioux City, pop. 82,719, is the smallest

SIOUXCITYJOURNAL.COM

U.S. city with a Hard Rock-franchised casino or hotel. The next closest is in Tulsa, Okla. (The Sioux City venue is not affiliated with Hard Rock Cafe International, which holds the rights to the famous chain of restaurants.)

The Sioux City property also is believed to be the first Hard Rock to incorporate a historic warehouse in its design. The $129 million project – one of the largest capital investments in Sioux City history – included extensive renovations to a fourstory structure built in 1906 for a hardware wholesaler.

Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the building is commonly known as the Battery Building, for another previous tenant that made batteries. The Romanesque revival-style brick building is known for such details as a six-story clock tower, rooftop battlements and large arched doorways and windows.

The east side of the Battery Building was connected to a new 58,000-square-foot addition that houses the casino floor, a quick-serve restaurant, called Fuel American Grill, a live entertainment venue and bar called Anthem, and another bar, known as The Yards.

Two more restaurants – the World Tour Buffet and Main + Abbey – are on the first floor of the Battery Building. A third bar is at the hotel’s front desk.

Anthem, The Yards and Fuel American Grill are open only to customers of legal gambling, age 21 or older. Visitors of all ages may enter the buffet, Main + Abbey and Rock Shop, a retail outlet that offers a variety of Hard Rock-branded merchandise, from T-shirts to collector pins.

The buffet features cuisine from around the globe, and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Main + Abbey is described as a convergence of Main Street USA and London’s Abbey Road. The 100-seat casual dining restaurant serves a variety of comfort foods from burgers to steaks.

Both restaurants retained the Battery Building’s original exposed brick walls and massive tongue-and-grove posts and beams. Exposed wood and brick also are a central element of the decor in the hotel rooms on the fourth and fifth floors. The loft-style suites also boast arched windows that offer scenic views of downtown.

vast collection of rock items, the casino regularly rotates its displays.

On the casino floor, support beams boast black-and-white images of legendary rock n’ roll stars. An oversized guitar, with wood and metal accents, flashes over the floor, which is also illuminated with decorative light fixtures bearing purple drum sticks.

The floor is covered in purple leopardpatterned carpet accented with blue, gold and brown. Underneath is a state-of-theart ventilation system that circulates fresh air on the casino floor, where smoking is allowed. Just off the casino floor is Anthem. With around 800 seats, it’s one of the nation’s smallest venues to showcase nationally-known artists, Moyer said. In the first year, the Hard Rock is scheduled to host 200 dates of live entertainment, which includes music of all genres, from rock and pop to jazz and country, as well as weekly blues and comedy nights.

In the summer, the Hard Rock hosts concerts and other events in its outdoor venue just north of the Battery Building.

The owners recently invested $1.2 million to upgrade the 4,000-seat venue, now known as Battery Park. A summer concert series kicked off Saturday with a performance by 3 Doors Down and Seether.

As part of Sioux City’s kickoff to the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, the 1990’s-era band Collective Soul will perform at Battery Park this Friday.

Battery Park also will host a number of free events, such as festivals, car shows and movies under the stars.

On days when no event is scheduled, the formerly grassy area, which was paved as part of the recent renovation, will give the MUSIC FOCUS casino an additional 125 parking spaces.

Music is ever present throughout the The casino’s existing 840 surface parking property. Songs from yesterday and today are piped in through the sound system. The spaces have been known to fill up during the busiest nights. walls and glass cases display more than $1 The improvements also include new million worth of memorabilia from a host landscaping, decorative street lamps of legendary artists from Elvis and The Beatles to Katie Perry and Sioux City native around the outdoor venue, as well as an exTommy Bolin. With access to Hard Rock’s pansion of Main + Abbey’s outdoor patio.

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PREPWORK

#protip

RAGBRAI veterans dish best bicycling tips BRET HAYWORTH

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bhayworth@siouxcityjournal.com‌

or some people, it is unimaginable to not ride across the state of Iowa in a week.

Therefore, many keep coming back year after year to the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, and they have their training plans, gear usage and riding routines down pat.

This year, the ride begins in Sioux City on July 19 and covers 468 miles to Davenport. The RAGBRAI event was created in 1973 with a route that started in Sioux City.

Some longtime bicyclists with much RAGBRAI experience have tips to share. They hit on when to leave, what to eat, how to ride among thousands of people and other tips for those coming along.

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Warren Dunkle Residence: Sioux City First Year of RAGBRAI: 1985 How many RAGBRAIs: “I have only done about 25 complete RAGBRAIs.” (Yes, he used the word “only.”)

Why keep returning: “Getting to know the geography of Iowa and getting to know the towns. Just BS’ing with the people along the way and hitting the beer gardens.”

Preparation advice: “The better shape you are in, the easier it is.

I see a lot of miserable people on the side of the road. The more you bike (before the ride), the more you will enjoy it.

“It pays to ride with other people and it pays to ride in a lot of (bicycle) club rides, to get used to riding with a big group of people.

On RAGBRAI, you are going to bike with a lot of people.”

Jerry Neely Age: 66 Residence: Mesa, Ariz.

First Year of RAGBRAI: 1994 How many RAGBRAIs: Roughly a dozen Why keep returning: “The camaraderie of everybody and the beautiful Iowa scenery. I really love Iowa, I still do, all the small towns and all the friendly people.”

Preparation advice: “I am usually a late-leaver in the morning. I wait for all the crowds to kind of thin out. Especially on the first day, because you are going to have so many people out there and so many new riders, it can get kind of dangerous (due to congestion).

“Hydrate, because it is hot and it is humid.

Maybe try not to eat big meals, but just kind of snack and enjoy all the different (food) stands that people have set up, have a cookie, have a piece of pie.”

Dick Billings Age: 55 Residence: Sioux City First Year of RAGBRAI: 2003 How many RAGBRAIs: 12 consecutively Why keep returning: “It is so much fun interacting with all the people in these towns. They open up their homes...

Every year there are new experiences, and it is a good experience interacting with all of the people you run into, both from Iowa and around the world.”

Preparation advice: “Wear a helmet, bike shorts and chamois lotion for your rear end.

“Take a deep breath and relax. This is a ride, not a race. Relax, and ride your own pace as much as you can. There are 20,000 people out there. You are gonna have to adapt. Realize that you are not the center of the universe.

Be perceptive of your surroundings, be aware of road cracks, you could be coming up on someone going slowly.”

Kathy Roberts Age: 41 Residence: North Sioux City, S.D. First Year of RAGBRAI: 1988 one day, 2007 full week.

Why keep returning: “It is the people and the hospitality that the Midwest offers. I enjoy meeting people from all over the world who come to RAGBRAI. I love going into these little towns – 1,000, 2,000 people, and who are in awe of these people who come from everywhere.”

Preparation advice: Carry a spare innertube in case of a flat tire, yell out your moves left or right as you ride among the crowds, and get free water in places in each town rather than buying bottled water, to save money for food items.

“The tips that I really try to instill in new people are using the proper gear, make sure your helmet fits right, don’t wear underwear under your bike shorts. Yeah, the chafing is nasty.

You will be so sore, you won’t be able to walk.”

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LOCAL GOODS

SOME SIOUX-VENIRS go hand in hand,” Martin said.

Jackson Street Brewing owner Dave Winslow said he plans to deisitors stopping in but his new microbrewery on 607 Sioux City during Fifth St., during the weekend of the Register’s AnRAGBRAI. “We’re betting all of our nual Great Bicycle Ride chips on it,” said Winslow.

Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) What to expect? A fresh variety will have plenty of local goods to take with them on of craft brews, said Winslow. Their lineup includes the Nelson double the week-long bike ride.

From gourmet popcorn to IPA (the flagship beer), a summer tame your hunger to hand- IPA, an apricot wheat, watermelon ale and a dry stout. Jackson made soaps to keep you clean, Siouxland business- Street will also have guest taps from West O Beer, Millstream es have you covered with Brewery, Tallgrass Brewing and tasty snacks, local beverBackpocket Brewing Company. ages and fun souvenirs.

JORDAN GONZALEZ

jgonzalez@siouxcityjournal.com‌

V

COFFEE Sioux City has three specialty roasters to choose from: Caturra Coffee Roasting Company, Rosie’s Coffee Roasting Co. and Jumpy Monkey Coffee.

Caturra Coffee, a subsidiary of Coffee King, Inc., is a roaster founded in 2010 and features beans from Africa, Central America, South America, Asia and other regions. They serve fair-trade coffee. While its coffee can be purchased at Pierce Street Coffee Works on 1920 Pierce St., guests are encouraged to stop by the main location at 316 Floyd Blvd. (the building is actually under the Floyd Boulevard bridge). “We encourage the public to come down here and get whatever they need.

And while they’re here, we’re make them a free drink,” said roast master Joel Lester.

Rosie’s Coffee Roasting Co. was founded in 2013 and offers fair-trade coffee from many exotic locations in the Americas BEER New to Sioux City are two local and Africa. There are also many breweries, Marto Brewing Co. and different flavored coffees.

Guests can purchase Rosie’s at Jackson Street Brewing. many local cafes and shops inMarto Brewing will be samcluding Palmer Olde Tyme Candy pling three saison beers (a dry hopped, a tart and a rustic one), Shoppe, Zeke’s Tree, Sioux City Gifts and at the Farmer’s Market a brown ale, an IPA and some “surprises,” says owner Erik Mar- at the Tyson Events Center parktin. Officials will be offering their ing lot (Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market will be held in beers at the Diving Elk at 1101 Fourth St. “We’re looking forward the parking lot of Great Southern to the event and showcasing our Bank on 329 Pierce Street during RAGBRAI). They will be servbeer at RAGBRAI to a lot of people. Craft beer and biking seem to ing coffee from a vintage 1959 SNACKS Sioux City has a couple snack options that are rich in tradition (and flavors).

Palmer’s Candy, founded in 1878, sells dozens of chocolates – truffles, clusters, fudge, chocolate covered nuts and more. But its most famous candy is the Twin Bing, which is a candy bar with a cherry nougat and roasted peanut filling. The candy can be found in gas stations and stores all over Siouxland, but it’s worth heading down to 405 Wesley Parkway to check out the candy shop and museum.

For a saltier option, Jolly Time Pop Corn has been around since 1914 and offers both traditional microwave popcorn and bagged popcorn, as well as a newer line of novelty-flavored bags called “Koated Kernels.” Flavors range from jalapeno cheddar to raspberry cheesecake.

camper for the RAGBRAI weekend at the farmers market, said owner Tracy Everett. Special for that week will be a special cold brew coffee and as well as discounted prices, Everett said.

Jumpy Monkey is based in Sergeant Bluff, where experts roast their beans, but they have 11 different distribution centers throughout the Midwest. Each location is partnered with local nonprofits that help people with special needs find employment.

The Sergeant Bluff roasting center is partnered with New Perspectives, Inc., a nonprofit that helps those with special needs enhance their lives by finding jobs and careers. The best place to buy a bag of Jumpy Monkey coffee is at any Hy-Vee or Fairway grocery store, said director of marketing John Donovan.

Sio u x l

SOUVENIRS Some of the most popular items at Sioux City Gifts include the various novelty T-shirts by Raygun, a Des Moines-based company that creates quirky and localized T-shirts poking fun at and celebrating Midwestern culture. They have several Sioux City shirts, too, that were made for Sioux City Gifts, said Christine McAvoy. Owner Mike Draper said one popular shirt had “we built Sioux City on rock n’ roll” written on it – referencing a widely mocked promotional video created in 2010. But the most popular products in Sioux City Gifts is a local soap company called Lucy & Woody Soaps & Sundries, said McAvoy.

There are dozens of scents to choose from. Most of the names are puns and references to pop culture.

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ROADSIDE ATTRACTION

Washta tree

Carving can be spotted west of ‘Iowa’s Coldest Spot’

TIM GALLAGHER

tgallagher@siouxcityjournal.com‌

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ASHTA, Iowa | A locust tree that took a beating in a tornado two years ago has a new life, in a way, and might make for a picturepostcard moment for thousands of riders on RAGBRAI’s starting day Sunday.

Jim and Jane DeWitt marvel at the work done by chainsaw artist Rick Klatt, of Storm Lake, Iowa. Klatt took the tree and carved an eagle clutching the U.S. flag. There are also salutes to Case IH and Christianity, via a cross, contained in the trunk.

“The tree is kind of hidden for riders who are heading east, so a lot of riders might not see it,” says Jim DeWitt, standing at his farm on Cherokee County Road C-66 just over 2 miles west of Washta.

The DeWitts lost the majority of this tree, as well as other tr ees, power lines and 200 acres of corn when a tornado rushed through their farm on Oct. 4, 2013. The damage was minor, the couple says, when compared to neighbors who lost homes and outbuildings, most notably at Pierson, Iowa.

The tornadoes occurred on the night when homes and businesses were demolished along a diagonal path from Wayne, Neb., to Bronson, Iowa, to Pierson, and beyond.

Jim DeWitt wasn’t home at the time of the storm. He was at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, recovering from an injury caused by a sweep augur in a grain bin on Sept. 25, 2013. Jim suffered a broken left tibia and ankle when his leg became entangled in the powerful apparatus.

The only thing stopping the machine was a jumbled mess of denim jeans, leather boot, bone and muscle. Jim miraculously reached son Jamie DeWitt with his cellphone. Jamie, chief of the Washta Volunteer Fire Department, and Jerry Slota rushed to the rescue, taking the same route RAGBRAI riders will use today, crossing an expansive bridge that crosses the Little Sioux River

immediately west of Washta.

The bridge was closed to traffic in the fall of 2013. However, it was close enough to completion that workers there allowed Jamie DeWitt and Jerry Slota to cross the bridge to come to Jim’s rescue.

Doctors that night inserted a rod through Jim’s heel and put two rods in his lower leg. A second surgery set all broken bones. Another surgery followed that, but they all had Jim on the mend from his hospital bed when the tornado tore through, knocking out the locust tree that helped protect the east side of their home. The tree had been there when Jim and Jane moved to the farm 44 years ago.

“I called Jeff Klatt in November 2013 and then never heard back from him,” Jim DeWitt explained.

In the interim, corn prices dropped and Jim gave his idea a second and third thought before finally banishing it to the permanent back-burner.

More than one year later, though, Klatt called. He said he’d like to have a look and propose an idea. Jim and Jane invited him out and Klatt’s proposal met their approval.

“He was here two half-days and one full day working on it,” Jim says. “It was hard wood and I know I hauled away eight Gator-loads of sawdust.”

The piece has drawn visitors from near and far who marvel at the detail in the eagle and the U.S. flag it clutches in its beak.

“That’s the one thing Jim and I wanted,” Jane says. “We wanted a flag because we’re a red, white and blue family.”

The DeWitts’ patriotic colors will show on the day of RAGBRAI as Jim and Jane plan to report to the bridge along C-66 on Washta’s west edge. The couple, as they did in 2010, will line the bridge with dozens of U.S. flags to offer a warm welcome more than 10,000 riders who coast into a place known as “Iowa’s Coldest Spot” for its negative 47 temperature reading recorded on Jan. 12, 1912.

Jim and Jane DeWitt and their dog, Simba, are shown with the eagle that chainsaw artist Jeff Klatt, of Storm Lake, Iowa, carved from a locust tree that was damaged by a tornado on Oct. 4, 2013. The DeWitts say the tree might make for a picture-postcard moment for thousands of riders on RAGBRAI on Sunday as the ride moves from Sioux City to Storm Lake.

Tim Gallagher, Sioux City Journal

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THINGS TO DO ”Shrek the Musical” at Sioux City Community Theatre, 1401 Riverside Blvd.

7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and July 2325, and 2 p.m. Sunday and July 26 Cost: $15 adults, $10 children 12 and under More info: Visit scctheatre.org or call 712-233-2788.

Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film, “Shrek the Musical” tells the story of everyone’s favorite ogre who embarks on a life-changing adventure.

Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that friendship and love aren’t only found in fairy tales.

A day camp for kids will be held from 3-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, where they can learn how a large production is put on stage. The “ogre camp” will include Shrek-themed projects, snacks, dinner and an exclusive chance to meet the actors in the production and watch the transformation into their characters. Campers will attend the show and perform during intermission.

Fridays on the Promenade, Fourth and Virginia streets 6 p.m. every Friday through July 31 Cost: $3 More info: Visit fridaysonthepromenade.com The outdoor summer concert series brings music to downtown Sioux City with remaining performances by Jimbo Mathus & the Tri-State Coalition on Friday, the Lionel Young Band on July 24 and Laura Rain & the Caesars on July 31.

In case of rain, concerts move to Vangarde Arts, 420 Jackson St.

Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal file

River-Cade Festival’s carnival rides light up the night sky.

”American Idiot” at Shot in the Dark Productions, 413 Nebraska St. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and July 23-25; and 7 p.m. Sunday and July 26-27 Cost: $15 More info: Visit shotinthedarkproductions.org or call 712-635-3616 The smash hit musical tells the story

of Johnny, Tunny and Will, who are struggling to find meaning in life and leave their hometown for the thrills of the city. Their paths diverge. Will returns to stifling suburbia to work out the relationship with his pregnant girlfriend. Tunny joins the military. Johnny struggles with drug addiction. Songs by Green Day move the story forward.

River-Cade Festival Activities taking place at various times and locations now through Sunday.

More info: Visit river-cade.com In an annual salute to the mighty Missouri River, the 52nd summer festival wraps up this weekend with helicopter rides and Merriam’s Midway Carnival, set up along the riverfront at the Jeffrey C. Dible Soccer Complex in South Sioux City.

Take a cruise down Riverview Drive or bike the trails to get to fantastic fun for all ages.

Welcome $5 to

SIOUXLAND

5030 Sergeant Rd • Sioux City • (712) 224-0700 www.oldchicago.com/locations/sioux-city-iowa

Worship at the River 11 a.m. every Sunday through Aug. 30 More info: Visit morningsidelutheran. com During the summer, Morningside Lutheran Church offers a contemporary, “come-as-you-are” worship service on the riverfront at the Anderson Dance Pavilion, along Larsen Park Road. There is also a special kids’ time before the sermon, where children sing with their parents and then are dismissed for prayer, songs and a story.

WinnaVegas Casino Resort, 1500 330th St., Sloan, Iowa More info: Visit winnavegas.com Every Saturday and Sunday through July, the entertainment venue will host a flea market with treasures, antiques and food from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you go on Saturday, stick around until 7 p.m. for a free tribute concert featuring The Purple Experience performing songs by Prince or No Duh performing songs by No Doubt on July 25. Must be 21 or over. Call 800-468-9466 ext. 7117 for more ticket information.

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HISTORY

ON THE RIVERFRONT

summer days at the dance pavilion boasts an abundance of fragrant blossoms. The color compliments intricate construction of the pavilion and the surrounding walkway, terraces, gardens and benches.

GREG FORBES

raveling west from Chris Larsen Park along Sioux City’s Riverfront provides a glimpse into the city’s historic past.

On the Riverfront’s 2-plus-mile path, hikers and bikers can ride a trail hugging the Missouri River and catch views of the Mighty Mo. Plan for additional time on the Riverfront, though, to take in the many nods to the Sgt. Charles Floyd and his role in the Louis and Clark Expedition.

Here are some of the sights riders can expect to see on the Riverfront.

Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal file

The Spirit of Siouxland Memorial in Chris Larsen Park was dedicated on July 19, 2004, in recognition of the victims and community support following the crash of Flight 232.

Anderson Dance Pavilion The Anderson Dance Pavilion plays host to weddings, concerts and dances during the summer. When it’s not the scene of entertainment and gatherings,

6TH ST

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Sioux City Museum

DOWNTOWN SQUARE

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Sioux City Convention Center

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Stoney Creek Inn

Tyson Event Center & Long Lines

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Promenade Theatre

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Hard Rock Casino

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Sioux City Orpheum

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Riverfront trail also leads to access of the Floyd Trail, a 4-mile trail that overlooks the Floyd River.

Where: 1280 Larsen Park Road, Sioux City

WATER ST

Chris Larsen Park Chris Larsen Park practically marks the beginning of the river front path. The park features a children’s play area and includes access to a public boat ramp and the Anderson Dance Pavilion. A 3-mile scenic trail branches off from the park and hugs the Missouri River. The

Spirit of Siouxland Sculpture Across the street from Anderson Dance Pavilion is a humbling tribute to the first responders, victims and survivors of the United Airlines Flight 232 crash at Sioux Gateway Airport on July 19, 1989. The Spirit of Siouxland Sculpture depicts Sioux City Air National Guard Lt. Col. Dennis Nielson carrying 3-year-old survivor Spencer Bailey. Sculpted by Black Hills-area sculptor Dale Lamphere, the statue’s inspiration was drawn from a photograph taken by former Sioux City Journal photographer Gary Anderson.

The image, published the day after the crash in newspapers and magazines around the world, came to symbolize the compassionate response to the crash.

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gforbes@siouxcityjournal.com‌

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Hard Rock (First Stop)

Family Rec Center

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Sioux City Journal file

The 100-foot-tall Floyd Monument overlooks the Missouri River from Floyd’s Bluff.

Where: Chris Larsen Park on Sioux City’s waterfront, west of Anderson Dance Pavilion Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Betty Strong Encounter Center The centers detail Sioux City’s connection to the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s. History shows the expedition lost its only member, Sgt. Charles Floyd, in Sioux City. Visitors can learn about Floyd, as well as the sights encountered by the expedition on its journey.

The center will roll out two unique exhibits during RAGBRAI. “Sense of Place” shows off the black and white catalogue of Iowa’s disappearing rural landscape as captured by documentary photographer David Plowden. “Creatures of the Missouri” takes a look at what inhabits the Mighty Mo’s waters and banks through photographs taken by Sam Stukel, a fisheries biologist from Yankton, S.D. Where: 900 Larsen Park Road When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

and converted into the museum.

When: Open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: 1000 Larsen Park Road, Sioux City.

Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal file

Callie Anderson, Sarah Davy and Cameron Oakley walk along Sioux City’s riverfront in Chris Larsen Park. A 3-mile scenic trail branches off from the park and hugs the Missouri River.

Sergeant Floyd Monument The 100-foot-tall sandstone obelisk overlooks the Missouri River from Floyd’s Bluff. While not on the riverfront, the monument sticks out from the hillside to Sergeant Floyd River Museum & passersby on Interstate 29. The monuWelcome Center This boat may look out of place on land, ment was constructed in 1901 to honor but inside, visitors can see the role of the Sgt. Charles Floyd, the only man who Missouri River in the development of the died on the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

Atop the bluff, visitors can see a history West. Exhibits and artifacts tell stories of Floyd’s life and catch a bird’s eye view of the early days of Sioux City and the region, all displayed on the unique river- of the Missouri River.

Where: U.S. Highway. 75, one mile boat. Dubbed the Sergeant Floyd rivernorth of Interstate 29 Exit 143 in Sioux boat, it served as a floating bicentennial City; west side of Lewis Boulevard, near exhibit for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was later obtained by Sioux City the intersection of Glenn Avenue

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ROADSIDE ATTRACTION

HOME TOUR

See the homes of famous Sioux Cityans

Septic Tank and Commercial Pumping Roll-Off Containers (20-35 cubic yard containers)

Lindblom Services, Inc.

NICK HYTREK

nhytrek@siouxcityjournal.com‌

D

id you know that the women known as Ann Landers and Dear Abby were born and raised in Sioux City?

How about Jerry Mathers of “Leave it to Beaver” fame? Rocker Tommy Bolin? Computer entrepreneur Ted Waitt?

Maybe you didn’t know those and many others called Sioux City home at one time. But you can see where most of those people grew up.

Many of the homes of famous Sioux Cityans still stand and, if you plan ahead, you can arrange a tour to see some of them.

“If someone wants to call us and organize one, we’d be happy to do it,” said Phil Karpuk, owner and manager of TravelPlus TLC, which offers a celebrity tour lasting about 90 minutes.

The trolley ride includes a drive past the homes of many of Sioux City’s luminaries. In giving the tours, Karpuk said many people are amazed at the number of famous people born here.

“When you start to look at Sioux City and start to put it all together, it’s actually got a pretty good track record of people who went on to do something,” Karpuk said.

Among the famous locations on the tour are: • The old Warrior Hotel, Sixth and Nebraska streets: Jimmy Stewart and Louis Zamperini (subject of the book and movie “Unbroken”) stayed here in the 1940s when there

Portable Toilet Service Our mission is to have the cleanest portable toilets in the area with the best service!

800 Clark Street, PO Box 2359 Sioux City, IA 51105-0359 Phone: 712-276-8900 Office/Fax: 712-255-3318

Letsche’s Bike Shop Associated Press

Advice columnists Abigail Van Buren, left, and her twin sister, Ann Landers, are shown at their 50-year high school class reunion in Sioux City in June 1986.

Come see us at RAGBRAI for all your cycling needs. We offer campground and road support to all RAGBRAI cyclists!

Letsche’s Bike Shop

215 West Main • Cherokee, IA • 712-225-3433

You’ve made it 6 miles... now make us your first stop!

Associated Press

Harry L. Hopkins, close adviser to President Franklin Roosevelt

were in the Army and training on WWII bomber crews at the Sioux City air base. It’s rumored that notorious gangster Al Capone also stayed here once.

• 1722 Jackson St.: You know them as Ann Landers and Dear Abby, but twins Esther Pauline

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Tim Hynds, Sioux City Journal

Gateway 2000 CEO Ted Waitt is reflected in a crystal ball while sitting in his North Sioux City, S.D. office Tuesday afternoon, April 7, 1998, and talking about his company’s plans to move its administrative headquarters to California.

open Sunday at 6am serving Bloody Marys Screwdrivers Breakfast Pizza & More!

Bob Roe’s North End Zone 4100 Leeds Blvd., Sioux City 712-522-2834

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HOME FROM PAGE R21 Friedman Lederer (Ann Landers) and Pauline Esther Friedman Phillips (Abigail Van Buren, aka Dear Abby), the daughters of Russian Jewish immigrants, were raised in this house.

• 1211 Douglas St.: Jerry Mathers, aka “The Beaver,” used to spend summers at this home, where his grandparents lived.

Mathers was born in Sioux City, but the family moved away about Jerry Mathers a year later.

His parents’ home was at 3703 Stone Ave. • 1118 Court St.: This is where guitarist Tommy Bolin grew up. Before his death, Bolin played with The James Gang and Deep Purple.

• 3711 Jones St.: If you were a fan of the daytime soap “Days of Our Lives,” this is were Macdonald Carey, who played Dr. Tom Horton until his death in 1994, grew up.

Tommy Bolin

Provided

jobs-creating program during the Great Depression.

Among the other people mentioned on the tour are former professional football player and Sioux City Bishop Heelan the cruise ended, Grandy represented graduate John Hardy, professional basIowa in Congress. ketball player and West High graduate • 512 10th St.: Harry Hopkins, a member of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Kirk Hinrich, former professional football player and North High graduate Matt cabinet grew up here. Hopkins was the Chatham and actress Lori Petty, who commerce secretary who oversaw the graduated from North High.

Works Progress Administration, a huge Gary Anderson, Sioux City Journal file

Fred Grandy, right, campaigns for Congress in October 1986, with support from then-Sen. Robert Dole, at left.

• 3644 Cheyenne Blvd.: You remember the cow-spotted Gateway computer boxes. The creator and founder of Gateway, Ted Waitt, grew up here.

• No. 8 Stewart Ave: Fred Grandy, who portrayed Gopher of the ‘70s TV show “The Love Boat,” lived here. After

Welcome Riders

Security National Bank welcomes RAGBRAI to Sioux City. Enjoy!

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Tour de HisToric FourTH SOHO KITCHEN & BAR 1024 4th St. • Sioux City, IA

BUFFALO ALICE

1022 4th St. • Sioux City, IA

Welcome RAGBRAI RIDERS & SUPPORT TEAMS of rAGBrAi!! combined variety of 150 craft Beers on Tap & Bottled. Best Pizza & Burgers in town...

…and we heard you eat a lot of bananas...

...Come down to Historic 4th for a FREE BANANA!

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