Tuesday’s ride on Day 3 of RAGBRAI 2022 is potentially the easiest of the journey, with just 756 feet of elevation gain over a short-ish 56.4 miles, almost all of it tabletop flat. Those who opt for the full-day gravel route, now in its second year, will gain 815 feet but travel only 48 miles. That’s a good thing, because riders will need their energy for the 104-mile Century Day that looms on Wednesday.
Route: Pocahontas to Emmetsburg
Miles: 56.4
Feet of climb: 756
More:71 miles no challenge for inline ‘ultra-skater’ who got his start on RAGBRAI
Pass-through towns: Havelock, Rolfe
Meeting town: West Bend
Weather: High around 80, chance of rain. Wind from the south, turning southwest in the afternoon
Themes: Gravel Day, Dream Team 25th Anniversary Day
Highlights: The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend, a sprawling collection of nine hand-built grottos, the life’s work of the late Father Paul Matthias Dobberstein. Tours are offered hourly beginning at 10 a.m., but the shrine is always open to visit. In Emmetsburg, 973-acre Five Island Lake is a natural glacial remnant that’s perfect for a cooling swim. There’s also the Wild Rose Casino & Resort and the town’s well-represented Irish heritage.
Entertainment in Emmetsburg: One Layne Band (local classic country performers) 2:45-4:45 p.m.; Birdchild (Top 40 covers) 5:15-8:15 p.m.; Pork Tornadoes (RAGBRAI’s favorite eclectic cover band) 8:45-11 p.m. Around town: Brian Boru Irish Pipe Band
Camping: Palo Alto County Fairgrounds, 2010 Madison St., Emmetsburg
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