Cycling the Driftless Region | PART 6; THE DRIFTLESS AREA SCENIC BYWAY

Today’s bike tour finds me enjoying a nice, breezy jaunt across the landscapes of Iowa. From Waukon, a handsome farm town, through gorgeous, open farmland and down into wooded hollows, along Iowa’s Driftless Area Scenic Byway to the town of Decorah. Here I stop for the afternoon to appreciate the character of this lovely little town, staying at a lovely historic downtown hotel. So much of why I ride is to discover what real life is like for others, in other places, in other cultures, and here I get such a heartwarming sense of an Iowa way of living.
Music:
Five Tribes - Hunter Quinn
Epidemic Sound
Koffee In The Forest - HATAMITSUNAMI
Epidemic Sound
Catching Up Her Story - Magnus Ludvigsson
Epidemic Sound
Never Be Forgotten - Ealot
Epidemic Sound

[@garyseckel295]

Love seeing my America from a bicycle! Thanks as always!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

It's a great country! Full of beauty!

[@michelesauret7779]

Typical American movies, landscape, town, big bedroom, I ❤

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Yep, this definitely is America!

[@TerrapinCyclist]

Glad you had some peaceful roads and a nice town/hotel to land at. Love the narration and music as always.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much! Sometimes its nice to stop and spend a little time...

[@tonyorme6446]

Another great video and ride!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you so much!

[@thattravellingguy]

Nothing more to say, but that I love your videos and narration. Especially also the brief culture and history of places you stop at. It just gives a more full experience to us viewers. Atb , That Travelling Guy….

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks so much!

[@markmartello]

Roland, beautiful photography in this one! Especially the tour of the town. That hotel is gorgeous! I loved the shots of all the local attractions. And that shot of a baseball game near the end capped it off perfectly. Well done!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Mark, I really love these small American towns, so full of character. Sometimes it's great on a tour to stop peddling and spend some quiet time just looking.

[@FollowThomas]

Beautiful ride. I like the countryside there in Iowa. Great drone views too. 👍

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you. I love Iowa!

[@brianmccarty3615]

Pronunciation of "Decorah" is correct. Friends had their wedding in that hotel (in the Opera House). I never biked it, but have heard good things about Trout Run Trail which circles most of the city. When visiting I usually stop at Whippy-Dip for a treat. There was/is an eagle nest near the fish hatchery - there is a webcam for it.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Great town smack dab in the middle of some bery beautiful country.

[@alethearobinson8132]

Another nice recap of a days ride. Riverside Iowa, future birthplace of Capt James T. Kirk😍 Also home to RAGBRAI. The oldest, longest organized bicycle ride. I am not much for massive bike rides, but this one is on my list.🙃 Cheers.🌞🚴‍♀️🖖

[@TheBicycleTourists]

I've debated over the years to do RAGBRAI. Most of what I hear is that it's Mardi Gras on wheels. And that it's a great way to experience a lovely state. My biggest problem when I did Ride the Rockies - one of Colorado's multi-day group rides - was the group camping, and being 1/2 a mile from the bathrooms when I had to inevitably get up in the middle of the night.

[@dimitriosfotopoulos3689]

Nice Star Trek reference!

[@PumpkinVillage]

We live in a beautiful country. That was a great ride and the hotel just another part of the small town history. Thanks for the video and take care, Al

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Al, so appreciated.

[@dondonner1095]

Great riding there. I have to try to get there. Thanks.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank YOU Don, always appreciated!

[@dennispiciullo8060]

Another great video, such beautiful country, I always thought Iowa was totally flat, but I guess I was wrong, till next Friday.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Hi Dennis, Yeah, definitely not flat. It's actually close to perfect riding terrain, lovely rollers, great ups and downs!

[@klasjansson5814]

Nice!

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thank you Klas!

[@TheSamknu]

When I was a kid the Hotel Winnesheik was a divey downtown residential hotel. It was super crappy. How it is now is comparatively fancy.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

A lot of these hotels fell on hard times. Luckily people began to realize the value of these small towns and revitalized them. We stayed at many of these resurrected hotels across the country. They are usually really great deals as well.

[@TheSamknu]

@@TheBicycleTourists price effected by economies of differing scales. You are in no way wrong. The most expensive hotels where they are are sometimes super cheap. Years ago I got an out of season hotel room in the U.P. for fifteen bucks.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

One of the benefits of bike touring - it takes you off the beaten track where the prices can be much more affordable.

[@stephenmorton8017]

So there are days in Iowa without incessant wind. You really lucked out on that day. I would have to say yes, you are a hotel snob but there's no shame in that whatsoever! Way to spend the day.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Thanks! Truth is, I love camping, but much less so in the humid places. Any day riding is a great way to spend the day, wind or no!

[@stephenmorton8017]

@@TheBicycleTourists i pitched my tent behind a 'disused' cabin in the tall weeds a bit north of Prairie du Chien. it was very hot and 50 miles was enough. when i woke, the tent was dripping on me from the dew. Mississippi River dew. animals passed me all night in the weeds on the way to somewhere of their own. i tell my buddies the best remedy for insomnia is complete exhaustion.

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Boy ain't that the truth.

[@rollingthunder4599]

It says Roland & Julianna: Bicycle Tourists. So where is Julianna? Miss seeing her

[@TheBicycleTourists]

She decided against touring this summer on account of needing to be there for her new granddaughter. We're planning on a trip next spring.

[@garyseckel295]

Missed Julianna too, but I was afraid to not respect her privacy!@@TheBicycleTourists

[@TheBicycleTourists]

Life is complicated. She'll be back!