Pedal the Parks: Seven-up, Mosquitos, and Rain

It has been almost a month since I last "Pedaled a Park." The weekend of July 12th and 13th has put us back on track in this "fund raising" quest. Saturday, July 12th, we upped the record for parks ridden in a single day to seven (7). It was also the first day that we have had to ride in the rain, and the first time we endured swarms and swarms of mosquitos.

The seven (7) parks were located in North Central Iowa. We used Clear Lake as a hub location, and ventured out from there. We still managed to drive 674 miles reaching our destinations, and spent two (2) enjoyable nights in our camper.

Three of the parks had gravel roads, and two (2) of these would be considered "bad" gravel. Four (4) of the parks were ridden in the rain, which presented a "new" challenge for remaining upright on a unicycle. One (1) park was a swamp with no roads, so a substitute mile was ridden in McIntosh State Park. And, all the parks had tons of mosquitos. We stopped at five (5) different stores to buy insect repellent before we found any. Apparently, the wet weather has produced an abundance of the "no-see-ums" and the repellent business is booming. They were not shy about taking up residency in our van either. Every time we opened a door or window, they welcomed the opportunity to invade.

Riding seven (7) miles on a unicycle, in one (1) day, was quite a challenge. Muscles were sore, but the satisfaction of completing the rides, made it all worthwhile.

Sunday, July13th, we rode another five (5) parks. Only one (1) of these parks was planned to be ridden, but since we were in the area, we extended our plan. It was a beautiful day and we were on a roll, so we added a few more hours of "windshield" time, and increased our number of completed parks to sixty-one (61). Being nearly two-thirds done is inspiring.

Many of these parks do not display the official State Park sign. For one reason or another, they have chosen to change these graphics. They are still noted, in some official listings, as State Parks. Because of this, I have chosen to ride these parks, and count them as official.

Donations continue to come in, but we would like to see more participation. It is easy to donate by accessing the online website at www.givetoiowa.org/burkey Thanks much for the support.