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Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Mt. Pleasant welcomes RAGBRAI
Camping hosts, information station volunteers, trash duty crews, and many others made Mt. Pleasant feel like home
MT. PLEASANT — Thousands of RAGBRAI participants made themselves at home in Mt. Pleasant Friday evening as the town pulled out all the stops and offered a warm Americana-themed welcome.
American flags, smiling volunteers, good food, many drinks, and plenty of music, over 20,000 visitors to Mt. Pleasant enjoyed their time at their Day Six overnight stay of RAGBRAI 2024.
Lifelong RAGBRAI riders Dave, Anna, Ryan, and Dee Mable from Des Moines and Texas commented that they wanted to make sure they enjoyed their last overnight of the ride before heading to Burlington the next morning to dip their tires in the Mississippi River.
As the Mabel family chowed down on some trash can corn steamed on a steam engine in Mt. Pleasant’s Central Park, they shared a little about their lifetime riding across Iowa with RAGBRAI.
“Anna and Ryan have gone every year of their lives since 1996,” Dave commented.
According to Dee, they began pulling Ryan on RAGBRAI when he was just a year old and their kids “grew up on RAGBRAI.”
“The first time we took [Ryan], we went for a 10-mile ride and he was in our little trailer,” Dave recalled. “He screamed the whole time, and we thought, ‘This is never going to work.’ But it is different on RAGBRAI.”
Once Dave and Anna got Ryan on the road with RAGBRAI, “he absolutely loved it.”
“He loved all the people, all the stops, all the ice cream and watermelon,” Dave continued.
The Mable family say in their experience kids love RAGBRAI and those on RAGBRAI love the kids, and it hasn’t changed since they began this journey. Ryan’s 4-year-old niece road along with them for a day in her fourth RAGBRAI and enjoyed it just as much as he ever did.
Every stop along the way, his niece received an enthusiastic welcome with free stuff and friendly smiles.
In Mt. Pleasant, RAGBRAI visitors did not need to be children to experience a similar welcome, however. Many volunteers wearing bright orange shirts made for a pleasant stop in this little Iowa town.
Young, old, new riders, experienced riders, Iowans and visitors were all welcomed in Mt. Pleasant from the moment they rolled into town to signs held by enthusiastic greeters.
With many hands making for light work, RAGBRAI riders found numerous camping spots, lots of entertainment, and assistance around every corner of the picturesque town. Volunteers manned the information station, stayed on top of emptying trash bins, and helped in various ways to make sure Mt. Pleasant really pulled off their theme “Make Yourself at Home.”
Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com
