After crossing the Mississippi River at Muscatine, we paused to take a picture to document our entry into Iowa! This river crossing marks the completion of the first third of our trip...1296 miles from Stafford, VA!!

Carrie and Rachel relaxing at the pool in Muscatine, IA

    Rachel and Carrie agree that the best thing about riding their bikes all the way to Iowa is seeing Grandma and Grandpa! Karen and Terry Vreeland (Brian's parents) drove all the way from Joplin Missouri to see the Two Tandems West Gang in Muscatine! We spent two days visiting and relaxing with them and seeing some of the local sights. Tomorrow, after breakfast, we will head north and they will turn south. WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!!  

Grandma and Grandpa took the girls to a petting zoo. Carrie fell in love with Charlie (seen here eating Iowa corn from Carrie's hand) and wanted Grandpa to take him home to Missouri. She promised she'd come and pick him up later this summer!

Carrie and Rachel eat ice cream at the oldest ice cream parlor in the United States. It is the Wilton Candy Kitchen in Wilton IA. It was built in 1856 and the present owner, George Nopoulos's family have owned it since 1910.  Here George dishes up ice cream and some pretty funny jokes!

Here the whole gang stand in line waiting for George to scoop up some of the fantastic hand made ice cream!!

Finally ontop of a ridge line we'd climbed for over half a day, Rachel and Carrie pose by some hay bales near Harpers Ferry, Iowa. Who ever said Iowa was flat had obviously never been to northeastern Iowa...there are hills that rival those in Pennsylvania and Virginia!!

Rachel on a hilltop rest stop and Carrie by our campsite in Lansing, Iowa