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backbone state park camping with son

2K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  iowatdub 
#1 ·
Never did post anything until now but I had a great camping trip about a month ago on the Tdub. Never had any doubts on the reliability on this bike but the 475 or so miles i put on it in 3 days (about 100 two up riding with gear) helped prove it to me. I'll try to post some pics

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#3 ·
After I got to looking I really didn't take many good pics of the trip. We did have a great time. Left Muscatine on Friday afternoon and returned on Sunday late after outrunning the edge of a nasty T-Storm. Other than Sunday we had great weather. My son lives in Waterloo about two hours by car. Iowa doesn't have near as many pretty photo opportunities as other states but I still enjoy getting out and enjoying what is there. Not much other than gravel here in Iowa and the occasional dirt road but on the way back I did take a few gravel roads home. I really like the Cycle Rack and got great service from the guys there. (Got the usual "you try it and send money later" treatment).



Good to see real customer service is still around if you really look for it. Havent posted pics before but hope to soon even though I dont have many good ones.
 
#6 ·
Have a few more photos to post later



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At Brandon they claim to have the biggest frying pan in Iowa I think. It would be pretty hard to fry bacon at this angle!!



The Ribeyes show my poor trout fishing abilities, I brought a small 5 piece ultralight rod and reel with me but had no luck catching dinner.



Also brought along my Jet Boil cooker that is pretty nice for coffee and other quick boiling/cooking.
 
#8 ·
It was interesting reading that Backbone was Iowa's first State Park dedicated in 1920, and the influence of the CCC program building some dams and such. I'm guessing it's a pretty good riding area as it's sort of close to the Mississippi River. Is there good Mississippi River bluff country riding available? My folks live in Wabasha (think Grumpy Old Men" movies), and it's nice riding in bluff country as is across the river in Wisconsin.





Thanks for sharing.
 
#9 ·
Yeah, Backbone is kind of an oasis of trees and hills in an otherwise pretty flat state. As you get more east near the river Its gets pretty hilly. I would like to camp at a few other spots in NE Iowa next year. Starting to get chilly here already. Being a State Park not much for off road stuff but there are some pretty fun twisties that me and the son enjoyed riding after we dumped the camping stuff at the campground.



Some of the things I decided I need after I got done with ride:



1. a coleman seatcover



2. A 12 Volt Plug to charge my cell phone and run a tire pump. I got tired of charging the phone in the bathroom at the campground. (anyone know if there is a hot wire around the Speedo that you dont have to splice into, or are most just running a fresh wire unter the tank and direct to the battery with a fuse?) I already got a 2 dollar 12 volt plug at the junk yard out of a caravan. Hoping to make a mount next to the indicator lights on the dash.



3. Maybe a tool Tube or two.



It is fun to get the comments about how cool of set-up the TW is from the people at the campground.
 
#12 ·
Good job man. Awesome.
 
#15 ·
This was ironic. On my ride home after i dropped off my son at his moms i ran into a nasty thunderstorm. I stopped at a farm to wait out the storm. The guy had actually riden his son inlaws tw in colorado to get new tires put on it when he was out there visiting. I should have asked his name....maybe he is on this forum.
 
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