As we headed east the Iowa landscape gradually changed from rolling cornfields to steeper hills with pretty vistas. The total climb for the day was 2,591 feet and, like the first day, for every climb there was an equal downhill run. Before Potter Hill, there was a couple of long steep downhills were I got up to around 37 mph, applying the brakes often. I left Rachel behind because, with my weight, I just coast alot faster than her. At the bottom of the hill, someone was holding a sign that said 19% grade as they hollered "it's really only 17%!" As I began to grind up the mile long hill, many were getting off their bikes and walking (read more here). I made it to the top and pulled over to wait for Rachel. But she never showed up! Turns out that she also made it all the way up and she was not 50 feet away, waiting on me! After a long wait, I decided to ride on, up a second steep hill nicknamed "Killer Hill," and continued over hill after hill all the way to Dubuque. I heard a few complaints about the route but overall this was supposed to be one of the flattest RAGBRAI's ever so I wasn't complaining. 
Once I reached the Port of Dubuque (Theme: "Pedal to the Port") lots of people were cheering us on. Within sight of the finish, I stopped and borrowed a phone to call Rachel but she was out of service. I left a voice mail and sat and waited. In the meantime, she was basically doing the same thing - stopping or slowing to look for me. She finally got phone service and heard my message and we found each other (yea!!) and headed for the Mississippi River "dip site."
We got our picture taken together by some guys from College Station of all places, then headed out to find our charter truck. Everything worked out well and soon we were on the highway heading south towards Texas. Along the way, we stopped at our friends, the Sorensen's, house for a final visit. We made it as far as Ottawa, Kansas that evening and drove the rest of the way on Sunday.
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