See It From Your Bike Seat
Mother’s Day weekend took us south of our usual beat to Sac City, Iowa.
The town of 2,000 on the North Raccoon River is tucked into the rolling hills of western Iowa, nearly equidistant to Des Moines, Omaha, Nebraska, Albert Lea, Minnesota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Flyover country, one might think, or a place to drive through on the way to other places. But my wife, Jen, and I have been traveling long enough to know that there’s always more to the story than the view from an airplane window or car seat.
We came for the second annual Prairie Pedal, a bike ride meant to raise money and awareness for extending the Sauk Rail Trail to Sac City, but our itinerary quickly filled up. There was a Friday night ride on the Sauk Rail Trail, the Prairie Pedal and a concert on Saturday, and a Sunday ride around Black Hawk Lake before our time was up. In between, we planned to explore the county, check out a few restaurants, and stay at the Sac and Fox Flats in Sac City.
On a Friday afternoon, we checked into our Airbnb at the former Sac City High School. Built in 1936, the school closed in 2020 before being transformed into rental units and Airbnbs that opened in 2025. Walking into the building felt like stepping back in time, because all the things that made this place a school are still there, minus the kids and Wednesday cafeteria meat loaf, of course. We wandered down a terrazzo hallway lined with lockers searching for Room 103 when I suddenly remembered the stack of hall passes I somehow acquired in high school. It was hot contraband back then and still sits in a box in our attic.
Our 1,100-square-foot rental had been built in the former home economics classroom and featured three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bathroom, all with room to dance. Where students once learned to sew and cook, was going to be our headquarters for the weekend. Much of the old linoleum floor remained intact, and a chunky retired radiator had found a second life as a sort of credenza. Other than furniture, interior walls, and a few AC units, the room still looked unmistakably like a classroom, right down to the ceiling lights. The walls were decorated with yearbooks, photographs, and memorabilia from decades gone by.
To shake out our legs after the drive, we walked around town and, naturally, had to visit the popcorn ball. We never skip a good roadside attraction, and this one was so solidly Midwestern it rose to the top of the to-do list. Sac County is known for growing popping corn, and Sac City has long been in friendly competition with communities around the country for a Guinness World Record-certified world’s largest popcorn ball. The current champion, built in 2016, sits in a custom enclosure on Sac City’s Main Street and weighs 9,370 pounds with a diameter of 12 feet.
A sign nearby pointed us toward Cedar Creek Popcorn Company just down the street, where BJ, who drives the forklift in the warehouse, greeted us with three bags of flavored popcorn to sample. Owner Bill Rieckhoff explained that the giant popcorn ball on display was the fourth version of the corny confection. “Every time some other place in the world makes a bigger one, they build another one,” he said. Later, another local told me he remembered when one of the obsolete popcorn balls met its end at the county fair. “They just rolled it out onto the field, stuck a couple sticks of dynamite in it and blew it up,” he said.
Wandering around town armed with a brochure, we explored the array of public art in Sac City. We didn’t have time to visit all 16 sites, but just walking down Main Street gave us an idea of the scope of the projects. We started at Cattail Cove, where an empty space between two buildings had been transformed into a miniature park with benches and landscaping, flanked by gigantic metal cattail sculptures. Murals adorned the brick walls of several historic buildings, and we also saw a veterans memorial, a metal sculpture of geese in flight, and a bust of the town’s founder, Judge Eugene Criss. Criss’ great-grandson, the late John H. Criss, was the benefactor behind these projects. He left much of his multi-million-dollar estate to the city with the stipulation that it be spent on beautification.
From there we drove to Lake View, a town of about 1,100 people on Black Hawk Lake. Riders had gathered at Pelican Pub for packet pickup and a few drinks before the Friday night kickoff ride. The neighborhood hangout featured a patio and lively conversation on a beautiful spring evening in picturesque Lake View. (The patio also had a replica palm tree, a shape that would pop up here and there as we made our way around Lake View.)
We met Mayor John Westergaard, an energetic man radiating hometown pride, who shook our hands and welcomed us to town. He and locals still talk about the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), the world’s largest bicycling event. For the ride’s 50th anniversary in 2023, Lake View was the smallest ever town to be an overnight stop on the multi-day tour, somehow managing to host a mind-boggling 30,000 bike riders on just under two and a half square miles.
Soon the crowd rolled out onto the Sauk Rail Trail with plans to ride to nearby Carnarvon and back, about ten miles total. The trailhead sat just a block from the bar beneath a bicycle-themed arch, a smaller version of the structure the town built to welcome RAGBRAI riders three years earlier. The 33-mile paved trail connects Black Hawk State Park and Swan Lake State Park while linking the towns of Lake View, Carnarvon, Breda, Maple River, and Carroll.
After a long drive, the easy spin on smooth pavement felt perfect. The route skirted Black Hawk Marsh and farm fields, crossing Black Hawk Creek several times. Yellow-headed blackbirds clung to reeds beside the trail before taking flight, squawking as we passed.
When we reached tiny Carnarvon, bicycles outside Trailside Roadhouse made it clear where everyone had gone. Riding five miles had apparently depleted our electrolytes, so we joined our fellow riders inside for a drink. Cyclists outnumbered locals by a wide margin, and the bartender seemed genuinely thrilled by the crowd. Looking around the room, I noticed bicycle-themed curtains hanging in the windows, a detail that stuck with me. We had only been in the area a few hours, but conversations with locals and little touches like those curtains showed how deeply RAGBRAI and its 50-year history had woven itself into Iowa culture and every town it touched.
Eventually, the consensus became that we should continue another five miles to Breda for a stop at Red’s Bar, and the throng moved on. We rolled past the Breda ballfield where a crowd had gathered for a kickball game celebrating new stadium lights and a digital scoreboard. After passing the historic train depot, we found seats inside a packed Red’s Place buzzing with riders and the after-work crowd.
I ordered a pork fritter that arrived as a gigantic slab of deep-fried crispiness hanging far beyond the boundaries of a hilariously undersized bun. It was excellent. Not long after, the door burst open and a bachelorette party stormed inside whooping and hollering, which felt like our cue to leave. The kickball game was still going as we rode out of town, and a cloud of dust hovered over the ballfield in the setting sun. The cheers from the crowd followed long after Breda disappeared behind us. It was pitch dark by the time we rolled back under the arch in Lake View.
Across from the trailhead, a neon sign pulled us toward Soak’d, a newer restaurant and music venue serving pizza, wings, and other comfort food inside a striking two-story building with a huge bar with a lit top, a patio and elevated deck. We had missed the kitchen’s pizza cutoff, but the wings and pretzel we shared hit the spot. Finally, after a whirlwind first day, it was time to head back to school and get some sleep.
We were the first customers through the doors at Rosie’s Coffee Shop on Main Street in Sac City on Saturday morning. From a window seat, we watched the town slowly wake up while caffeine gradually restored our ability to communicate. We had a full day ahead with the Prairie Pedal, dinner at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, and a concert at the Shull Center. We had chosen the Crosswinds route, a 40-mile rectangle through the Sac County countryside, and were looking forward to a solid day on the bikes. Our sausage and avocado paninis disappeared almost immediately.
As we sat there, a lone cyclist rolled down the quiet street. It was Dave, whom we had met the previous day. He spotted us through the window and waved, which felt like the official signal to head to the ride start.
A crowd had gathered at Indian Lanes with the usual pre-ride ritual of bike unloading, tire pumping, and last-minute adjustments. Inside, though, was something entirely new to us. Jen and I have participated in and organized plenty of bike events over the years, but we had never encountered an official Bloody Mary bar at packet pickup. Sure enough, vodka was flowing and spirits were high. Jen and I got a head start on our Five-A-Day and took our drinks sans the spirits.
We struck up a conversation with Connie Tennapel from Sibley, Iowa, and Steve Van Zee from Hills, Minnesota. Steve was proud to point out the bike he was riding once belonged to his late father, ultra-cyclist Randy Van Zee. Both Connie and Steve were sporting their Team Purple Jam RAGBRAI jersey and using the event to prepare for the upcoming Ride Across South Dakota later in the month. “We both love riding, and it was something new,” Steve said. They had ridden a long route the previous day and had already formed a strong impression of the area. “Everybody is so bike-friendly,” she said. “The people here, the riders, and the motorists, were very patient. I was really impressed. I felt very safe.”
The route to our first stop in Lake View unfolded on quiet country roads beneath sunny skies. We stopped at Houdini’s Soda Fountain on the corner of Third and Main for a midmorning snack and ice cream because after ten miles that seemed entirely reasonable. Lake View was quiet but carried the energy of a lakeside town preparing for summer. Workers and shop owners moved with purpose while early-season visitors wandered along the brick storefronts downtown.
We continued with a short stretch on the Sauk Rail Trail and paused briefly at the official rest stop where volunteer Kayla Kraft sat on the tailgate of her truck beside a cooler waiting for thirsty riders. Her employer, JEO Consulting Group, sponsored the ride, and she said she enjoyed being involved in community events. “I think it’s a great thing to get more going on in the community,” she said.
Fueled by dairy and sugar, we turned toward Wall Lake on scenic country roads. We noticed we were suddenly riding alone and soon realized why. Passing through Wall Lake, a glimpse down Main Street solved the mystery. The sidewalk in front of Doc’s Bar and Grill was filled with bicycles, but we kept going.
After turning north, our pleasant tailwind transformed into a stubborn headwind. We shifted gears, lowered our heads, and kept pedaling through rolling farmland and open views that stretched for miles. Despite battling the wind, we enjoyed spotting Sac County’s famous barn quilts along the route.
The colorful patterned displays began as a community project in 2006 and have grown into a countywide attraction with more than 50 installations, a website, and a driving tour.
The colorful patterned displays began as a community project in 2006 and have grown into a countywide attraction with more than 50 installations, a website, and a driving tour.
For about ten miles we leapfrogged with another group of riders, trading pulls at the front. Just as our water bottles were running dry, we spotted a pickup truck with flashers on along the roadside. “I thought I’d check in on you guys,” support driver Jamie Lawrence said as he opened a cooler full of drinks.
A can of cola and fresh water revived us immediately, and before long we rolled back into Sac City after nearly 40 miles for the after-party at Indian Lanes. A small group of riders gathered at the bar swapping stories over the sound of crashing bowling pins. We caught up again with Connie, who was sipping a beer at a table in the bar. “I’m impressed with Sac City,” she said. Stephanie Mulstay from Ida Grove, Iowa shared similar thoughts. “My favorite part is the people I met,” she said. “Everyone was really friendly and really helpful, and I thought the event was well organized.” After some recovery time, we pedaled back to our former home economics classroom turned apartment.
Later that afternoon we attended an open house for the Sac and Fox Residences next door. The former high school property included enough land for a neighborhood of modern townhomes, and since the idea of downsizing occasionally enters our conversations, we decided to take a look. The clean finishes, modern lighting, and low-maintenance setup sparked plenty of discussion that carried over into dinner at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse.
Cattlemen’s had an understated exterior but an upscale menu and atmosphere in downtown Sac City. Inside, the long dining room combined brass, leather, wood, and black paint into a clean, classic look. Cow skulls on the walls reminded diners exactly what business the restaurant was in. It had been a long time since the two of us sat down at an actual steakhouse, and we were ready for it.
We appreciated seeing non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu rather than being limited to soda or the kids’ section on a special night out. I ordered a Rum Driver with prime rib and house fries while Jen went with the Copper Cup, a New York strip, and mac and cheese topped with a breadcrumb crust. Add oysters and warm homemade bread, and we were very happy people.
From the cloth napkins to the attentive staff and subdued atmosphere, everything about the evening felt comfortable after a long day on the bikes. By the end of dinner, we leaned back in our chairs and agreed there are still places out there that know exactly how to cook a good steak.
Afterward, we waddled down Main Street, destination Shull Center, and admired the old buildings along the way. One particularly handsome mansion stood on the edge of downtown, overlooking Main Street. We ogled it for a while, imagining what the inside might look like. Shull Center is the new name for the former school auditorium located just steps from our apartment in the same building complex. Once home to pep rallies and school plays, it found a new life as an event venue for Sac City after the school closed. Tonight’s act, Touch of Grey, a Grateful Dead tribute band from Omaha, Nebraska, played classics from the band’s catalog along with other rock favorites.
At one point I had to get up and stretch my legs. As I wandered the halls of the former auditorium, I noticed display cases full of black and white photographs of students and faculty on the walls. Prim and proper, dressed up not just for picture day, with hair perfectly parted and coiffed, they looked back at me in silence. The sounds from the auditorium echoed through the corridors of the old school and I chuckled. This music and the tie-dyed crowd that came with it would surely wrinkle the brows of those horn-rimmed faces behind the glass.
The Sunday morning crowd at Pura’s Brewtique in Lake View waited patiently in line for coffee while we managed to grab a couple of seats at the window counter. Over breakfast sandwiches and very good coffee, we mapped out the final hours of our trip. We had time for a ride around Black Hawk Lake, the United States’ southernmost glacial lake, and one more lunch stop before heading home.
We rolled out through the city campground and neighborhoods filled with lake homes before passing through Black Hawk State Park’s campground. When we rounded a corner and spotted the colorful exterior of Cielito Lindo, a Mexican restaurant, it was time for lunch.
The patio was perfect on a warm spring afternoon. Reggaeton music drifted from the speakers, and even our server danced a little as he delivered our taco salad and burrito. And if you haven’t had a margarita topped with whipped cream and sprinkles, you haven’t had a margarita.
By the end of the weekend, Sac County had given us a little bit of everything: bike trails, small-town hospitality, good food, quirky roadside attractions, live music, and conversations with people who genuinely cared about their communities. What started as a weekend bike event turned into something bigger, a reminder that some of the best trips happen in places you might otherwise drive right past or fly over. All you have to do is see it from your bike seat.
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About me
I’m Jan, the publisher of Minnesota Trails Magazine. I’m looking for that one trail, the next ride, a new discovery and other reasons to never sit still in Minnesota.