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Hey friend,
Our legs finally work again.
RAGBRAI ended almost two weeks ago and we are only now getting through a day without a nap. If you're new here, RAGBRAI is a bike ride across the entire state of Iowa. Seven days, a few thousand people, every July. The route changes every single year, so even though this was our second one, almost none of it was familiar.
The first few days were hills and heat. Not the gentle rolling kind you picture when someone says Iowa. Real ones, one after another, in temperatures that made the pavement shimmer. We stopped for ice cream. We stopped for lemonade. We stopped for beer. Mostly we stopped anywhere that had shade or air conditioning, and we told ourselves that was a strategy.
Kramer came with us. He rode behind us in a Burley trailer and had a better week than either of us. Every time we hit a climb and slowed down, he would start barking at us to go faster. He was hot and he wanted us to fix it. He's a jerk. Riding across a state with a dog turned out to be a learning curve we did not fully see coming, and we would do it again tomorrow.
The best part of the whole thing is who shows up. We rode near kids pedaling behind their parents. We got passed, more than once, by people three decades older than us. There are ebikes everywhere and nobody thinks twice about them. Road bikes, mountain bikes, one guy hauling a cooler. Nobody is timing you. There is no time. You ride to the next town, you eat pie in somebody's front yard at nine in the morning, and you keep going.
But the riding is not the part we keep talking about.
You are.
We met so many of you out there. Some of you found us on the road. Some of you emailed ahead of time and said you'd be watching for the guy with the dog in the hat. You waved us down in pass-through towns. You rode next to us for a few miles. Some of you opened up your homes and let us stay in your Airbnb.
We went back because we knew Iowa would be good. What we talked about the entire drive home was how much we wanted other people to have a week like that.
Because here's what happens out there. A few thousand people point their bikes in the same direction and spend a week being generous with each other. Towns of four hundred people set up lemonade in their driveways. Strangers fix your flat before you can get your tools out. Nobody is impressive by day three and nobody is trying to be. It's summer camp for adults, and most adults never get one.
So we're going to build one.
We're putting together a trip for next year. Something you can come do with us. You do not need to be a cyclist. You do not need to be fast. Ride an ebike, plenty of people do. You need a week, a bike you like, and a willingness to eat pie with strangers before breakfast.
Nothing is booked yet. We're at the part where we want to hear from you before we build it around the wrong thing.
P.S. If a week like that sounds like something you'd say yes to, hit reply and tell us what would make you actually come. Or what would stop you. We're reading every one, and we'll share some of them next Monday.
π₯ First Impressions of the Channel Tunnel (unbelievable...)
You drive your car onto a train and then sit in it while the whole thing goes under the ocean. You clear French border control in England, before you ever leave. We filmed the entire crossing because nobody explained any of it to us the first time.
If a European road trip is anywhere on your list, this is the part you'll want to see before you book it.
That is not an exaggeration. As of this morning, the entire Matador lineup is gone, replaced by 11 new packs that went live at 11:30 Eastern. If you have been eyeing one of their bags for a while, the one you were looking at no longer exists.
We got two of the new ones early. There is a 45L Global Travel Pack, and a 24L Tote Pack in garnet that Sara pulled out of the box, held for about four seconds, and claimed as her airplane carryon. It is not coming back to the gear pile.
We have used Matador for years and the reason we keep pointing people there is boring: the bags do not fall apart. Ours have been through the Pan-American Highway, a summer of airports, and a dog who treats every strap as a chew toy. They still zip.
Both of these are going with us when we head back to the truck, so you will see them in actual use soon enough. If you want to look before the good colors go, today is the day, and our link takes 15% off whatever you pick.
βNational Park Week moved to August this year β August 22 through 30, and entrance fees are waived on the 25th for the Park Service's 110th birthday. It has been an April thing for as long as we can remember, so if you have a park within driving distance, that Tuesday is free.
βJet fuel jumped almost 30% last month β United alone is looking at an extra $6 billion on its annual fuel bill, and airlines have already said they plan to make it back through higher fares. Read that as a reason to book the fall trip sooner rather than later.
βEdinburgh Airport will now come get your bags β EasyJet passengers can have checked bags picked up from a house, hotel, or office and sent straight to the plane, so you walk in and go to security. Already running at Gatwick and Geneva too.
βA Dutch museum covered its floor in 800 pounds of peanut butter β It's a tribute to the artist who made the original in 1969, and he left instructions: smooth, never chunky, spread evenly, and nobody stands on it. One visitor has already put a shoe in it and another dropped a phone.
This is the tool we use to find every flight deal below. Premium covers the economy deals, domestic and international. Elite adds the mistake fares and premium cabin deals. One fare you actually book pays for the whole year.
Use code BIGSALE51 at checkout. It runs through August 16 and itβs the lowest price Going hits all year.
We find all of these through Going. It's worth setting up alerts for your home airport. Most of these deals won't last long, so if one catches your eye, don't sit on it.
Is there a city you wish we would feature for flights? Email us back and we'll put it in the next email.
π¬ From the Replies
Two weeks ago we asked for a small town you'd tell someone to stop in.
Melissa sent two, both in North Carolina. Southport, where she lives, which turns out to be where they filmed Safe Haven. And Beech Mountain, half an hour west of Boone:
"At an elevation of 5506' above sea level, it's a cool respite from the stifling heat and humidity of the NC coast."
She also answered a question we asked a while back about grocery stores. She orders Instacart to the hotel and unpacks while she waits, which is the most efficient thing anyone has told us all year.
Keep them coming. We read every one.
Thanks for reading Field Notes. We're trying to make this a space worth saving, full of things we'd actually send to a friend.
If you ever want to pass it along, here's the link to subscribe: Subscribe hereβ
And if something in here made you laugh, think, or book a flight⦠we'd love to hear about it. Just hit reply or tag us @chrisandsara_ on Instagram.
Want flight deals worth booking and travel updates that don't sound like marketing?
Join 10,000+ readers getting Field Notes. We're full-time travelers finding deals we'd actually book, bookmarking things worth your time, and writing honest updates from the road. You get the deals, the links, and the real storiesβweekly.