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Dear Friends,
This update is for those folks who will be using our E/W Shuttle prior to RAGBRAI from the end town of Guttenberg to the start town of Orange City. This info is relevant for people parking a vehicle in Guttenberg, and particularly those with Pork Belly Ventures (and Padre's).
RIGHT: Our scouting meeting with RAGBRAI and Guttenberg folks on the wide Mississipp!
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Kudos to our old friends in Guttenberg, the 2025 RAGBRAI end-town, whose host committee led by Nancy McClellan and Dan Kuempel has made a solid plan for that first weekend, July 18/19! (For that matter, they've got a great plan for the 26th, too!) This update is devoted to the subjects of...
- our E/W Shuttle from Guttenberg to Orange City, on Friday and Saturday, July 18 and 19,
- long-term parking on our site in Guttenberg,
- indoor sleeping on site at our Guttenberg staging area,
- a Saturday morning breakfast sandwich, juice, and coffee, for pre-purchase and available in our staging area,
- box lunches available to take on board the coach both Friday and Saturday,
- and more.
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PBV Location in Guttenberg
At both the beginning and end of RAGBRAI, Pork Belly Ventures will be located at Lakeside Ballroom, 1201 N. 4th Street, Guttenberg, IA 52052.
It's likely that all vehicles belonging to our shuttle passengers will fit at in the parking space north of the ballroom, but it's always wise to sign up sooner rather than later.
Later in the season, we will publish a map of our location in Guttenberg and all of the overnight towns.
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Guttenberg Parking Prices
Use the link below to determine the price for your size vehicle. Standard cars and pickups are $125, and the prices for larger vehicles goes up from there to $200 for the largest.
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Print and Carry Guttenberg Parking Passes
We understand that everyone who signs up for parking will receive a confirmation email. Guttenberg asks that you print your confirmation and have it with you on the day.
Guttenberg Parking Hours
Parking lots will be open for vehicle check-in on Friday, July 18 from 11AM or earlier - 8PM and Saturday, July 19 from 5AM - 9AM.
Guttenberg Shuttle
The local shuttle will be running on 7/18 and 7/19. Particularly for those who want to park the car and visit local restaurants and who want to camp outdoors, the Guttenberg town shuttle will be of use!
Guttenberg Outdoor Camping
About 1.5 miles south of our staging area, you'll find Ingleside Park (aka Riverside Park), where you are welcome to camp outside. Shuttles will run at convenient times between the two places, and into the Guttenberg downtown area. But outdoor camping is not allowed at Lakeside Ballroom. If you want to stay on site, make the $25 payment for indoor sleeping (see below).
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Do Not Choose Other Parking Options
Guttenberg has done a superb job of clarifying where folks associated with our charter and other charters should park, so go with the flow and choose the North Parking Lot.
Here is
GUTTENBERG's GENERAL
PARKING LINK, which should now be live:
This PARKING LINK takes you to
the Guttenberg page where
parking, your breakfast at Lakeside,
and your box lunch can be ordered.
Details below.
For anyone NOT using Pork Belly Ventures charter,
please consult YOUR charter for the
proper parking location for you.
Choosing the north lot at Lakeside could create
an inconvenience for you and for Guttenberg.
(However, if you have an oversized vehicle,
the north parking option is the only option.)
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EXTRAS!
Three Conveniences for Our
E/W Shuttle Riders!
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First...
Indoor Sleeping Right on Site!
Lakeside Ballroom is happy to host indoor sleepers on Friday night, July 18th. This allows our shuttle passengers to pay $25 per person for the privilege and convenience of sleeping on site at long-term parking. Those who make the donation may bring their bedrolls into the ballroom to sleep indoors. The main bar is in a separate room. We understand that there may be some music on stage in the ballroom, but it will conclude at least by 9:00 PM, and possibly earlier.
You can select/reserve indoor sleeping only on your PBV application form. Login, click EDIT, and select it. Scroll down a bit for this pre-ride service, called "Guttenberg Indoor Sleeping on Friday." It is $25 for sleeping inside Lakeside Ballroom, and 100% will be given to Lakeside in the form of a check from PBV.
Pork Belly Ventures has ONE MONTH to sell indoor sleeping, friends. After that, Lakeside will be selling it via the Guttenberg website. Consider giving up your Dubuque hotel reservation and claiming a spot in the ballroom Friday night. This may or may not appeal to you, but we want you to know that you have a month to decide. ????
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Second...
Sack Lunches for Your Coach Ride
Whether you shuttle on Friday or on Saturday, you can order a sack lunch, prepared by a Guttenberg restaurant, to take on board the coach! This option supports our end town!
You can learn the details and select this option on the Guttenberg reservation form by clicking the Parking Link above.
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Your Saturday Morning Breakfast
Lakeside Ballroom is preparing breakfast sandwiches (sausage or bacon and egg and cheese) with juice and coffee, and you can order yours on the Guttenberg webpage by clicking the Parking Link above!
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Related Topics...
Camping In Guttenberg, Friday, July 18
Camp ONLY at Ingleside (or Riverside) Park, not at Lakeside Ballroom.
Hotel Reservations
Guttenberg is very small, and there are no available hotel rooms. Many of you may have made hotel reservations in Dubuque, about 38 miles south of Guttenberg. Whether or not to change the plan is up to you.
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Step-by-Step Plan
Later on, in our June Letter and other updates, we'll suggest a step-by-step plan for dropping off your bike for loading, leaving your bags near our work area, parking the vehicle, and walking back to our staging area on the wide street in front of Lakeside Ballroom. This will be easy for those on our E/W Shuttle! Many of you can remember other scenarios in other end towns, where this kind of convenience was not possible. We're happy about it!
ALLOW TIME.
No matter how close parking is to our staging area on Friday and Saturday, 7/18 and 7/19, please cushion your schedule and make your plans with time to spare for way-finding, congestion, and possible surprises.
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We will be learning more about Guttenberg's plans, and in fact, we will be visiting again in the early days of April. But for now, this is what we know. We will provide more information for you as we have it.
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REGARDING BUS DEPARTURES
The vast majority of those on our E/W Shuttle have given us your preferred departure on the drop-down menu associated with the E/W Shuttle on our PBV application form. Some 22 people have selected the shuttle, but have NOT selected a departure yet.
On all departures, we still have space available. We will have more than one coach, possibly four/five/six coaches, departing at each departure time.
Soon, Dave will begin creating bus rosters, using the all-important group name on applications.
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THE ALL-IMPORTANT GROUP NAME
ON APPLICATIONS
You may wonder, How on earth does Dave assign nearly a thousand riders to coaches, keeping friends and families together?
Good question... he uses the group names on applications. If you share a common group name with other riders, and if you selected the same departure day and time, then Dave will assign you all to the same coach.
We will have multiple coaches departing at your departure time, so if you're shuttling with friends (regardless of whether your last names are the same or whether you're on the same application), you need that group name.
Solo riders do not need a group name.
NOW IS THE TIME TO CORRECT GROUP NAMES. Let's not allow Dave to get all of his work done on the shuttle rosters, creating FULL coaches, only to learn that a bunch of people want to be moved to be with friends--these would be people who failed to include a group name. That is a big Tsk, tsk!
Please help us serve you better and do our work efficiently. If you're joining PBV or using a shuttle WITH OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR GROUP, we ask you, please, to include an identical common group name on all applications. Thank you.
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PADRE's Riders on Our E/W Shuttle
To all you Padre's Folks (spending the week of RAGBRAI with Padre's charter, but using our E/W Shuttle), the instructions and information above relate to you, and we plan to assign everyone with Padre's to an 8:00 AM departure on Saturday. If the 8:00 departure doesn't work for any of you Padre's Riders, write to Dave@pkbelly.com, please.
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ABOVE: Our team and our hosts in one of our overnight towns.
You might be able to sleep inside an historic log cabin!
We'll tell you more soon!
We will have a LOT to share during the month of April. Plan on hearing from us about bike shipping, massage appointments, hotel rooms, dorm rooms, and indoor sleeping. It's a lot for one month, folks, but we think it's best to get these opportunities out to you sooner rather than later!
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Until next time, we wish you warm temps and training rides!
Tammy and Pete
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Pork Belly Ventures LLC
Tammy: 808-375-8921 c, tammy@pkbelly.com
Pete: 402-681-2613 c, pete@pkbelly.com
www.pkbelly.com
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