Editor's Pick: A Day at Play on Iowa City Culinary Ride: Best of 2012

Editor's Note: As the year winds down, Iowa City Patch is looking back at some of the stories that made you talk, cry, laugh or just scratch your head.

A Day at Play on Iowa City Culinary Ride 2012

• By B.A. Morelli
• Originally published September 17, 2012

From red raspberries straight from the bush to backdrops of sprawling prairies to miles of open roads, cyclists were in for a treat on Sunday, both figuratively and literally. 

About 150 riders toured through Johnson County's countryside on a idyllic fall day on Sunday for the second annual Culinary Ride. Both the shorter 32-mile "Cherry Tomato" route and the longer 60-mile "Beet-it-Up" loop, offered cyclists plenty of fresh local foods, brews and all the fresh air you could handle.

Check out coverage of last year's Culinary Ride:

The ride took cyclists to Green Castle Organics where bees are used for honey production, Northern Ridge Berry Farm with an endless supply of red raspberries and Waterworks Prairie Park. Augusta Restaurant in Oxford, Millstream Brewery in Amana and Red's Ale House in North Liberty balanced out the day. Iowa City staples including Devotay, Bluebird, Bread Garden Market, Trumpet Blossom Cafe, and Griddle Me This! supplied good eats along the way. Geoff's Bike and Ski furnished a bike mechanic for fixes along the way.

A few gravel roads kept things interesting with views of parts of the county you rarely stumble across.

A few people who've blogged on Patch were also part of the event. Bike blogger Audrey Weidemeier was the main coordinator for the event and Chef Gaby whipped up food for riders.