We made it to Effingham, Illinois late this afternoon after having the RV and Jeep washed at the local truck wash! After our stay at Sampson Springs Campground in Decorah, Iowa and the dirt road we traveled to and from the campground, both needed a good washing! Thank goodness for the Blue Beacon Truck Wash located throughout the United States! Fifty bucks and both were washed! We highly recommend them to our fellow RV traveling friends! You can Google them for their locations.
Here are photos of our visit as we left Prior Lake, Minnnesota and our stay in Decorah, Iowa with our friends Donna and Dick Brown! When I have improved Internet abilities, I will share our journey while in Davenport, Iowa. Enjoy!
AUGUST 10, 2015
Goodbye Prior Lake - We will see you when the boats are gone and the ice fishing cabins are present!
We weren't sure we were going to see the Amish traveling but we did!
One of the quietest campgrounds ever. Thom so enjoyed looking at the stars in the evening.
We were literally the only guests! Two RVs are parked full-time and the owners come every weekend during the summer. Apparently this is trout fishing country on the weekends.
Our place!
Decorah, IA sunset
AUGUST 11, 2015
Effigy Mounds National Monument
The Mississippi River channel on our way to Effigy Mounds National Monument.
Effigy Mounds National Monument
The Mississippi River channel on our way to Effigy Mounds National Monument.
Conical Mounds at the entrance to the 2 mile hike up to the ridge of the Mississippi River.
There are three here that hold 12 of the 59 human remains found within the mounds of the park. There are a few other hikes but we opted for just the 2 mile loop.
This was a great hike that inclined quite a bit the first .3 miles, which felt like .6 miles! Once we made that climb, the rest of the hike was pretty easy going but we had to be careful on the hike down; it got very steep in places and we weren't really prepared to be hiking, but then again we didn't know we would be!
Conical mound.
This is such a lovely national park.
Little Bear Mound. If you look close enough, you can see the head to the left, arm in the middle, and leg to the rear. It was quite an interesting site. We will return to see the others when we return, most likely 2016.
Compound Mounds are conical mounds joined by linear mounds. Due to the sun coming through the trees, it is difficult to truly see the mounds in the photos.
The view from Fire Point.
The leaves are turning already.
The view from Eagle Rock.
Thom with our dear friend Dick Brown.
Me and my dear friend Donna Brown, an artist who we have the privilege to have three of her beautiful prints! We had lunch after the hike at Beer & Brats! She looks rested and I was a mess!
Pikes Peak State Park
Pikes Peak consists of 96 acres and is 500 feet above the Mississippi River at 1130 feet above sea level. There are 11.5 miles of hiking trails including 3 miles to Point Ann consisting of dirt, grass or crushed rock. There are 190 boardwalk steps to Bridal Veil Falls. Pikes Peak was selected as a fort site in 1805 by Zeb Pike two years before he went to Colorado. There are 63 effigy, conical, and linear mounds within the park. We didn't have time to truly explore this park but we will when we return where we just might camp for a few days!
Famous for its majestic views of the Mississippi River, Pikes Peak State Park is one of the most photographed places in Iowa.
There were several bald eagles soaring before us but I could only capture one and I had to really zoom it in and cross my fingers that I got the shot!
McGregor, Iowa
McGregor is located on the Mississippi River across from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Pikes Peak State Park is located just south of the city. The population in 2011 was 871. Notables from this very quaint town include the Ringling Brothers (circus) and Lucy Hobbs Taylor, the first woman in the world to earn a degree as Doctor of Dental Surgery. This is also the town where our friend Donna Brown has a few of her beautiful, original paintings displayed.
Historic downtown McGregor, IA.
This is where Donna Brown has a few of her paintings available to view and to purchase.
Aunt Sadie's Cabin, circ. 1842
John Downs escaped the potato famine in Ireland, came to Wexford, Iowa and built this cabin in 1842. The Downs family raised 9 children in this cabin. Downs' stepdaughter Sadie inherited the cabin and lived there until she was 92. Bud Jameson purchased and transported the cabin to McGregor in 1987 to this site and gave it modern conveniences like running water, electricity, and a Jacuzzi. Today this cabin is an extension of the Little Switzerland Inn.
There once was a cave entrance to the right of the cave opening but has been made to look like a residence!
Praire du Chien, Wisconsin
Praire du Chien sits across the Mississippi River from McGregor, Iowa. The population in 2010 was 5911. It is often referred to as Wisconsin's second oldest city. This small town was established as a European settlement by French voyageurs in the late seventeenth century. The city is located near the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, which we could see from Pikes Peak State Park. Again, we will explore this area more when we return.
The Mississippi River - We have visited a few cities along this river and each area brings another view such as this one as we crossed into Wisconsin.
Per our historian friend Donna Brown, this area was once a residential area where most of the homes have been torn down with the exception of a few like this one.
Built in 1851-52 by fur trader and merchant, B.W. Brisbois, this stone building sits on land having a long association with the North American fur trade. Prior to the War of 1812, the property was owned by a number of prominent traders and companies. During the war, a log structure on the property was used by U.S. soldiers for housing while nearby Fort Shelby was under construction. After the war, the property became the site of a U.S. Fur Factory. In the 1820s the land was sold to the American Fur Company who held it until its sale to Brisbois in 1850. Through much of the twentieth century the building was known as the Riverside Boat Repair. The Wisconsin Historical Society acquired the building in the 1970s and established the Fur Trade Museum.
We explored an area that had old railcars like this one.
The one above, has the old engine exposed, which was great for us to see!
Sculptures of History, Mississippi River Sculpture Park
More than two dozen life-size bronze statues are planned for the park. The five below are already installed. These represent the stories and lives of the men and women who shaped the Upper Mississippi River Valley on the land now called Prairie du Chien. I have included a photo of the outlines for each bronze statue below each one.
DR. WILLIAM BEAUMONT AND ISRAEL
BLACK HAWK
THE VOYAGEUR
EMMA BIG BEAR
VICTORIAN/VICTORIOUS
SAMPSON SPRINGS CAMPGROUND
DECORAH, IA
The Sampson Springs
Peace and Solitude - We could have/should have stayed here for a week at least!
The corn field where the owners have mowed a walking trail. We have driven on interstates out west that have had corn fields upon corn fields but never realized just how high the stalks grew until we actually took a walk to the corn field!
Until next blog, and please know that it might be a while depending on the Internet at the next campground, which will be the Clarksville RV Park, Tennessee!
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