Travels in Iowa

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Saturday, June 5th

We break camp early in the morning because of an unexpected rainstorm and drive east toward the Mississippi River and up to Guttenberg, Iowa, a center for German immigrants in the 1840’s. Many families, including the Muellers and Fischers (Leigh’s family), traveled through here on the way west to Iowa farmlands where they settled. The town displays an excellent copy of the Gutenberg Bible in honor of its German heritage (and its name).

We continue north along the Mississippi and cap our German experience by stopping at a brewpub in McGregor for lunch. We then visit the nearby Effigy Mounds National Monument featuring large mounds in the shape of animals built by the Native American Woodlands culture hundreds of years ago. They are so large their shapes can't be easily discerned from the ground. After a short stop at the interpretive center, we head for western Iowa to visit Leigh's relatives.

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Photos

VIew of the Mississippi
As we approach Guttenberg, we stop at a vista point for our first view of the Mississippi from above.

Mississippi channels
Although the Mississippi is very wide at this point, the waters are interspersed with many islands.

Guttenberg, IA
The main street of the little town of Guttenberg runs along the river front.

Guttenberg
Many of the buildings date from the time when German immigrants first settled here.

Guttenberg locks
Powerful tugboats push huge barges through a series of dams and locks along the Mississippi.

Through the lock
Once the lock fills, the tug can nudge the row of barges forward.

The road north
We follow the river north along a road lined by limestone cliffs.

Higher view of the Mississippi
As the road rises, we capture a wide view of the Mississippi.

Lunch break
We grab lunch at a brew pub in McGregor, another river town with restored buildings and cobbled streets.

Rolled alfalfa bales
As we head for western Iowa, we drive through miles of green alfalfa and spot many rolled bales of alfalfa already harvested earlier this season.

Rain clouds
When the evening sky looks a bit threatening, we decide to find a motel rather than look for a campsite.