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Items included in this column are things that I have heard, seen or have been reported to me. I cannot vouch for their veracity.

Short Vacations

We don't drive very far on vacations or take long, expensive vacations. With the increasing price of travel, whether it be gas for the family vehicle or air-fare, I don't see that changing any time soon. It also seems like the older I get, the more I like to get home AND be at home.

My wife and I took a three day road trip in mid March. We went to everybody's top vacation spot, Iowa. We had some family business to attend to, so we spent the first night near the center of the Hawkeye State. From there, we ambled toward Iowa's northeastern corner. Sounds exciting, eh?

Central and Northeastern Iowa were in the path of the snowstorms this winter. We expected more of it to still be there. Only the remnants remain. Farm houses in the wide open spaces are usually surrounded by windbreaks. Impressive drifts, sometimes 10 or 12 feet deep remain in some of the yards, among the trees. Yet, the fields were, for the most part, snow-free.

We always enjoy seeing new places, regardless of where they are or what preconceived notions we hold about them. We drove through a small town called Green Mountain. We flatlanders have a whole different view of the word mountain than people from non-glaciated regions. "Green Mountain" is more of a high spot than a mountain. However, with the dearth of trees and rolling landscape, one can see quite a distance from the crest of the high spot.

Iowa families, or groups of families make up for the lack of lakes by creating swimming holes. We noticed this years ago while travelling through Northern Indiana and Ohio. Every few farms would have a glorified farm pond with a beach of transplanted sand and, usually, a dock. Some even have a shelter built near the water.

Many have a manmade island in the middle of their private lakes. If not, a permanent diving platform is frequently found there - often a permanently anchored pontoon boat takes its place. Of course, in March, the Iowa swimming holes are still frozen, solidly.

Somewhere east of Grundy Center (I just love that name) we saw something we'd never seen before. Tethered to one of these manmade islands were a half dozen well used runabouts. They were arrayed as if they were a kiddie ride at the county fair - One following the other, on top of the ice. I have no explanation.

From there, we headed into the driftless area of Northeast Iowa. Most people's vision of Iowa is quite different from the region's terrain. "Driftless" refers to the fact that this region was spared the land-leveling effect of the glaciers. This region is characterized by big hills with deep valleys reminiscent of the Ozark Plateau. Rocky outcroppings are not as common or pronounced as the ones in Northern Arkansas or Southern Missouri, but still provide interesting viewing. I imagine trout fighting the current in every one of the streams that flow between every pair of ridges.

We spent a night in Decorah, perhaps most famous as the home of Luther College. It was a sunny, warm (by Upper Midwest March standards) afternoon when we walked through the historic section of town, looking at homes built between the mid-1850's and early 1900's.

Some are very well kept or restored and some are in need of some work. Several have been turned into apartment houses. The numbers of mountain bikes chained outside would indicate that some of them are inhabited by Luther students.

Fortunately for my wife, my in-depth knowledge of architectural styles allowed me to enlighten her about the low and linear look of the Prairie School house design, the turrets and towers Queen Anne style homes and blend of European and American influences on the Italianate styles displayed in these historic dwellings. (The brochure I grabbed at the local chamber of commerce may also have been of some help).

On the north side of Decorah, a tourist attraction called "Ice Cave" can be seen and explored. Through the winter months, the rocks surrounding the cave gradually cool off. By March, the mass of rock is well below freezing. When the weather starts to warm in Spring and the humidity levels rise, the moisture in the air condenses, then freezes on the walls of the cave. The ice builds up to a thickness of 8-10 inches. The rocks and the cave usually stay cool enough that the ice lasts until August. A sign at the mouth of the cave states that the temperature in the cave stays at a steady 47 degrees through the summer.

The landscape of Northeast Iowa and Southeast Minnesota are very similar. Somewhere between the booming metropolis of Hesper, Iowa and Mabel, Minnesota lies the state line. One couldn't tell which state he was in except for one thing. As soon as you get into Minnesota, the ditches are littered with aluminum cans and bottles both plastic and glass. On the Iowa side, it is rare to see such litter.

When you purchase a beverage in Iowa, you pay a nickel deposit on the container. When you return it to a redemption center, you get the five cents back. We went to one of these while we were in state. It was very busy, even in late morning on a Wednesday. This seems like such a logical way to reduce litter and save energy. If I recall, it takes only about one-tenth of the energy to recycle an aluminum can as it does to make a new one - not to mention the savings of the bauxite ore and other resources used in producing new ones.

You are invited to send interesting, unusual and/or humorous items that could possibly be used in this space. If you choose to do so, please send it to [email protected].

If you prefer, you may send it to

Chisago County Press

Attn: Dave

12631 Lake Blvd.

Lindstrom, Mn 55045

or, you may bring it in to the office.

Sports stuff would be great, but, please do not limit yourselves. Politics, religion, culture (pop or otherwise) are welcomed. Please do not feel offended if your contribution is not included.

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