Sunday, June 9, 2019, IA

It was another day of exploring. First stop - Effigy Mounds National Monument, just north of Marquette, IA. The American Indians created hills in familiar shapes - animals rising out of the ground between 850 and 1400 years ago. They built mounds in the shapes of bison,  birds, turtles, lizards and bears. They may have been religious sites or clan symbols used in social ceremonies. Their meaning is unclear. Many of their personal items, useful tools, trade goods, and pottery have been found. Unfortunately, I did not wear good walking shoes so other than the 1/2 mile boardwalk trail, we didn’t walk much or get out to the mounds. The water from the Yellow River was grossly overflowing it’s banks and was sprawled out way farther than it ever should be. Hardwood trees should not be swimming.

Villa Louis, a historic mansion on St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien, was our next stop, although we had no intention of touring the mansion itself, we did want to take the self guided tour and see the Fur Trader’s Museum. Too bad, I t was closed for repairs, so we walked the paths around the mansion and peeked in a window here and there.  Many of the roads on the island are also closed due to flooding the only way out was to go the wrong way on a one-way-street.

On to Fort Crawford - the second location of the fort, as it was relocated because of flooding at the original site on St. Feriole Island. Zachary Taylor and JeffersonnDavis were stationed there during the Black Hawk War.  It was used as a recruiting site for the Civil War. Little of the original fort remains, so we opted to just walk around the exterior and learn a few things.

We were both hungry by then, so we set off to the Winneshiek Marina and the bar and grill overlooking the Marina and a channel to the Mississippi River.  We sat on the deck and had a beer and a bite to eat. Nice environment, good food, and Spotted Cow beer - yum!