BEAUTY IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3

I’m here at the On-Ur-Wa RV Park [Onawa, IA] for the third day.  Because I did my laundry yesterday, and also worked on my second blog of this trip, I didn’t have the opportunity to review my travel materials and make decisions as to where to go and what to see from this point on.  So, I did that today, on this, another pleasant and slightly breezy day.

Sitting outside with my travel materials, Veoletta, the owner of this RV Park, came by to water flowers that she had planted at the bases of the trees here.  I’d noticed, since I’ve been here, a constant flurry of cotton-like stuff floating down from above -- so I asked Veoletta what it was.  “Cotton,” she said – all the trees here are cottonwood trees and this is the season for these wispy white seeds to float down from the branches.  When she explained that to me I had a memory of seeing the same thing during a past truck camper trip, in Nebraska I think it was.

Back at my camp chair, with cotton coming down like wayward snow, I continued to look at my materials and make decisions.  One thing I decided -- to stay here for two more nights, Sunday and Monday – so I went to the office and paid for the additional two nights.  This RV Park has become my “home base” – an idea that I’m thinking may be a good one as I travel.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4

Being that I’m presently within the region of Iowa’s famous and scenic “Loess Hills,” I decided to drive around them thar hills today.  But first, some background information, per the materials I reviewed.

Located in western Iowa, “Loess Hills” stretches for 220 miles from Akron, in northern Iowa, to the Missouri border at the southern end of the state.  The main paved road (known as the “spine”) is designated one of “America’s Byways” and there are 185 additional miles of optional excursion loop roads which are both paved and gravel.

“Formed by deposits of very fine, windblown soil at the end of the last ice age, these are not your average hills.  The only other place you can find taller loess formations is in China.  The delicate ecology is home to many rare and diverse species of plants and animals, as well as a rich archaeological history.”  Loess, I checked, is pronounced “luss” and means “wind blown silt.”

Within driving distance for me today are two of those loop roads and I drove on them both – Wilderness Loop and Preparation Loop, plus the Larpenteur Memorial Road Connection.  The day was ideal for the drive…mostly sunny, mid-80s…and I was practically the only traveler on those narrow roads.  I passed farms and marveled at how the farmers laid out their corn fields on hilly slopes; I noted, but couldn’t recognize other crop; I watched a farmer work to pick up and move a rolled bale of hay and saw how green his grassy field was; I entered the Loess Hills State Forest and went up an observation deck for a view of the area that spread out in front of me.  It falls to us, it really does, to protect, preserve, and maintain natural ecological wonders such as these hills.

Back at my “home base” at around 3:00 p.m. I settled in for the evening, sitting outside and watching other RVs arrive.  Wasn’t too long before I retreated into the camper…the flies here sure do bite!

Pics below of the drive around the Loess Hills Wilderness and Preparation loop roads...

View from the Loess Hills State Forest observation deck…

MONDAY, AUGUST 5

Not far from here is the Lewis and Clark State Park, located on Blue Lake, and I thought I would go there today, walk around and check out the full-sized replica of “Best Friend,” Lewis and Clark’s keelboat/barge.  Good thing I paid attention to the State Park’s website because the keelboat isn’t open for viewing on Mondays.  Ah, well.

Veoletta [the Park owner] has a 14-year old dog, Harley, – “Deaf, too,” she told me yesterday – that wanders around the grounds here.  Seeing the dog sniffing around near my camper this morning I went outside, just at the precise moment Veoletta came by to retrieve him.  We exchanged greetings and, since I recalled that her ad for this RV Park indicated an April to October season, I asked her why that was.  She said it gets to be 20 below zero around here during the winter months.  Smiling at the “Whaaat?” look I had on my face she went on to say that RVers stop coming in October; she and John, her husband, prepare the Park for closure; they shut off the water and purge the water faucets at all the sites; they cover up the office windows; they hang a link chain across the entrance; and then they head down, in their motorhome, to their other place in Arizona and stay there for six months.  What a life!

TUESDAY, AUGUST 6

After having spent five days/nights here at the On-Ur-Wa RV Park in Onawa, I said “Good-Bye” to Veoletta, John, and Harley and thanked them for a nice and comfortable stay.  Lovely folks, these two!

I took a series of country roads (Rts. 175E, 141N, 31N, 20W, 140N, and 3W) to Le Mars, located in northwest Iowa, just north of Sioux City.  For part of the drive I was still within the vicinity of the Loess Hills and then, as I veered northward, the two-lane roads traversed through rolling hills of farmland and small farm communities.  So much green on the ground – the hills, the fields, the trees, and, yes, the corn! – made for a beautiful contrast against the clear blue sky.  The crops, the fields of grass, the farmhouses, the barns - and even the silos - were all amazingly immaculate.  The folks here, the farmers who feed our nation, take obvious pride in their land.

Before I left Onawa this morning I called the Willow Creek Campground in Le Mars and tried to leave a “reservation request” on their answering machine.  It didn’t work out – the VRS operator said I was “fuzzy” so I sent an email instead.  When I arrived at the campground they were expecting me and ready to register me -- Site #7 for two nights.  But first, I wanted to see the town…

Le Mars is the “Ice Cream Capital of the World.” Blue Bunny ice cream is made here and this town makes more ice cream than any other location on Earth.  Platted in 1869 Le Mars became a thriving community and many old buildings, within the historic downtown, have been preserved.  I drove around a little bit, looking at the styles and conditions of houses around some of the older neighborhoods.  It’s really cool, I tell ya, to drive through America’s small towns and check out their old movie theaters, Mom & Pop stores, old schools, gas stations, etc.

Finding a place to park, I walked over to a brick building, built in 1917, that “…was home to a car dealership…” and is now the “Ice Cream Parlor.”  The “Blue Bunny” story, including a video and the artifacts of that time are on display inside the building.  And ice cream!  I had a double-dip waffle cone.

Back at the campground I set up my camper and took a look around.  Right behind me is Willow Creek and directly in front is a fishing pond with a swimming section.  It’s nice and tranquil here.

Willow Creek, from my camper's rear door.

The pond.  Earlier Le Mars residents cooled off here.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7

Soon as I got up I went for a walk around the pond and took some pictures in the morning light…

There's fish in the pond but nothing is rippling yet...

My camper across the pond, nestled under the shade of trees.

I did my usual blog/photo stuff in the camper today and, since the Wi-Fi signal was strong enough from within my camper, I used my iPad to VP with a friend who contacted me the other day regarding a question he had.  I was glad to experience, despite some lag time and fuzziness in the conversation, success with this VP connection.  The internet is key – it’s got to be strong enough.

Around 3:00 p.m., all decked out in my swim suit, I headed over to the beach part of the pond and, as the long-ago folks had done right here, cooled off!  In the shallow part of the water, I could see through the surface some of the small fish taking an interest in my ankles.  Venturing out further, up to my knees, I could still see the fish through the surface.  They seemed to be braver in deeper water because they hit on my ankles with their mouths and tails.  That was an interesting sensation!

THURSDAY, AUGUST 8

I can’t predict rain…and I certainly can’t hear it.  I don’t know how long it had been raining but around 3:00 a.m. I was jolted awake by drops of rainwater.  So as to let the cool air circulate inside the camper through the night, I left both cabover side windows and the overhead vent/exit window open.  At some point as I slept I did feel cool enough to reach for my top sheet and blanket…and raindrops from the overhead window had been falling on that.  I closed the windows but it was really too late.  My bottom sheet was damp, too, and there was no way I could sleep on that bed.  “Well, lesson learned, MAP, probably best to always close that overhead window when you go to bed!”

I cleared items off the dining table, lowered the table, adjusted the seat cushions, and went back to sleep there.  I slept just fine and by 7:30 a.m. I was up and preparing for departure.  The sheets and blanket were, of course, still damp so I left that bed unmade.  Leaving Le Mars I took Rt. 3W and Rt. 60N to Rt. 10E, a portion of which went through the northern section of the Glacial Byway loop road.  I soon reached Rt. 71 and drove north towards the Okoboji and “Iowa Great Lakes” area.  I had a destination but, despite an unsuccessful VRS call and an email I sent last night to an RV Park in the vicinity, I had no idea if a site would even be available.  Aware of the reputation of where I’m going, I’m taking a chance here.

They did get my email and there was a site for me, but only for today, at the Cenla RV Park in Spirit Lake. This area is popular for water recreation and other activities that appeal to families and to both young and older people.  Being that tomorrow is Friday, it’s no wonder this RV Park is already full for the weekend.  According to the Okoboji tourist magazine, there are five glacier carved lakes that make up the “Iowa Great Lakes” in this area: Spirit Lake, West Okoboji, East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Lower Gar, and Minnewashta.  My RV Park is on a smaller lake, Center Lake, a short distance north of Okoboji.

After paying for my site I turned back to Okoboji and found a place to park (not always easy with the truck camper combo) at the Arnolds Park Amusement Park.  The main attraction at this park is the “Legend Roller Coaster,” a wooden roller coaster dubbed “…the seventh oldest coaster in the United States and 13^th oldest in the world.”  While a place like this, with crowds of people, is really not my kind of area to visit when I travel in the truck camper, I became curious, however, about the lakes here following a conversation not long ago with a Gallaudet employee who told me he had come here as a young boy.  The amusement park is situated right on West Okoboji Lake and I was able to walk around the enclosure to the lake itself.  It sure was beautiful – and today was gorgeous, too – with boats and other assorted watercraft.  I found a place, and an outside table, to get some lunch – a delicious plate of fish and chips!

Entrance to the amusement park, Okoboji, IA.

The Legend Roller Coaster, as seen from West Okoboji Lake.

Getting the camper set up back at my site I realized the lady who registered me this morning neglected to give me their Wi-Fi password.  I headed over there and a different lady assisted me.  I asked her about the possibility of a reservation cancellation and she agreed to let me know if they get one.  I got on my laptop and, along with my Iowa map, searched for potential State, County, and RV Parks that might be likely to have available sites tomorrow – Friday, almost always designated Day 1 of the weekend.  I was so focused on my research I had no idea, until I saw it, that a note, signed by Vicki, had been taped to my screen door.  "We have a cancellation…come by the office tomorrow morning!"

That wasn’t my only good news as this day came to a close.  I love sunsets, especially over a body of water, and so, shortly before 8:00 p.m., I walked over to the fishing pier, said “Hi” to the two guys fishing there (Boy, you sure do need infinite patience for this sort of recreation!) and watched the sun make its way down to the horizon.  There were no clouds to bring out the sunset colors, but this setting sun had a halo around it, which made this sunset, in and of itself, very special.

Sunset - Center Lake, Spirit Lake, IA, viewed from the Cenla RV Park fishing pier.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 9

Per Vicki’s note, as soon as I saw that the motorhome on Site #115 had left I could move from my current site to that one.  That I did and then went to the office where still another lady assisted me with my payment.  In the event I don’t encounter Vicki before I leave, I asked this lady to please thank Vicki for me.  Being able to stay here until Sunday is a huge relief!

My plan for today and tomorrow is to finish up and post Blog #3 (this one!) and finish reading my book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.  I also want, since I divided Iowa into four “quads” to drive around, to prepare to move on from this, the Northwest Quad, to the Northeast Quad.  Starting on Sunday.