On our way back to Ohio, Tom and I spent several days in and around SPAM Town, USA, also known as Austin, Minnesota. We loved Austin, which is a small city of 24,000 people with a quirky sense of humor. Not every city would enjoy being called SPAM Town, but Austin takes pride in the …
From November 2021
Pikes Peak State Park: Grand Canyon of Iowa
The Grand Canyon of Iowa is Pikes Peak State Park, just a little south of Effigy Mounds National Monument. Located on the high bluffs above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, Pikes Peak has wonderful hiking and great views of the beautiful river valley. After spending the morning at Effigy Mounds, Tom and …
Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa
One of the National Park sites we visited on our way back to Ohio was Effigy Mounds National Monument in Iowa. Tom and I have seen most of the Native American mounds in Ohio, but we have also seen them in Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. When I was a kid, I thought the mounds were …
Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota
As Tom and I continued our trip back to Ohio, we stopped at Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota. We went to Pipestone once before, in 1990 when John was 2. I’m glad to say it hasn’t changed much, although it was interesting how little we remembered about our previous visit. Pipestone National Monument is notable …