Travel Iowa

[Iowa Dave]

There are virtually no mosquitoes this year. It has been vey droughty and the vernal pools dried up quickly this spring so no mosquito hatch to amount to anything. Except for the SE 1/8 of Iowa we are all in drought status. There are ticks. Mostly wood ticks. There are deer ticks but the ticks and the possibility of Lyme disease is pretty low especially if so precautions are taken. Long sleeved clothes, clothes sprayed with repellant, self examination after being in the brush are good protections. The regular wood ticks are about and are encountered in woody areas. I’ve been out quite a bit lately and have found three ticks crawling on my arms in the last two weeks but none have bit in. The dog gets Bravecto and if ticks bite him they die before they can become embedded. We do not have the large cicada hatch here like they are experiencing further East. Most days are breezy with wind speeds 7 to 10 mph which is the threshold for insects bothering people. I have a 30% deet repellant for application to skin and a second product for
Spraying clothing. It lasts through 6 washings. Which is months for this old man. Maybe it’s the stink that keeps them away, don’t know. Hope this helps. Here’s a picture of the SAWYER brand product we use on clothing to repel ticks and chiggers. Socks, shoe tops. Pants legs and waistbands.
Iowa Dave

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

State park fee went up $4 a night on the electric sites this spring. First real increase in 10 years. A couple things about camping.
1. I believe the “rule of thumb” is 25% of the sites are walk-ins. In the state parks.
2. There are some nice corps of engineers campgrounds in Iowa where the senior pass can be used
3 There are 99 counties in Iowa. Each county system is governed by a county conservation board. I believe all of the systems have camping. They set their own rates. They set their walk in percentage of walk in if any and some do not have reservations. Access these county operations through
mycountyparks.com .

Nobody is full during the week right now till school gets out but weekends can be crowded or competitive.
About every county has a nature center in their system with a naturalist who is tasked with programming.
Iowa Dave .

Hi: Iowa Dave... Here's to the #1 Iowa promoter. You're outstanding in your field!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: Iowa Dave... Here's to the #1 Iowa promoter. You're outstanding in your field!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

When you call and Rita says I’m out, she really does mean I’m outstanding in my field.
Iowa Dave

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by azjack

Don't come here May to Sept.
AZjack

As an aside, don't come to Florida May to September either. Make that May to mid-October.

[Mike G]

Thanks, Dave, that's a big reassurance. I hope to get out the door in a few days. Winterset, Ledges, Maquoketa, Pike's Peak, and Decorah area are all on my target list. Might check out the Spirt Lake area if I don't wear out and/or sunburn.

Oh, and my daughter has already asked me to bring her some blue cheese from Maytag Dairy; seems she stopped in there a few years back and the stuff made an impression.

There is no way that could be this year's corn crop. Late July maybe?

[Padre]

So Dave, we are here at Sandy Creek near Muscatine. Heading west, intent is to avoid interstates. I see 34, 30 and 20. Do you have a preference?

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Padre

So Dave, we are here at Sandy Creek near Muscatine. Heading west, intent is to avoid interstates. I see 34, 30 and 20. Do you have a preference?

When we are going west and intend to get onto I 90 through South Dakota we take 20 across. It’s mostly divided Highway, pretty new and fairly level. Then we go up 29 and stay at the Corps of Engineers facility at Yankton SD. If we are going to cross Nebraska and don’t want to take I 80.we take 3o and Cross at Missouri Valley Iowa. We rarely take 34 because it’s out of us and we only go down into Kansas on rare occasion. It’s a lot less divided Highway, mostly two lane and if you get behind livestock or grain trucks you’ll be back there a while before you can pass. And it’s overall slower but eventually you’ll have to go north to get I-80 or I 29 up into South Dakota. We live 1/2 mile south of 30 about four miles west of Atkins.
Depending upon how far you travel per day, on 30 a nice little county park is Arrowhead in just east of Council Bluffs a few miles. Off of 34 not too far is Viking Lake state park, it’s a nice park too near Emerson Iowa, Home of Mrs Olsen of coffee commercial fame and it’s called the little white city because all the houses are painted white and the water tower looks like a Swedish painted coffee pot. Hope this helps.
Iowa Dave

[johnnyv]

I think Mrs Olsen lived in Mediapolis also. Don't know if it was a step up or down.

[Iowa Dave]

I made a mmmmmmistake. One of my maintenance Guys was from Emerson Iowa when I was in Council Bluffs. He was an avid camper and liked to camp at Viking Lake and encouraged me me to go there the first time. We really liked the park. To go there we went right past Stanton,
Iowa, not Emerson. Stanton was the home of Mrs. Olsen and my maintenance man was a contemporary and knew her family well. The folks in Stanton were real proud of their super clean little town and after mowing grass started in the spring there was a neighbor pressure practice that everyone mowed their lawn on Thursday after work or on Friday. I will say it looked pretty sharp for the weekend. Little turn of the century homes with gingerbread trim on the porches, all painted a stark white, tole painted water tower with a sheet metal spout. And deep green grass. Used to catch a lot of nice red eared sunfish in the lake
And black crappies in the spring.
Iowa Dave
https://www.google.com/search?q=stan...h-mfIist94jFbM

https://www.google.com/search?q=stan...kWjnmlX-kfyz8M

[Craiger]

Dave, next time you're near Griswold it's south of Atlantic. Stay at the Cocklin fish farm it has about 30 RV spots is like $15 a night, with electricity. Oh I forgot to mention my wife's last name is Cocklin, donation from the family to the city.

[Iowa Dave]

Hi Craig
We had some good friends in Atlantic and I had an employee who lived in Griswold at one time. I used to fish the East Nishnabotna River at Lewis once in a while for catfish. Lewis, Iowa is a little town and your note about Griswold made me remember it. I looked up Lewis which is down to about 440 people or so.
But, they can never take away their pride for their most notable person Edwin Perkins. He invented Kool-aid. I drank a lot of cherry Kool aid it was my favorite until I was about 65. Since then my favorite has been Escape.
Iowa Dave

[cpaharley2008]

My favorite flavor is "BEER".........

[outwiththedogs]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

When you call and Rita says I’m out, she really does mean I’m outstanding in my field.
Iowa Dave

Speaking of outstanding, I just learned that Iowa’s Raccoon River Valley trail is the 2021 Rail-Trail Hall of Fame inductee. RTT calls it the “quintessential central Iowa experience”. The trail is 89 miles long and goes through farmlands, woodlands and prairies. Votes came from RTT members and the Raccoon River won over a trail in Washington, one in Massachusetts and another couple I don’t recall. Congratulations to Iowa promoters (yup, Dave that’s you) and what sounds like a pretty wonderful trail.

Catherine

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by outwiththedogs

Speaking of outstanding, I just learned that Iowa’s Raccoon River Valley trail is the 2021 Rail-Trail Hall of Fame inductee. RTT calls it the “quintessential central Iowa experience”. The trail is 89 miles long and goes through farmlands, woodlands and prairies. Votes came from RTT members and the Raccoon River won over a trail in Washington, one in Massachusetts and another couple I don’t recall. Congratulations to Iowa promoters (yup, Dave that’s you) and what sounds like a pretty wonderful trail.

Catherine

i was involved with local trail development through my job for 24 years with the City of Cedar Rapids. Both my Commissioner and I walked and biked a lot of trails to learn about development, management and maintenance. The rails to trails movement has been a very critical part of the establishment of trails because land acquisition is where it all starts. The Raccoon River is pretty scenic with good fall fishing and some spectacular valley vistas for midwestern leaf peeping. A brisk walk in mid November through a wooded section is great for 'stick season' afficiandoes and dog walkers. Hope you're having a great summer and enjoying your Escape. it was good to see you at Thompson Causeway.
iowa Dave

[Mike G]

Originally Posted by Iowa Dave

i was involved with local trail development through my job for 24 years with the City of Cedar Rapids. Both my Commissioner and I walked and biked a lot of trails to learn about development, management and maintenance. The rails to trails movement has been a very critical part of the establishment of trails because land acquisition is where it all starts. The Raccoon River is pretty scenic with good fall fishing and some spectacular valley vistas for midwestern leaf peeping. A brisk walk in mid November through a wooded section is great for 'stick season' afficiandoes and dog walkers. Hope you're having a great summer and enjoying your Escape. it was good to see you at Thompson Causeway.
iowa Dave

Shucks, to be so lucky; you got paid to hike and bike the trails! Sweet deal!

[Iowa Dave]

Originally Posted by Mike G

Shucks, to be so lucky; you got paid to hike and bike the trails! Sweet deal!

On one of our own trails (Sac and Fox) we had a flash flood situation one year. When our landscape architect was slow to respond the Commissioner told me to get a report together to assess the damage, estimate time and quantities needed for repair and document locations of repair needed. Pronto.
I got my camera, water bottles, measuring wheel and notebook and headed out. I walked and measured the 7.6 mile trail and took 72 photos. Kept track of the location (mile marker by tenths), and described the damage in writing and with tape measure depths of washouts, tree diameters, bridge repairs needed etc. Had the photos developed and put the report together. Dropped it on the Commissioners desk with a thud.
“What the hell is this” he asked. I just said “I thought you wanted a report”. And walked away. He submitted it to FEMA and we got a grant for a trail repair that made things better than ever. I got paid, was glad to do it and set the bar where not many people could jump over it in the future.
When you like your job you aren’t working, you’re learning and making the job work for you. That was my experience.
Iowa Dave