Trails - Just Around The Bend Travel

September 10, 2022March 31, 2023

Join your friends on the Northeast Iowa Farm Crawl

The 2022 Northeast Iowa Farm Crawl is Saturday, September 17, and Sunday, September 18. Enjoy the autumn weather and the scenic views of the driftless region as you visit the region’s agricultural businesses.

If you plan on visiting all the businesses on the tour, it will take both days as there is so much to see and do, plus there is quite a distance between stops, plus you may want to stop and take pictures of the scenic beauty.

Convergence CiderWorks

New to Decorah and new to the Northeast Iowa Farm Crawl, Convergence CiderWorks is a must-visit in historic downtown Decorah. The business may be new, but the building is not and is worth a stop just to check it out. Once inside, you will want to try a full-bodied hard cider and their delicious food.

Empty Nest Winery

Empty Next Winery specializes in small-batch fruit wines. Instead of posting a picture of a glass and bottle of wine, it seemed appropriate to post a picture of the family’s farm, as the views from the patio are spectacular.

Also available are sangria, craft beer, and hard cider.

Sit outside on the patio or under the gazebo and enjoy a palate-pleasing glass of wine.

The winery is located on the Pam and Dave Kruger family farm, formally a dairy farm. Materials from the dairy barn were used in the construction of the winery.

Cheers!

Northeast Iowa Dairy Center

The Northeast Iowa Dairy Center, is a place to learn about the dairy industry, which will be a great help when you play trivia pursuit, you can pet a cow, and watch in awe as a robot milks the cows. Oh, yeah, don’t forget to snap a selfie with your favorite cow.

Peake Orchards

You never know what you will find at Peake Orchards. In this case, it was a baby calf. The hay rides out to the orchards are a lot of fun and an opportunity to meet new friends. The hays brought back lots of memories of 4-H hay rides on the gravel roads in Winneshiek County.

Purchasing a bag or more of apples is a must, as is enjoying a sweet-tasting sticky caramel apple sundae.

Pinter’s Gardens & Pumpkins

A favorite purchase at Pinter’s Gardens & Pumpkins gift shop is the freshly made fudge and cupcakes. Don’t forget to grab a bag of made-on-site popcorn, which comes in different flavors.

The garden center is filled with healthy, colorful, blooming fall flowers.

Seed Savers Exchange

Be aware that you can spend hours at Seed Savers Exchange exploring the picturesque farm. Take time to visit the gift shop, as you will want to pick up heirloom seeds to plant in your garden next year.

There are many opportunities to take selfies at Seed Savers Exchange.

Winneshiek Wildberry Winery

A family-owned and operated winery located on the family farm in northern Winneshiek County. Visitors are sure to find a favorite wine at Winneshiek Wildberry Winery.

Cheese Capital of Iowa

A cooler full of fresh squeaky cheese curds will be waiting for you at WW Homestead Dairy. You will also find a selection of hard-packed ice cream.

Other participating businesses

The following businesses are also participating in this year’s NE Iowa Farm Crawl. The plan for this year is to visit these nine agriculture businesses in the quest to experience new favorites. The businesses are Pop’s Produce, Plagman Barn, Iowa Dairy Farmer Dan Venteicher, Great River Maple, Country View Dairy, Heaven Boutique Winery, Unionland Feed & Food Market, Red Rock Farms, and Frisky Fox Vineyard & Winery.

Recommendations

If you are an early riser, make sure to include a visit Saturday morning to one of the area’s Farmers’ Markets. Decorah is from 8-11:00 a.m., Guttenberg is from 8-12:00 noon, and Independence is from 8-12:00 noon.

The “Farm to Fork” dinner at the Volga City Opera House, 609 Washington St., Volga, Iowa, on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Lunch is made from local ingredients. For tickets, visit vctcinc.org or call 319-509-0308 for more information.
2022 NE Iowa Farm Crawl map

The 2022 NE Iowa Farm Crawl map can be found at Visit Iowa. The map lists phones, addresses, and hours for each business.

April 23, 2022April 5, 2024

Second Stop: Independence, MO

This blog article is dedicated to my beautiful (inside and out) 32-year-old, niece Aeriel Noorhana Celeste Corson New, who earned her heavenly wings on February 1, 2022.

After leaving New Franklin last July on my trip to New Mexico, I headed to Blue Springs, MO for a long-awaited visit with Aeriel and her family before settling in for the night at a Blue Springs Airbnb. It never crossed my mind that this would be the last time I would see her. I love you, Aeriel. You hold a special place in my heart.

After a restful night’s sleep, I got up, skipped breakfast, and headed out to meet my guides, Sarah and Alec Poff for a whirlwind tour before I got back on the road.

The article is mostly pictures as I did not take the time to record or write down any of the information shared by Alec and Sarah; thus, a return trip is in order.

Jackson County Historic Truman Courthouse

A trip to Independence, MO is worth your time and money.

April 17, 2022April 5, 2024

Franklin, MO: The Start of the Santa Fe Trail

Having followed the Santa Fe Trail many times over the past seven years as I travel to and from New Mexico, the trip in 2021 was especially special as it was the 200th Anniversary of the Trail, the first international commercial highway. The trail starts in old Franklin, MO, not Independence, MO, as I originally thought. The 900 plus mile trail ends in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Once Spain succeeded, and Mexico was free to trade, the trail opened up.

The Santa Fe Trail (Map courtesy nps.gov)

South Howard County Historical Museum

My first stop was the South Howard County Historical Museum, operated by the South Howard County Historical Society. The museum is located in the historic downtown district of New Franklin, MO, at 110 E. Broadway. The museum is open Saturday and Sunday from 1-4:00 p.m.

Spending just one hour in the museum with Treasurer Jacque Schaller, South Howard County Historical Society, and multimedia storyteller Sarah Tucker Poff and her husband, Alec Poff, left me eager to learn more about the Santa Fe Trail. Realizing that I should have arrived earlier in the day, I mentally made plans for a return trip and to allocate more time for exploring.

Storyteller, Sarah Tucker Poff

My hostess Sarah Tucker Poff is a retired school teacher, a historian, and a talented storyteller. Poff is extremely knowledgeable about the Santa Fe Trail, and what she does not know, she has the resources to find the answer. In the picture below, Poff is sitting on ‘The Rock,’ which acknowledges the Santa Fe Trail according to www.missouri2021.org. The rock also recognizes three other trails – Lewis & Clank, Boone’s Lick Road, and Katy Trail. The rock was placed in the middle of the street by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 1909.

Santa Fe Trail Storyteller, Sarah Tucker

Clink Clink

What was traded on the trail? It was easy to figured out the necessities, but was surprised when Jacque mention the Missouri Mules. The Spanish-bred mules were brought back to Missouri from Santa Fe. The sale/trade of the mules were profitable for the traders. A couple of interesting facts about the Missouri Mules. The mules were used in WWI and WWII because of their hardy stature and they are Missouri’s state animal.

“The Rock”

Jacque shared a familiar story illustrating the success of the Santa Fe Trail. “When Becknell rode into old Franklin, he opened his saddlebags filled with coins, and silver rolled into the streets. They had changed $300 worth of trade goods into $6000 of silver coins. Becknell made his second trip in 1822, taking wagons with $3000 of trade goods and returning home with $91,000 of silver. The third trip was made in 1824, taking $30,000 of goods, returning with $180,000 of silver and $10,000 worth of fur pelts.”

New Franklin

There are many exhibits in the museum that tell the story of Franklin and New Franklin. The following photos illustrate a few of the exhibits, just enough to get you excited to visit and learn more about the history of the Santa Fe Trail. I left wanting to learn about the other three trails, the river and railroad era, the Native American Indians, and the settlers that called this region home.

The photo below hangs in the museum, giving a brief synopsis of the demise of old Franklin and New Franklin’s beginnings.

Blacksmith exhibit

Jacque emphasized the importance of the blacksmiths on the Santa Fe Trail.

Country Schools

The rural schools in Howard County. Included in the exhibit is a map showing the location of the schools, plus photographs of all the schools. Jacque noted, “Only a handful of schools are left.”

Missouri River

Time for a geography lesson. The Missouri River cuts through the Missouri landscape, from west to east, before dumping into the Mississippi River. Imagine crossing the river in the early 1800s.

The Santa Fe Trail was the first international commercial highway in the country, then came river travel. The first trip on the Missouri River was in 1826. Jacque explained that all the replicates of the riverboats were made by a local man who has since passed away.

Franklin: Mother of the Santa Fe Trail

On Highway 5, we stopped at Franklin: Mother of the Santa Fe Trail monument as we headed out of town. The monument honors William Becknell, Father of the Santa Fe Trail; Josiah Gregg, a doctor who traveled the Santa Fe Trail; Kit Carson, the frontier legend; Ezekiel Williams, Godfather of the Santa Fe Trail; Millie Cooper, a local legend; and George Caleb Bingham, the “Missouri Artist,” who all called “old” Franklin home. (www.missouri2021.org)

Flying the red, white, and blue

The visit to New Franklin, MO, left me with more questions than answers. As a want-a-be historian, travel blogger, and reporter, that is good.

I can’t wait to hear more stories about the trail.

Next stop, Independence, MO.

May 23, 2021April 10, 2024

The Best Kept Secret in the Driftless Region of Minnesota

The Norwegian Ridge Birding and Nature Trails opened in June 2013 after months of fundraising and manpower building the trails. There are three trails, 1-mile, 2-mile, or 3.5-mile. Watch out for the trolls under the bridge!

Where

The trailhead is located at 101 5th Ave. SE, Spring Grove, MN between Red’s Hometown Market and Spring Grove Gundersen Clinic. There is no need to search for parking, as there is a huge parking lot at Red’s that can be used for day parking. There is no overnight parking.

Who

Springtime at the Norwegian Ridge Birding and Nature Trail, Spring Grove, MN.

All ages and skill levels. The trails are not accessible.

When

The trails are open year-round. Each season, spring, summer, fall, and winter offer uses a different scene.

Why

The benefits are of hiking the three trails are numerous – 2000 steps, 4000 steps, or 7000 steps, the recommended daily dose of vitamin D, a day of enjoyment and relaxation, a lifetime of memories, bird watching, and albums of photos.

How

The trails are designed for walking or snowshoeing.

For questions, email sgbirdwalk@gmail.com or call (507) 498-5070. Current information can be found on the trails’ Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/sgbirdwalk, or on the trails’ website, http://sgbirdwalk.org/.