PARKS, LAKES & TRAILS

Sunday, June 8th, was another beautiful day in Iowa.  Patty and I logged another 300 plus miles on our van and put five (5) more State Parks in the record books.  The completed number of forty-five (45) parks is fast approaching our half-way point.  A unique feature, of Sunday's adventure, was that all parks were near lakes, and all lakes were surrounded by a paved trail.  It was sweet locating a safe place to ride, that was designated for only walkers, bikers, and unicyclists.  Each had small, manageable hills to climb and descend, and were fun to ride.  The many trees and lake views were nice to witness as well.

Twin Lakes, our first stop, allowed us to record three (3) miles.  The first mile was ridden at Twin Lakes, a designated State Park on the Eastern shore.  The second mile was ridden at Twin Lakes South, which is the second of the twin lakes, but not recognized as a State Park.  This park was ridden in error, because we were given poor information by a local resident.  It is completely surrounded by trees, hard to see, and had limited access.  It did. however, have a trail near it. Once ridden, we decided this would be a "substitute" ride for Bixby State Park, which had NO accessible riding surfaces, as mentioned in an earlier blog post.  The third mile was ridden at Twin Lakes West.  It was a smaller park and located on the opposite side of the main lake.  This too is designated as a State Park.  The locals refer to it as the "Little State Park." 

The fourth ride in Black Hawk State Park, in Lake View, Iowa was very nice.  It also had a nice paved trail and very large trees along the access road.  The trail was well used, and many people were enjoying the large park, picnic areas, and nice weather.

Swan Lake, our fifth destination near Carroll, Iowa was a different story.  The lake appeared dirty and very mossy.  This didn't seem to bother the fishermen, as many people were fishing from boats and along the shores.  The trail was old and needed to be re-surfaced.  The many cracks and potholes kept me alert, and Patty felt she was in an earthquake.

Since writing this blog, many people have attempted to comment about the parks or the rides with limited success.  It appears that it is difficult to access the comment section, and it is somewhat restrictive.  I would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have.  Please contact me through my email address dburkey80@gmail.com

There will be a short break in the blog posts, as I will be attending a family reunion in the Black Hills.  I will be taking my unicycle with me however, and hope to ride a mile in the two (2) National Parks located in South Dakota.  Please continue to support our cause at www.givetoiowa.org/burkey

Please note our new banner.  Staples in Altoona, Iowa wanted to help us spread the word about our mission. They donated the banner, set-up fees, and printing.  Thanks to Staples for allowing us to advertise while we are "Pedaling the Parks."

NEAR ROCKWELL CITY, IOWA

SHARING THE TRAIL WITH THE PARK PATRONS

SUBSTITUTE PARK FOR BIXBY STATE PARK IN EDGEWOOD, IOWA

TWIN LAKES WEST - THE "LITTLE STATE PARK" NEAR ROCKWELL CITY, IOWA

SCULPTURE NEAR BIKE TRAIL

GO! SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES

LAKE VIEW, IOWA

LARGE TREES AND LOTS OF WALKERS

NICE LAKE!

CARROLL, IOWA

NEGOTIATING ONE OF THE "SMALL" HILLS

THANKS STAPLES!!!!!  ALTOONA, IOWA

." 

TRIPLE PLAY TO FREEDOM

May 31st was a beautiful Saturday, with lots to do.  We had invitations to three (3) parties, later in the day, and decided we could ride three (3) parks before the festivities began.  Three Mile Lake, in Afton, Iowa was first.  It was a nice easy ride and we viewed lots of activity on the lake. Apparently, the fish were biting. Or, there were a lot of people wasting time in their boats.

Green Valley Lake, in Creston, was next.  It too, was busy with fishermen.  Patty felt a little nostalgic here, since this is the same lake she boated and water skied with her parents.  The ride consisted of several loops around the paved parking area.

Lake Icaria, in Corning, was the third and last park of the day.  The campground was full of campers and there were many small cabins throughout the park area.  The ride took us through the camping area and up and down a challenging hill.

On our way back home, we passed the Freedom Rock in Greenfield, Iowa.  The rock is re-painted every year for Memorial Day, with patriotic pictures on its three (3) sides.  The "Huey Helicopter" remains untouched, since it contains real ashes from fallen servicemen.  It is humbling to visit the site, and realize how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy the many freedoms we take for granted.

Completing these three (3) parks brings the total completed to forty (40).  What a great way to start off the month of June. 

Afton, Iowa

Three Mile Lake in Afton, Iowa

Creston, Iowa

Corning, Iowa

Freedom Rock in Greenfield, Iowa

Helicopter contains ashes of 23 servicemen

Freedom Rock

THREE DAYS - TWELVE PARKS

Before leaving our three (3) day campsite in Strawberry Point,  the owners Wally and Dana asked if we would be interested in a Fall cook-off.  They would host the event at their "Lil' Bit of Country" campgrounds.  All proceeds, from the event, would be donated to our "Vision of Hope for Meniere's Research."  This was quite a generous offer from a couple we had just met three (3) days before.  This venture is proving to be more than just riding a unicycle in the park.

Heery Woods State Park, in Clarksville, was our first ride of the day.  The park was very nice, easy to find, and it appeared the day was starting out right.  Park #35 was in the books in short order.

Beeds Lake, in Hampton, was #36.  It too, was easy to find, and proved to be a very nice casual ride.  It appears the rides are getting easier, and more enjoyable.  Especially, when the parks are easy to find, and the terrain is flat.  Our experiences, from the last couple of days, are being over shadowed by these well established, and well funded State Parks.

Lake Cornelia, in Clarion, was the twelfth and final ride of the weekend.  It too was easy to find, and  quite a welcomed surprise.  It is a very nice lake located close to the city, and has many nice homes surrounding it.  The picnic area was large and crowded with families. A trail runs around the lake, and is well used.  The only downfall was the trail was crushed stone, and much of it was loose.  Patty and I rode the mile, despite this, and ended the weekend on a positive note.  With the 37th park in the books, the halfway point is in sight.

Our small camper was just the right size for our weekend get-away.  After this maiden voyage, we will likely use it more often.  Setting up a "home base" closer to our destinations significantly cut down the windshield time.  We have already logged nearly 2700 miles on our van, and have only visited a few of the "far away" parks.  We are seeing parts of Iowa, never before explored, and visiting many parks that were only a dot on the map. 

My many years of traveling this state (for work), and participating in several RAGBRAI's (Register's Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) have taken me to many Iowa destinations.  Although some roads look familiar, many are new territory.  With added enthusiasm, we will continue to drive, ride, and bring awareness to this dreaded disease they call "Meniere's."  Please join us in our mission to raise needed funds for research to find a cure. Donate online at: www.givetoiowa.org/burkey

Clarksville, Iowa

Hampton, Iowa

No fishermen on the docks today

Patty, the photographer, guarding our possessions

Clarion, Iowa

Crushed stone and unicycles stink!

LOTS OF FISHING

Sunday, May 25th, was a gorgeous day in Northeast Iowa.  The first park was reminiscent of the previous day.  Brush Creek Canyon was a sign only.  The park has been closed because of rowdy parties, vandalism, and no maintenance money.  A substitute ride will take place later in the day.

The second park was found by accident.  Traveling through the little town of Wadena, Iowa we saw a very small "State Park" sign on a fence post, with a arrow pointing West.  We followed the sign to no where.  There were no more signs, and the roads (all gravel) lead us to an "equestrian camp out."  The cowboys sent us in another direction, and we came upon the Volga River State Park.  This was not on my official list, but the small sign made it official.  It was a beautiful park and based on the number of people fishing, more and bigger signs were not necessary.

The next park, Echo Valley, presented another first.  There were NO practical unicycling roads in the park, only wide, dirt, walking paths. They were very well used however, and they did not present any unusual hazards.  Patty was able to ride her trike as well, and we passed many trout fisherman, enjoying the winding stream.  It was a very enjoyable ride, despite the terrain.

Next came Fort Atkinson, another State Historical Site.  The ride was made outside the fort, on the surrounding roads.  Why it is a designated State Park, I'm not sure, but it has an interesting history.  The fort was built to help keep peace amongst the four (4) Indian tribes from the area. 

The 5th park of the day was Siewers Spring in Decorah. This park was non-existent to most of the city's residents. After receiving many mis-leading directions, we found a elderly gentleman who had grown up in the area.  He knew where the park was located, gave us adequate directions, and informed us that the park had been re-named in recent years.  It is now the Decorah State Fish Hatchery, and has become quite famous over the last couple years.  The famous Bald Eagle nest, that has been displayed on the internet "from egg to flight," is located right across the street. Our ride took place on the beautiful, Trout Run Trail, which runs through the park.  The Eagle's nest, with young ones, was in full view from the trail, and we passed many people fishing the trout stream.  I rode two (2) miles on the trail, to fill the mile missed earlier at Brush Creek Canyon.

We ended our day enjoying a leisure twelve (12) mile bike ride around Decorah on the Trout Run Trail.  It is quite hilly in places, and we had to keep reminding ourselves that only half the hills were up.  We enjoyed a picnic, at the hatchery park, before departing for Strawberry Point. With thirty-four (34) parks complete, we only have sixty-one (61) to go.

Sign only - the park is nearly non-existent

Park was found by accident near Fayette, Iowa

Beautiful lake with lots of fishermen

West Union, Iowa

Dirt and clay trail - another first

Wooden bridge over trout stream

Fort was built to referee the Indian battles in area

It really is an official State park

Name changed to confuse the locals

Trout Run Trail in Decorah, Iowa



HOME ON THE ROAD

Memorial weekend brought an extra day of "pedaling the parks."  It also brought an inaugural trip in our "scamp" travel trailer, and a new chapter in our pursuit of the parks.  Camping in Strawberry Point, Iowa allowed us to travel the Northeast part of the state without having to shuttle home each night.  In route to the campground we stopped at our 26th park, Cedar Rock, in Quasqueton, Iowa.  It was actually a State Historical Site surrounding an original home of Frank Lloyd Wright.  The grounds were closed when we arrived, but we rode a "substitute" mile at Fort Atkinson, another State Historical Site.  The first ride on Saturday was Pikes Peak, in McGregor.  The park presented quite a challenge, finding a flat surface to ride, amongst the many hills.  This park was discovered and named after the same person that discovered Pikes Peak in Colorado.  The Mines of Spain, in Dubuque, was very nice and presented little difficulty.  Backbone Park, park #29, near Strawberry Point, was the last ride of the day. We finished the day on a good note, but overall we were disappointed with our progress.  The parks completed, were only three of the five scheduled.  The other two parks, White Pine Hollow in Luxenburg, and Bixby in Edgewood, were nearly non-existent.  After spending much time searching, we found signs to the parks, but not much else. We decided to ride substitute parks, in their honor, at a later time.  Much time was spent on the road, but not much time in the saddle.  Hopefully, when we get in the thirty's (30's), things will go more smoothly.

Upon arrival at our campgrounds, we were treated to some great Iowa hospitality. The owners Wally and Dana had prepared pork tenderloin for our evening meal.  They wanted to do a little something to help our cause, and figured we would be hungry after the long day.  The food was delicious, and it wasn't long before we settled in for a good night's rest in our little "Scamper."

A Frank Lloyd Wright House

McGregor, Iowa

Mis-leading sign- There was NO park

Dubuque, Iowa

A Beautiful Day in Dubuque

Another Mis-leading Sign

 

Bixby State Park - NO sign & A Road to Nowhere

Park #29 - Strawberry Point, Iowa

Campers cooling off in background