Pedal the Parks: 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."