Visit Bluff Country

By Jason Sethre

There are quite a few famous songs about road trips that speak to American’s love affair with automobiles.
They are not just a mode of transportations. They represent freedom.

Willie Nelson sang, “On the road again… Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway… We’re the best of friends… Insisting that the world keep turning our way,” in 1980.

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers created a timeless tune in 1989 with “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” A classic song from a classic artist, “It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down… I had the radio on, I was drivin’… Trees went by, me and Del were singin’ little Runaway… I was flyin’.”

And, then there’s the band actually named The Cars. You can’t tell me these guys didn’t love cars when they sang “Drive” in 1984. These lyrical geniuses created a household name and distinguishable sound with, “You can’t go on… Thinking nothing’s wrong, oh no… Who’s gonna drive you home… Tonight?”

That list of songs goes on and on, like a long and winding road that leads us through the valleys and bluffs of Historic Bluff Country (aka The Driftless Region).

It’s about taking in your surroundings. Soaking up the sun. Experiencing life as it should be lived.

On a perfectly sunny day in Bluff Country, there’s a good chance you’ll see a convoy of classic cars taking the scenic route.

These classic car enthusiasts will be on their way to car shows, riding in a piece of American history.

And, while the world may be leaning toward electric, there is something special about the roaring sounds and smells of a gas-powered engine. Maybe this drives their passion for the classics.

For these classic car nuts, they don’t just own a vintage automobile. They own the road. With their windows down, their hobby takes them places.

There are a number of car clubs throughout the region.

The “Bluff Country Cruisers” car club was formed in 1997 in Decorah, Iowa, when a few car buffs got together to discuss their love of cars.

After the car club was established, word got out and the organization immediately grew to 20 members. The first officers were Dave Gilbert (president), Roger Nelson (vice president), Tina Neuzil (secretary), and Jon Curtis (treasurer).

The car club has since grown to 36 members. An annual membership fee is $20.

The Bluff Country Cruiser Car Club has hosted car shows for 19 years. They organize an annual poker run in the fall. All proceeds are given to local charities. The charity the club supports the most – closest to their heart – is the Celebration of Life for breast cancer. To date, they have donated over $4,000 to various charities throughout Northeast Iowa.

The club meets the second Wednesday of the month (April thru September) at various area restaurants.

The club poker run is always the second Sunday in September. A scenic route is mapped out by club members, with poker stops, dinner and it ends with awards and door prizes.

In October, the club’s final cruise is to Breitbach’s Dining in Balltown for dinner. It is a beautiful fall drive and always well attended.

Once a month usually, on a Sunday, members cruise out of town to various restaurants and areas. They are always open to new restaurant ideas.

The club hosts a Christmas party every year. New members are invited and welcome to join. Newsletters and emails are sent to members on a regular basis.

The current club officers are Don Kelly (president), Karl Schroeder (vice president), Phyllis Elsbernd (secretary), and Nora Hemesath (treasurer).

If you have a classic car or just want to drive your everyday driver, you are welcome to join the Bluff Country Cruisers for fun trips and conversation with other car buffs. It’s a great way to make new friends who have a common interest. Cars. Restaurants. Tunes.

And, along the way, maybe you’ll hear a familiar song, “Baby, you can drive my car… Yes, I’m gonna be a star… Baby, you can drive my car… And maybe I’ll love you.” Yeah, that’s at the top of the most car enthusiast’s list, for sure. The Beatles energized our motors with “Drive My Car” in 1965.

For more information on the Bluff Country Cruiser Car Club, contact Phyllis Elsbernd at (563) 562-3753, (563) 419-4179 or email at rpelsbernd@hotmail.com.

Information regarding the car club can also be found at www.bluffcountrycruisers.com.

By Jason Sethre

When the pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt in March of 2020, the world was full of uncertainty in every direction.

After the lockdown restrictions loosened up in Minnesota, our family had to figure out what we were going to do about the trip we had planned to fly to Florida to spend some quality time at Universal Studios with our two teenage children. In early June, the airline notified us that our flights had been cancelled, so that made our decision pretty easy. We were staying home, but we didn’t want to give up on the idea of a family vacation.

Our vacation was originally scheduled from July 3 through July 10, and the weather in Bluff Country was about as perfect as possible during the summer of 2020.

So, where did we go and what did we do?

Every day of our vacation, we planned activities in Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, and Southwest Wisconsin. We made a list of things we’d like to do. Some of these things we’ve done many times over the years, and love doing them again and again. And, some of these items on our trip list we had never done before.

For us, living close to so many great vacation hot spots makes them so easily accessible that we often overlook them. We think we can go there anytime we want, but never do.

In 2020, that changed. Staycations became the most popular vacations for all of us.

The Root River

One day, we paddled our way down the river with canoes and kayaks.

We’ve navigated the Root River more than 50 times over the past decade. We’ve traveled between the towns of Chatfield, Lanesboro, Whalan, and Peterson.

Our son and myself have even enjoyed an overnight camping trip traveling down the river. The sound of yipping coyotes surrounding our campsite around suppertime will be talked about decades. Our son, who was about 9 years old at the time, said they sounded like barking dogs and laughing girls. It still makes me smile when I think about that trip down the Root.

This time, we decided to start at the Old Barn Resort and head downstream to Lanesboro – right before the newly remodeled dam.
We always enjoy the wildlife along the way. During this trip, we watched an eagle fly from tree to tree, perched high, guiding us down the river for miles. It’s always impressive to see an eagle spread its wings as it takes command of the skyways.

There were bashful deer attempting to escape our view and fish taunting us with splashes in every direction. Our son and myself are struggling anglers, and the fish know it. We saw turtles and even a beaver climbing the river banks.

It was sunny and beautiful. And, after a few hours on the river, we still had enough time to end our day with burgers on the grill.

Hitting the bike trail

We live near the Root River State Bike Trail. This popular bicycle attraction was once part of the railroad system linking the towns together. When the railroad was decommissioned in the late 1970s, the rails to trails program transformed the tracks into a chain of tourism tied together with one of the state’s nicest bike trails.

On this particular day, we decided to bike from Fountain to Lanesboro – downhill (highly recommended). And, we were able to stop for a visit at the Old Barn Resort, where they have a wonderful restaurant along the trail.

The nice part about the Root River State Bike Trail is that cyclists can choose rides ranging from five miles on up to more than 30 miles. And, there are plenty of places to stop along the way for eats or to simply enjoy the scenery.

Effigy Mounds

Another day, we decided to hike the historic Effigy Mounds located just a few miles outside of Marquette, Iowa.

As we hiked the endless trails through the canopy of foliage, we talked about a lot of things that seem to get lost when we have technology at our fingertips. Hiking gives us a good reason to disconnect from our screens and take in our surroundings.

When we arrived at each lookout, we saw amazing views of the mighty Mississippi River. On these sun-drenched days, the boats were motoring around the river like a busy highway. There were people on jet skis. Tubes were chasing boats in tow.

Every time I see people enjoying themselves on the river, I wish I had a boat. But, then I think it might be even better to become great friends with people who own boats.

After burning off some calories on the hiking trails, we visited historic downtown McGregor, Iowa (sister city to Marquette, Iowa). There was an event with vendors, so we checked out some artwork, t-shirts, and other artisan crafts from the region.

We stumbled up on a colorful piano down by the park, and our son had to test it out. River towns like Marquette and McGregor have so much character with their shops, brick-paved roads and restaurants with a view of the Mississippi.

And, from this day, after an incredible view of the river, we made plans for our own boat excursion.

The Mississippi

“The Mississippi River towns are comely, clean, well built, and pleasing to the eye, and cheering to the spirit. The Mississippi Valley is as reposeful as a dreamland, nothing worldly about it… nothing to hang a fret or a worry upon.” –Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

On this particular day, we made plans for a visit to La Crosse, Wis., for a boat ride with La Crosse Queen Cruises. It was an early evening casual ride that launched at about 5:30 p.m., and included pizza and beverages.

As we floated down the river in this big boat, we observed in awe the mansion along the Mississippi River. There were houses as big as schools, and some with pools. The docks were full of flocks of watercraft. Jet skis, fishing boats, pontoons, and speedboats galore.

And, the recreation on the river was in full swing. There were some pretty daring jet skiers tempting fate upon the waves of boat wakes, certainly putting on a show. We also saw people camping and enjoying the sand dunes along the river.

When our boat tour concluded, we went for a walk in the park just down the street from La Crosse Queen Cruises. The park was busy with dog walkers, cyclists, couples holding hands, and even a group of dancers performing to music along the riverwalk.

It was a nice day in La Crosse, and always worth another visit.

Archery

At the age of 46, never in my life had I ever shot a compound bow and arrow. I didn’t grow up hunting, so I’ve never had a reason to take an interest.

But, I have to say this was probably one of the most entertaining and exciting things we did all week.

We signed up for a Friday morning session at Magnum Sports in Chatfield, Minn. Our whole family. My wife, son and daughter had not shot a bow and arrow either.

They provided us with the gear, calibrated the bow based on our height, arm length and pulling power. They gave us the arrows and showed us how to shoot at the targets. This may seem commonplace for an avid bowhunter, but we were newbies.

And, right out of the gate, our 15-year-old daughter was hitting bullseyes. She was loving the sport, and her excitement encouraged all of us to improve our game.

We spent a solid three hours shooting arrows at targets, probably over 100 arrows per person, and that time flew by.

I have even explored purchasing an archery set from Magnum Sports after our visit. It’s a fun sport for any age or ability. Highly recommended.

Staycations

With our vacation plans to Florida foiled by the pandemic, we enjoyed day trips in our own backyard.
As our family makes vacation plans for 2021, we have so many places to go, things to do, and restaurants to enjoy in our little corner of the world known as Bluff Country – it’s going to be a busy spring, summer and fall.

When travelers residing in Southeast Minnesota or Northeast Iowa want to go on an adventure, they don’t have to travel far.

Within Historic Bluff Country (a.k.a. The Driftless Region), one element of nature brings so many communities together. The Root River.

Throughout the summer months, locals and tourists will navigate the waterways with canoes, kayaks, and tubes. The river brings people together, near and far.

On occasion, a few courageous individuals will plan for an overnight trip on the Root River.

Over Labor Day weekend of 2020, two young men, both 22 years old, began their journey.

Sam Bahl, residing in Owatonna, Minn., and Matson Kiehne of Harmony, Minn., graduated with the Class of 2016 from Fillmore Central High School.

When talking about how this trip idea came together, Bahl shared, “Ever since we were kids we have always enjoyed trout fishing. We got to talking one night and started talking about doing an overnight canoe trip. Then we decided how cool would it be if we canoed from Forestville to Rushford. A trip across the county that we grew up in!”

Their mode of transportation was a canoe measuring 18 feet and three inches in length. They packed for all possible scenarios.

• Two sleeping bags
• A tent
• Fire starters and kindling
• Two lawn chairs
• Two poles and a tackle box
• One drink cooler, one ice cooler, and one food cooler.
• Pots, pans, silverware, plates, etc.
• Flashlight
• Trash bags
• First aid kid
• Two hatchets
• Watertight containers for our phones
• Steaks, canned potatoes and beans, burgers, snack food
• Two cases of water
• Paper towels and toilet paper
• Filet for trout
• Multi-purpose tool
• Watertight totes to keep things dry (worked great)
• Bug spray and sunscreen

All loaded up and ready to paddle, they began their adventure.

“We got in the water at 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 5. Got to camp at 6 p.m. Sunday the 6th, we got back in the water at 9 a.m. and got to camp at 6 p.m. Monday the 7th, we got in at 7:30 a.m. and got out of the water at our destination at 11 a.m.,” shared Bahl.

It’s what happened between 8 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, and Monday, September 7, at 11 a.m., that will be memorable.

Bahl, a life-long angler who grew up in Preston, Minn., said, “Fishing was slow to start, but once we got to the Preston area, we smoked ‘em! Preston was by far the best fishing we had the entire time. Roughly, 15 fish the first day!”

In between catching fish, they enjoyed some adult beverages, talked about life, and stopped to skip some rocks. They also enjoyed chatting others on the river – tubers, canoers, and fly fisherman.

At night, they relaxed by the fire. One night, they set up their tent on an island in the middle of the river. That night, there was a downpour of three inches of rain, hail and a lightning storm. “We woke up and our island we had spent the night on became much smaller. Good thing we went to the high side of the island,” offered Bahl.

During their days on the river, they did encounter some obstacles.

“Shallow water made it difficult from Forestville to Preston, due to low water this year. So we had to get out and push multiple times, because our canoe was around 700 pounds with everything loaded, including ourselves. Big rocks near Lanesboro almost made us tip a few times. Portaging around the Lanesboro Dam was definitely a workout, but very rewarding. Near Whalan, we had to maneuver around multiple trees. In Lanesboro, we hit a large rock and we noticed our canoe was starting to leak. Before we knew it, water was up to our ankles in the canoe. We pulled over and noticed there was a small slit in the front of the canoe. We called a friend, Cody Ristau, to get us some underwater sealant. We patched it and we were on our way,” explained Bahl.

As Sam and Matson talk about this trip for many years to come, they will surely recall their brushes with wildlife.

They followed an eagle for about a mile down the river as it flew from tree to tree. And, while tailing this predator, they witnessed the eagle swoop down and grab a trout about 100 yards in front of them. They also saw a really nice eight point buck in the middle of the river. A few turkeys, lots of geese and plenty of jumping trout. At night, they were surrounded by the sounds of coyotes howling in the nearby woods – echoing off of the bluffs in multiplicity.

In the morning, they awoke to a jaw-dropping sunrise over the bluffs, while they stood 10 feet from the river cooking their eggs and bacon over their campfire.

They certainly didn’t starve along the way. With their bounty of freshly-hooked trout, they enjoyed filets cooked on the fire while they listened to the sounds of the Root River’s rapids flow by their campsite.

They did have suggestions for anyone attempting to make this same trip.

If they did it again, they’d bring some sealer to patch their 20-year-old canoe. They’d bring coolers with wheels to help portage to the campsite. And, chairs with a backrest to sit on in the canoe would be a must.

Bahl concluded, “Be prepared for the work. It was extremely rewarding and we will definitely do this again, but it was a lot of work from sunup to sundown!”

Kiehne and Bahl are currently planning a five-day trip up in the Boundary Waters. They are also planning a trip on the North Branch of the Root River, with hopes of making their way to Houston, Minn.

Bahl and Kiehne shared that after their trip they were “talking about how we really take for granted how beautiful Bluff Country really is, and how amazing it is. Especially by canoe!”