Visit Bluff Country

A guide to Historic Bluff Country

News

It was a dark and stormy night

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It was a a dark and stormy night. Mason Keel and Taylor Fishwild, as Nick and Darla Dashell listen in to a conversation among society ladies Miss Mendacio (Bonnie Hulsing), Miss Heinspiele (Pam Butler), and Mrs. Ludos (Sandy Webb) as the stoic maid, Diedre (Val Tindall), looks on. Doruk Evcim, playing Captain Trucage, was unavailable for the photo.
Photo submitted

A Victorian vampire and a zombie nurse. Mix them together with a shifty eyed captain, a sarcastic maid named Diedre, and three society ladies who all like to play games and you have a perfect combination for a comedy murder mystery. It’s a dark and stormy night. Stranded travelers arrive at a spooky house looking for a phone after their car breaks down. Yes, many cliches, but the game is afoot. Watch out for surprises.

Join Lanesboro Community Theater for “A Murder has been Renounced.” Performances are March 3,4,10, and 11 at 7 p.m. Sunday matinees are March 5 and 12 at 2 p.m. at the St. Mane Theater in Lanesboro.

New faces, Doruk Evcim and Taylor Fishwild, join some of the LCT regulars onstage. Delia Bell and Kieran Dixon join the LCT regulars back stage, without whom none of this comedic mayhem could happen.

Kari Berg is back for a second year directing for LCT’s winter production. She has just as much fun as the family of actors on stage rehearsing their lines and figuring out how to tell this story that “turns a cliche on its head,” as playwright Lee Mueller states.

Tickets are $15 (plus 3% if paid by credit card), available at the Parkway Market in Lanesboro and online at www.universe.com. Also some tickets will be available at the door.

Let’s welcome spring with laughter.

It’s a hoot!

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By Charlene Corson Selbee

Prepare to have a hoot at the International Festival of Owls, March 3-5.

Second place winner, Yoonjeong (Gina) Yang (age 18) USA in the 2023 International Kids’ Owl Art Contest will be on exhibit during the International Owl Festival.
Photo submitted by the International Owl Center
The event originally started at a “hatch-day” party for Alice the Great Horned Owl in 2003. The celebration has grown from 300 attendees to over 2,000 visitors from all over the United States, Canada, Jamaica, England, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Nepal, Taiwan, Japan, Kenya, and South Africa.

“Expect to be immersed in owls,” explained Karla Bloem, International Owl Center executive director.

The entire town of Houston, Minn., is actively involved in the celebration. The Cross of Christ Lutheran Church will once again host the favorite owl-face pancake breakfast. Barista’s Coffee House specialty is owl-themed drinks, and SubZero Pizza & Ice Cream will feature owl shaped pizzas on Friday night.

Looking for owl-themed gifts? Visit the vendor show at Houston High School, 306 W. Elm, and the International Owl Center’s Gift Shop, located in the Owl Center, 126 E. Cedar, for a wide selection of owl-themed gifts.
Check out the self-guided Parade of Owls art tour. eleven public owl sculptures are located throughout the town. Watch for the street banners featuring kids’ owl art from around the world. Note that three of the banners feature artwork from Ukraine. Over 2,007 entries from 34 countries and 20 U.S. states were submitted this year.

First place winner, Alexander Xu (age 16) USA in the 2023 International Kids’ Owl Art Contest out of about 2,007 entries from 34 countries and 20 US states.
Photo submitted by the International Owl Center
Roar Solheim from Norway is the 2023 World Owl Hall of Fame keynote speaker on Saturday night. The presentation will focus on Solheim’s encounters with owls and owl people in North America. Owl-themed refreshments will be provided by the town’s Forget-Me-Not Garden club.

Other activities include live owl programs, owl crafts, medallion hunt, kids’ owl art contest, kids’ owl calling contest, birding and natural history bus trip, owl nest box building, owl pellet dissection, and owl prowls.
Some events require registration. The schedule and registration information are available online at festivalofowls.com.

Bloem emphasized, “Sunday programs are much less crowded than Saturday.”

The three-day celebration is the center’s largest event of the year and is a fundraiser for the center.

Upcoming Bluff County events:
• March 2-5, Oneota Film Festival, Decorah

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.

For information on upcoming town festivals and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping.

Enjoy the last days of summer

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By Charlene Corson Selbee

Good clean fun at Ag Days. Photo by Stacey Rath

There are still plenty of events to attend before the kids head back to school. The week of August 15, Fillmore and Houston County are home to Ag Days, Houston County Fair, and Fillmore County Relay for Life.

Head to Caledonia August 16–21 for the Houston County Fair. Explore the 4-H exhibits, sample the wide range of fair food, and don’t miss the Super Farmer Ag Olympics. After a four-year hiatus, the rodeo is back and bigger than ever. Nine events, tie-down roping, over 40 calf roping, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, team roping, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, and bull riding will have rodeo fans yelling and clapping for their favorite contestant.

TJ’s Liquor sponsors a cocktail contest during Spring Valley’s Ag Days, August 17-21. The theme is vodka, with 4-5 judges available to judge the drinks on creativity, taste, and presentation. For kids 15 and under, S&S Bait Shop sponsors a kids’ fishing tournament with prizes awarded in all three age categories. You do not want to miss other activities: the junior class foam party, kickball for kids, mullet competition, and a 1K for the little ones. There will also be a production of “The Wizard of Oz.”

Switch pace and rally for cancer at the Fillmore County Relay for Life, August 19. Spend the evening with friends and family in Fountain, the Sinkhole Capital of the United States, raising awareness and funds for cancer research.

Upcoming Bluff

Country events

•Norman Borlaug Harvest Fest in Cresco, August 26-28.

•Hesper-Mabel Steam Engine Days, Mabel, September 8-11

•Taste of the Trail, Lanesboro, Peterson, Whalan, September 10

•Applefest, La Crescent, September 15-18

The Visit Bluff Country Magazine is delivered to more than 1,000 locations in 35 counties in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This magazine has a mission of promoting tourism in the Historic Bluff Country (Driftless) region.

For information on upcoming town festival and events in Historic Bluff Country, vacation ideas for lodging, recreation, dining, and shopping, check out the magazine in print or online at www.visitbluffcountry.com.

It’s all about rhubarb

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By Charlene Corson Selbee

If you are looking for rhubarb to buy for cooking, baking, freezing, canning, or rhubarb to buy for planting, the Rhubarb Festival in Lanesboro, Minn., is the place to be on June 4.

Lanesboro, the Rhubarb Capital of Minnesota, hosts the annual Rhubarb Festival the first Saturday in June every year, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in picturesque Sylvan Park. The first festival was held in 2004 in conjunction with the town’s farmers market.

Dig into a fresh homemade rhubarb pie from the Lanesboro Rhubarb Festival.
Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee

The day starts off with the Lanesboro Farmers Market at 9 a.m. Arrive early to get the best selection of fresh rhubarb and rhubarb baked goods such as pies, cakes, cobblers, bars, chutney, and jams. In addition, there will be other fresh local produce, canned goods, baked items, honey, and maple syrup to buy.

Bring your lawn chair and enjoy a day of music in the park featuring country music artists Larry and Robert, Cindy Seabright and Friends, and Janine Sherry’s Classic Country.

Craft vendors will be on hand selling all things rhubarb. There will also be a rhubarb fashion show, goat chill out, and puppet show.

Join in on the rhubarb games – rhubarb toss similar to a bean bag toss, egg-and-rhubarb contest, minute-to-win-it rhubarb-chopstick contest, largest leaf and heaviest stalk contest.

Upcoming events in Visit Bluff Country!

•June 11 – Shooting Star Trail Bike Ride, LeRoy, Minn.

•June 11 – Lake Louise State Park Open House, LeRoy, Minn.

A pilgrimage to connect with your ancestors

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Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
By Charlene Corson Selbee

Traditionally, pilgrimages are thought of as a journey to a sacred place in a foreign county searching for a higher good that leads to a life-altering experience. Family genealogists go on pilgrimages to learn or expand their knowledge about their roots which leads to personal transformations.
Visitors come to the Bluff Country of SE Minnesota, NE Iowa, and SW Wisconsin to learn more about their ancestors and walk in their footsteps. Bluff Country is a hotbed for family genealogists because European emigrants landed in this area thanks to the mighty Mississippi River and the landscape. The emigrants either passed through this area as they traveled west or settled in scenic Bluff Country.

Kevin Lee, president, Decorah (Iowa) Genealogy Association (DGA), said, “There is a map at DGA that shows where visitors are from. They are from all around the world. Many visitors stay a night or two, so they can conduct research.”

The Houston County Historical Society research library and museum located on the fairgrounds in Caledonia, Minn.
Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
Sara Sturgis, executive director Fillmore County Historical Museum and Library in Fountain, Minn., expanded, “Seventy percent of our visitors are family genealogists.”

Bluff Country is home to a vast array of resources. In addition to research libraries and museums, there are also enthusiastic experts to assist researchers in their search.

Preston Historical Campus located minutes from historic downtown Preston.
Photo submitted by Preston Historical Society
Starting on a genealogy journey can cause one to pause and ponder where to start. Experienced genealogists recommend starting at home. First, talk with the family elders and record their stories to help guide your journey. Also, look around the house for diaries, family Bibles, artifacts, and photographs, as these are all part of your family’s history and will provide clues that will be useful.

President Stacey Gossling, Winneshiek County Historical Society, in Decorah, Iowa, shared, “The second most searched topic on the internet is genealogy.”

The Houston County Historical research library and museum is located on History Lane.
Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
It is helpful to check out the online resources before venturing out. Online resources save time, answer questions, and conjure up new questions. Area historical societies offer limited subscriptions to online resources. For example, the Winneshiek County Historical Society has an Ancestry.com subscription that offers limited access and a subscription to Fold3, the premier online collection of military records.

A smartphone comes in handy for taking photos and shooting videos, recording interviews, taking notes, and GPS. However, be prepared to pay with cash because some research libraries do not accept debit or credit cards and charge a fee for assistance and copies or ask for donations. As a reminder, cell service might not be available in all areas of the bluff region, especially in the deep valleys, so have a backup plan.

Do not rush! Make sure to include time to leisurely look through the abundance of documents, files, and photographs. Resources available at research libraries and museums include public records for births, deaths, marriages, naturalization, probates, early land records, clippings, photos, online newspaper database, obituaries, plat maps, business directories, state and federal census records, school records, military records, yearbooks, family histories, township histories, county histories, cemetery records, and newsletters.

Giants of the Earth Heritage Center located in Spring Grove, Minn.
Photo submitted by Giants of the Earth Heritage Center
At the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center in Spring Grove, Minn., they have a video recording of area residents that they have interviewed and recorded, plus they also offer DNA testing.
Do not be afraid to ask questions. Take time to visit with the genealogy experts. It is suggested that you call and make an appointment because many centers have limited hours. Check out their websites first before venturing out, as you can request information online.

Fillmore County Historical Society Center and the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center both offer space for family reunions.

According to the Giants of the Earth Heritage Center website, “The Center has a community gathering space including a large pull-down screen. Families gathering for a reunion can take advantage of a sound-proof filming studio to preserve family stories today that will be available to the young people of the future so they can see and hear preceding generations of the family that they did not get to meet.”

Winneshiek County Historical Society sponsors workshops at the Frankville Cemetery.
Photo submitted by Stacey Gossling, Winneshiek County Historical Society
Don’t forget to visit cemeteries. Cemeteries provide a wealth of family history. Ask at the historical museums and centers for a map of the cemeteries or a list of cemeteries. In addition, the Winneshiek County Historical Society and the Decorah Genealogy Association created a trail of cemeteries to assist visitors in finding the county’s cemeteries. The map includes GPA coordinates.
Ninety-year-old Georgia Rosendahl, an active volunteer at Giants of the Earth Heritage Center, mentioned that the Center has a complete list of cemeteries in the area. Genealogist John Erickson shared, “The museum in Peterson (Minnesota) has an Index of Cemeteries of most of the cemeteries in the neighborhood.” In addition, Findagrave.com is touted as a reliable online resource that includes photos and information.

Family genealogists learning about WWII POWs at the Fillmore County Historical Society Annual Meeting.
Photo submitted by Fillmore County Historical Society
Sheila Craig with the Preston Historical Society (PHS) mentioned that Preston, Minn., has a Historic Outdoor campus that includes a 1902 Milwaukee Elevator, 1939 Milwaukee Road box car, 1951 Milwaukee Road caboose, and a Milwaukee Road motor car. In addition, PHS created a historic walking tour map available on the town’s chamber website.
In addition to maintaining a research library, county historical societies are responsible for the county museums. County museums contain enormous collections of artifacts donated by area families. The Houston County Historical Society (Minnesota) has multiple rooms and a variety of historic buildings to tour.

Caution! Once you start on your pilgrimage to trace your family’s roots, it will become addictive, and it will morph into a much bigger project than you could ever imagine. Moreover, the journey will prove to be unending.

Local Historical Society / Genealogy Resources
No listings found.

The year to hike Scenic Bluff Country

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By Charlene Corson Selbee

Effigy Mounds.
Photo by Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce
It is not difficult to find a hiking trail in picturesque Bluff Country, as many communities proudly claim at least one hiking trail.

Bluff Country terrain offers trails for all ages and skill levels. The landscape includes miles of rolling hills, scenic overlooks, woods, rivers, rocky bluffs, farms, charming towns, wildlife, and birds.

In Preston, Minn., check out Isinours Junction, which connects with the 18-mile-long Harmony-Preston Valley Trail. There are two interpretive signs on the trail. The first one features the “lost depot,” The other sign highlights the historic “turntable.”

Vetch Park Blufftop.
Photo courtesy of La Crescent Chamber of Commerce
Just 20 minutes south of Rochester, Minn., is Chatfield. Chatfield is located on the Root River Trail and proudly boasts the Lost Creek Hiking Trail. The 6.5-mile trail runs in one direction alongside private land, with parking at Groen Park in Chatfield. The trail is maintained by the Bluff Country Hiking Club, which describes the trail as a natural surface trail. This technical trail features steep climbs and blufftop vistas, several creek crossings, and challenging terrain. The trail is open to the public year-round except during firearms season in November. Brochures are available at either trailhead or in the city park at the visitor’s information center. In February, the hiking club hosts a Candlelight Snowshoe Hike. Snowshoes are available from the club.

Hiking at Eagle Bluff.
Photo courtesy of Eagle Bluff
Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center outside of Lanesboro, Minn., has over nine miles of trails open to the public seven days a week, dawn till dust! Eagle Bluff Advancement Director Joe Goetzke shares, “There are many species of birds for viewing on our campus, including bald eagle, indigo bunting, tufted titmouse, pileated woodpecker, scarlet tanager, American redstart, and more! Winter fun on the trails includes snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Goetzke summarizes, “Enjoy incredible views and breathtaking beauty from our scenic overlooks.”

Alltrails.com shares that Maglessen Bluff Park is a 1.5-mile lightly trafficked loop trail in Rushford, Minn., features a great forest setting and is suitable for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running, and nature trails. Dogs are allowed to use this trail but must be kept on a leash.

The Norwegian Ridge Birding & Nature Trails, located on the east side of Spring Grove, Minn., is a combination of three mowed trails (1-, 2-, or 3.5-mile option) that winds over bridges and through meadows, deciduous forests, agricultural lands and around ponds. The trail is open yearlong for hiking nine months of the year and snowshoeing the rest of the year. Parking is available at the grocery store near the trailhead.

Photo courtesy of La Crescent Chamber of Commerce
Apple Blossom Overlook Park is in Dakota, Minn. According to the La Crescent Chamber of Commerce, it is an easy 7-minute drive up to the top of the Scenic Apple Blossom Drive (Elm St.). The Chamber of Commerce director shared that those visitors will be treated to sweeping views of the main channel of the Mississippi River and the Driftless region. A 1.5-mile looping trail with oak-hickory-birch woods and goat prairies provides a variety of scenery for hiking and snowshoeing. The wide trails are suitable for all abilities.

Executive Director Julie Hatlem, La Crescent Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, recommends visitors check out Vetsch Park, “A gem of a park.” The park is in La Crescent city limits and offers a variety of looping trails and terrain with access to the top of the bluff.

Twin Springs.
Photo by Nick Chill
Hatlem suggested Eagles Bluff Park. The La Crescent park offers a variety of wooded hiking trails that take you up to the top of the bluff.

“Great River Bluff State Park located in Winona, Minn., sits high on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River; scenic overlooks are easily reached by walking trails and offer a chance to get away in the quiet bluff country. Oak-hickory woods, pine plantations, and goat prairies provide excellent birding, scenery, hiking on over six miles of trails and nine miles of mostly intermediate level cross-country ski trails,” shared Hatlem.

Are you looking for a leisurely stroll? Como Falls is located behind the fire station in Hokah, Minn.

Photo courtesy of Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce
Recommended Wisconsin hiking trails in the Prairie du Chien, Wis., area include Lawler Park and Nelson Dewey State Park. In addition to offering a variety of terrain, scenic overlooks, birds, and wildlife, both parks share historical stories of the area. Lawler Park offers a river walk with interpretive markers detailing the many layers of Prairie du Chien history. The Nelson Dewey State Park is part of the original estate of Wisconsin’s first governor, Nelson Dewey.

La Riviere Park, a 300-acre nature park located in SE Prairie du Chien, is managed for its natural beauty, wild plants, and wildlife. There are six miles of nature and hiking trails. Winter activity includes snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledding. Wildlife abounds in this nature park and is a bird watchers’ haven. Prairie du Chien has been a Wisconsin Bird City since 2013.

The Prairie du Chien area highlights include the one-mile Sturgeon Slough Hiking Trail. The trail is accessed from the rest stop on Hwy. 18 between Prairie du Chien and Marquette, Iowa.

Yellow River State Forest, near Harpers Ferry, Iowa, and Effigy Mounds National Monument, offers more than 50 miles of multi-purpose trails for all skill levels. Hikers traverse through mature forests.

Blue Dragonfly at Cardinal Marsh near Cresco, Iowa.
Photo by Charlene Corson Selbee
Visitors and residents flock to Pikes Peak State Park, McGregor, Iowa, Mt. Hosmer Lookout and Park, Lansing, Iowa, and Effigy Mounds National Monument, Harpers Ferry, Iowa, to take in the picturesque vistas of the mighty Mississippi River. Have your camera ready to snap pictures of the eagles soaring in the sky above the bluffs. Hiking trails are available at all three locations.

When in Northeast Iowa, visit Decorah, a haven for walkers. Check out the 11-mile Trout Run Trail, Prairie and Butterfly Garden, Dunning Springs, Phelps Park, Palisades Park, Twin Springs, and the Decorah Fish Hatchery. Dogs on leash are welcome.

Spend a quiet day at Cardinal Marsh, Wildlife Management Area, minutes from Ridgeway, Iowa, taking photos of butterflies, dragonflies, birds, and wildlife.

Now, head outside and enjoy Bluff Country!