Effigy Mounds NM, IA and Canoeing on the Mississippi

We did so much during our 2 week stay at Holman, WI, that I still have two more posts before I can move on!

One day there we spent the day traveling along the Mississippi to Effigy Mounds in Iowa.  That day we saw 6 bald eagles in different areas along the river.  The river scenery with the wildflowers is so beautiful! We stopped at another of the 27 or so dams on the river to watch a tug boat pushing 12 barges, some topped with vanes for giant windmills!  A great day!

our new jeep at a viewpoint on the Mississippi River

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one of 6 eagles we spotted that day

barges with windmill vanes going through a lock 

continuing on their way down the Mississippi

field of sunflowers

 Effigy Mounds National Monument holds 206 known prehistoric mounds, 31 in the form of animal
effigies.  Thought to be religious sites, over 10,000 were originally documented in the 1800s and early 1900s.  Now fewer than 1,000 survive.

it is very difficult to see the mounds unless you are walking along side them

views of the Mississippi from Effigy Mounds

our last eagle sighting of that day

 Canoeing on Lake Onalaska, on the Mississippi River.  What a lovely morning!

We spotted these two
fledgling eagles sitting
just a tree apart while
canoeing

WI and MN Wineries, Great River State Trail, WI

We spent a day visiting wineries near the Mississippi River in both Wisconsin and Minnesota.  It was a lovely day and we ended up having dinner at  Pettibone Boat Club, WI, right on the river!

We walked a few miles of the Great River State Trail which is 24 miles long.  I'm sure we will walk more before we leave here.  It is easy walking and the area is beautiful.  Lovely wetland areas close to the Mississippi:

Elmaro Winery

from the MN side looking down on the Mississippi heading to the next winery

a pilot boat is pushing a fleet of 15 barges!

Riverview Winery in Minnesota

Pettibone Boat Club

views while we had dinner

The Great River State Trail.  Okay, just a few miles of it:

heading off for a nice walk!

Perrot State Park, Trempealeau, WI

We did a lovely hike in Perrot State Park a few days ago.  Situated on the Mississippi River,  a couple of trails at this forrest park have great vistas from bluffs overlooking the river.  As you can see from the pics below, you can get a great work out.  We climbed hundreds of rock and wooden stairs much of which was constructed originally by the CCC.

Starting out our steep climb on the Bradys Bluff Trail

it is really hard to understand how wide the Mississippi is until you are looking down on it

looking across the Mississippi at Winona, Minnesota

Looking down and lock and dam #6, one of many dams on the great river

a fun, beautiful trail

a very striking dragonfly with
its white body and black wings

a blue mushroom

a statue to honor the founder of Trempealeau, James Allen Reed, looks towards old Main Street

at Dam #6 we stopped to watch a houseboat go through the lock

Upper Mississippi NWR, Holman, WI

Back on the road again for a few weeks after visiting family in different states for almost 2 months.  We've got a few weeks of checking out some new things before spending the month of September with family....so let's get going!

We are currently in Holman, Wisconsin.  Lots of green, lots of agriculture and very close to the Mississippi River.  Yesterday we visited a small portion of the Upper Mississippi Wildlife Refuge.  We thought it was a good sign when we spotted a juvenile bald eagle up high upon entering the refuge.

 The refuge extends along 261 miles of the Mississippi encompassing a very large area including not only the river but villages and farms as well.    These are all refuge pictures.  I hope to get some better ones of the Mississippi River.

Lake Onalaska

monarchs are very common right now just not very numerous

I know it looks like seven but she actually has eight ducklings

yeah they are....but it is a good pic!!;)

Black River

train crossing the Black River

yep, part of the refuge