Iowa Waterfalls; Day 3
When we woke up this morning and looked outside it was dark, cloudy and wet. The parking lot was wet with large puddles all over. It obviously rained during the night. At 8:35 when we left the motel, however, it was 54 degrees with blue skies and the roads were dry.
Our first stop of the day was to see Beulah Falls, which was located in the Spook Cave & Campground west of McGregor, IA.
While there we decided to partake in a boat tour of Spook Cave. There is a spring inside the cave that provides the water. A dam built outside the cave regulates the height of water inside the cave so boat tours are possible. There are spots, especially at the entrance, where the cave ceiling is so low you have to bend way over to keep from banging the old noggin on it. In the photo below you can see the low opening beyond the tour guide at the front of the boat.
The next stop was Pikes Peak State Park near McGregor, IA. This park is on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River with Wisconsin on the other side. The views from the scenic overlook are stunning.
We also took a hike to see Bridal Veil Falls. It was not very impressive.
Clayton County Road X56 (the Great River Road) took us south to Guttenberg, IA situated on the banks of the Mississippi River. Here we had lunch at The DAM Riverview Sports Bar on a deck overlooking the river. It was SWEET!
Last but not least - we rode on to Maquoketa Caves State Park near Maquoketa, IA. It is a beautiful area with hiking trails that take you by and through some caves.
We finished up our day by riding south to Eldridge, IA and checking into a motel. We enjoyed a soak in the hot tub and called it a night. Today we rode 145 miles and our high temperature was 64. It was a great day of sightseeing and riding some of Iowa's most beautiful roads.
To view all the pics we took today click on the following link: IowaWaterfallsDay3
Our first stop of the day was to see Beulah Falls, which was located in the Spook Cave & Campground west of McGregor, IA.
While there we decided to partake in a boat tour of Spook Cave. There is a spring inside the cave that provides the water. A dam built outside the cave regulates the height of water inside the cave so boat tours are possible. There are spots, especially at the entrance, where the cave ceiling is so low you have to bend way over to keep from banging the old noggin on it. In the photo below you can see the low opening beyond the tour guide at the front of the boat.
The next stop was Pikes Peak State Park near McGregor, IA. This park is on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River with Wisconsin on the other side. The views from the scenic overlook are stunning.
Clayton County Road X56 (the Great River Road) took us south to Guttenberg, IA situated on the banks of the Mississippi River. Here we had lunch at The DAM Riverview Sports Bar on a deck overlooking the river. It was SWEET!
Last but not least - we rode on to Maquoketa Caves State Park near Maquoketa, IA. It is a beautiful area with hiking trails that take you by and through some caves.
We finished up our day by riding south to Eldridge, IA and checking into a motel. We enjoyed a soak in the hot tub and called it a night. Today we rode 145 miles and our high temperature was 64. It was a great day of sightseeing and riding some of Iowa's most beautiful roads.
To view all the pics we took today click on the following link: IowaWaterfallsDay3
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