August 9, 2019 – Driftless in Iowa

Sipping my coffee, I rolled the window shade up and peered out. Through the darkness, I could see heavy fog. What’s this?! Could this be my one and only opportunity? No time to spare, I gave up the coffee and quickly gathered up the camera and equipment, got dressed and drove off into the dark abyss to a lookout point I had discovered earlier. My final day in the driftless area was about to get exciting.

After spending a few weeks in Iowa’s driftless area, I had no big plans on our final day except to relax with my morning coffee which began before sunrise. We came to the driftless area for Vivian’s desire to fish the trout streams. I, on the other hand hoped to capture some rolling hill farmland scenes, preferably with a dramatic sky from a notorious Iowa storm. The storms never produced, so my only hope was to capture a fog scene, but that also eluded me. Until now.

A few weeks before, we drove north on Illinois’ scenic state road 84 along the eastern edge of the upper Mississippi River, our introduction to the driftless area. When I think of the Mississippi River, I have visions of low country deltas. The area here is nothing like that with its rock cliffs standing 1000 feet above the river.

The driftless area is a geologically unique territory represented by Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota and if not for Vivian’s flyfishing research, we would never have known it exists. The driftless came into existence because the glaciers spared the land. Glaciers flatten things and when they retreat, they leave behind drift (clay, gravel, silt). Because this area escaped the leveling effects of glaciers during the last ice age, its landscape is characterized by ridges, deep river valleys, spring-fed waterfalls, caves and cold-water trout streams. Without drift.

We left the eastern banks of the Mississippi to go north, but a couple weeks later came back to the driftless, this time to Elkader, a small town in northeast Iowa.

Except for its gigantic grain mill that hovers over the downtown area, Elkader is unassuming in all its qualities, and full of delightful surprises. I enjoyed walking the empty streets of the tiny town one early Saturday morning as the sun rose above the hills overlooking main street. The smell of baking bread from Pedretti’s bakery, the one-room city hall building, the movie theatre, the lack of traffic and other reminders of smalltown life made me want to live there. Our home on wheels was parked less than one mile away, so in reality we were living there.

We experienced Elkader’s wonderfulness; pumping then paying at the gas station, fresh farm eggs, vegetables and homemade pastries from local women, tasting various brews at Deb’s Brewtopia where Deb grows her own hops in the backyard, crossing the historic Keystone bridge many times, perusing the 3-story Turkey River Mall antique store, and enjoying a pleasant dinner at Elkader’s only gay-owned Algerian restaurant, Schera’s. All this while a river runs through it.

We visited numerous trout streams as Vivian had her heart set on practicing her new flyfishing skills. I tagged along looking to photograph the uniqueness of the driftless area. When we explain to people that we spent time in Iowa while enjoying every minute of it, they were perplexed. We tell them, the driftless area has some impressive places to see, such as the unique Effigy Mounds and Pikes Peak State Park where the bluffs reach 1000 feet. We loved driving around on country roads with minimal traffic through the bucolic farmlands.

Almost every day, we got out before first light and drove to a remote trout stream where Vivian could fish or we could hike. Water levels were extremely low, which seemed strange given the severe flooding four months earlier. The waterfall at Pikes Peak was nothing more than a trickle. But I photographed water whenever I could. But it was the enchanting farmland that kept calling me and I really wanted to capture it under the right conditions.

On our final day in the driftless, I drove with excitement to the lookout point in the dark, unphased by inadequate caffeine and breakfast. I arrived and quickly set up my tripod and camera as a glorious site began to unfold below me. For miles, I could see green undulating hills veiled in long folds of fog waving across the land like flowing scarves. The sky awakened in color as the sun appeared and the illuminated fog kept a fluidity that created an ever-changing view.

Facing the sun, I worked the scene only to get more excited when I turned around and saw an equally beautiful front lit view. For well over an hour, I ran back and forth between my designated spots and captured the morning as it brightened the sweeping farmland. I got what I came for and not a day too soon.

I left the Iowa driftless area feeling quite content – I got my shot. But both Vivian and I would come back here in a heartbeat, and one day we will. For now, we head south with anticipation. As is always the case when RV traveling, some places try to pull us back as we leave them – but the next adventure has a stronger pull. Stayed tuned.

RV Traveling Issues and Tips

We pull a fifth wheel, therefore we drive a big diesel truck which requires maintenance now and then. If you are traveling extensively, you must plan for some maintenance. In our case, the F350 Ford needs an oil change every 5000 miles or so, filters need replacing, tires need rotating, etc. We keep a record of these things and can anticipate when and where we will need to visit a Ford dealer. Fortunately, Ford dealers are just about everywhere. The point it, when planning your trip, account for the maintenance schedule and be sure you have access to service wherever you plan to be. Not only that, consider that you will probably have to devote at least a half day to get these things done.