I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to spend the day exploring the River Bluffs Scenic Byway with my sons. Although I was born and raised in ClaytonCounty, I was amazed at how much there was to see and do along this 109 mile stretch of roadway in Northeast Iowa! As we headed off in the direction of the byway, I wondered if this trip was really going to keep my 6 and 4 1/2 year old rambunctious little boys entertained! After a stop at Osborne to visit Ben the bear, we headed to Pedretti’s Bakery in Elkader for breakfast...lets just say it was a delicious start to an amazing day! After walking across the KeystoneBridge while enjoying our treats, we got back in the car and headed to Guttenberg through Elkport and Garber. In Guttenberg we stopped at Lock and Dam number 10 and then headed up to the new scenic overlook on Highway 52 which my 6 year old, Kaleb, thought was the coolest thing he had ever seen! We left Guttenberg and headed to McGregor, stopping on Main Street to tour the shops. From McGregor we made our way to SpookCave! What a great place! I hadn't been there since I was 8 years old and couldn't wait to experience it again with my kids! They loved it! From there it was on to Gunder to have lunch at the Irish Shanti...one of our favorite places! Next we checked out Skip-A-Way Resort in Clermont and the boys played in the TurkeyRiver. When we got back in the car it was clear that my boys were exhausted. As we drove toward West Union, I looked in the rearview mirror and found them both fast asleep! Since I’d been promising ice cream all day, we stopped at The Barrel Drive-In for hot fudge sundaes, which were enough to dispelthe usual “wake up grumpy” attitudes! With full tummies we made our way to Wadena to end our day with good friends playing in the stream by their house. We spent 11 hours that day exploring the River Bluffs Scenic Byway! So many lasting memories were made including when the mud on the floor of the stream swallowed up my younger son, Stellan’s, flip flop! My boys are already asking when we can go out again and see all of the things we missed because there just weren't enough hours in our day! Please take some time this summer to enjoy the River Bluffs Scenic Byway and make unforgettable memories with the ones you love!
Greetings!This blog is meant to inform people about the River Bluffs Scenic Byway.There are 11 Scenic Byways in the State of Iowa, including the River Bluffs Scenic Byway in Clayton and Fayette Counties.The River Bluffs Scenic Byway was established in 1998, but aside from some signs along the road, it has been largely anonymous.That’s all currently changing!Through the Iowa Scenic Byways Sustainability Project, local stakeholders are partnering with Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), Inc. and the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) to maximize the wonderful benefits the River Bluffs Scenic Byway has to offer. We encourage you to follow this blog, learn more about the Scenic Byways Program and most importantly, become involved in the process and come along for the ride!
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