We left Topeka, Kansas, driving predominantly along US-75 and US-36, the latter of which was miles of cornfields in all directions, as far as my eye could see.
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| You know there's tons of corn here--just look at the size of these silos! |
We arrived at our next Harvest Host location, Holdfast Farm,
located on IA-2 in Mt. Ayr, Iowa. Kendra
and Kevin, along with Diego, 1 of their 3 canine kids, are warm and welcoming
folks. Their 50-acre property, which has trails on
which we could walk, is serene and bucolic.
The circular drive provides easy entry/exit. We loved their farmhouse store, which offered
all locally-sourced products. From eggs
to produce, from flour to granola, from natural hygiene products to reusable
tablecloths/napkins, we found it one of the best Harvest Hosts at which to make
purchases.
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| Diego was keeping an eye on us. |
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| Such a great farmhouse store! |
The next day we drove along I-35, arriving late morning at
our Harvest Host, the Living History Farm, in Urbandale, Iowa. We had a huge, paved lot in which to park,
overlooking the lovely grounds. Our
first order of business was to enjoy the buffet brunch at The Machine Shed,
which is walking distance from the Living History Farm parking lot. Then we took the tour at the Living History
Farm ($20/adult), which included a tractor ride to 3 historic areas, a
reproduction rural Midwest town, and costumed interpreters throughout. The grounds of the Living History Farm were once the home of the Flynn family. Their mansion, built in 1871, included running water/indoor bathrooms and gas lighting. Situated on 600 acres initially, the Flynns made additional land acquisitions, bringing their acreage up to 1,000. While touring the grounds, I learned that the State name "Iowa” pays homage to the Ioway Indian Tribe who call this area their ancestral home.
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Grounds of the Machine Shed included a pond and coops in which you can visit the chickens that provide some of the options on the brunch menu.
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| Our parking spot had a lovely view of the reproduction rural Midwest town. |
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| 1700s Farm. |
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| The Flynn Family Mansion, circa 1871. |
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| A sampling of the interior of the Flynn Family Mansion. |
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Early 20th century farm.
 | | The kitchen within the early 20th century farmhouse. |
 | This historic area included draft horses, chickens...  | ...and perky piglets who were pestering their Mamma during her nap. |
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| Reproductions of structures used by the Ioway Indians when they inhabited these lands. |
We completed our tour about 4:30 p.m., finding it well worth
the admission price. But, we weren’t
done for the day. Instead, we drove
along the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway to Winterset, Iowa to tour the
structures made famous by the book/film, “Bridges of Madison County.” The original 19 covered bridges in Madison County, of which only 6 remain, were built in the latter decades of the 1800s to provide farmers with a way to bring their crops across the many rivers, creeks and streams. The farmers maintained the bridges at their own expense to avoid paying a county poll tax, which was to be levied on all men over age 21 who wanted to vote.
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| The movie was filmed at Roseman Bridge, built in 1884 and renovated in 1992. This bridge is said to be haunted, but I saw no spooks during my visit. |
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| Cedar Bridge (built 1883) is the structure illustrated on the cover of the book. |
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| Inside the wood framework of Hogback Bridge is a journal book. I made an entry for posterity. |
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| Imes Bridge, built 1871. |
Holliwell Bridge (built 1880), spans 110 feet. It is the longest of the 19 structures built.
The last structure we visited, Cutler-Donohue Bridge, is located within Winterset City Park. This Park is a true treasure, complete with
campground, pavilions, play areas for the kiddos, and wonderful wood carvings created
by talented artists.
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| Cutler-Donohue Bridge, built 1870. |
Winterset is also the home of the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum. We arrived too late in the
day to take a tour. But Dad dropped off
Mom and me to take a few photos. The grounds also include "Freedom Rock."
Invoking The Duke from his film “The Cowboys”, the next
morning I told Mom to “slap some bacon on a biscuit and let’s go” to our next
destination, Wanatee Park in Linn County within Marion, Iowa. Loop A within Wanatee Park offers huge
full-hook-up sites with concrete pads, grills, and picnic tables, all for a
reasonable advanced reservation rate of $36/night (including processing
fee). Loop B sites have electricity
and water, but they are available only on a first-come-first-served basis ($25/night). The Park has a fun play area for children,
clean restrooms, and a carpet-like lawn bordered by native wildflowers.
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| Lots of fun to be had in this park for kiddies--and for Rambling RV Rat. |
With crisp temperatures of 56F degrees, it was more
representative of a fall day than one in late August, making it perfect for
a bike ride. So, after exploring both
loops of the campground, off we went to the Park’s day-use area, about a mile
from the campground. Along the way, we
spotted deer and bunnies within the meadows and several waterfowl enjoying the
marshy areas and ponds. The day-use area
includes 2 inviting lodges that can be reserved as event centers. I learned that the Park entry road was once
part of the Lincoln Highway, and 1 of the Highway’s original bridges is still
in use.
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| One of the two lodges available to reserve for an event. |
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| The "L" signifies that this day-use entry road bridge was part of the original Lincoln Highway. |
While out and about in Marion, we did some impromptu apple
picking at Allen’s Orchard.
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| Apple picking in Iowa was a real treat. We miss all the u-pick farms and orchards we visited when living in New Jersey. |
But we came to this area specifically to visit Cedar Rock State
Park in Quasqueton, Iowa to tour the Lowell Walter House. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1945, construction
of the 1800-square-foot Usonian-style home did not begin until 1948 due to the
limited building supplies available after World War II. Lowell was a local farm boy done good. He purchased a company that produced
bituminous oil, a component used as a seal coating on gravel roads. He married Agnes, also a native of Iowa, and
they lived in Des Moines. An article that
Agnes read in Vanity Fair Magazine was the catalyst for hiring Wright. Cedar Rock, as the property would be called, became the Walters’ summer home for a cost of approximately
$150,000.
Built on a limestone bluff overlooking the Wapsipinicon
River, the home has a cement cantilever roof, Corning glass windows, radiant
heat, and a customized boat house. Almost every aspect of the home, including furnishings, is original (even all the plants in the home are
ancestors of those placed there by Frank Lloyd Wright). That is because the Walters had no children,
so Lowell bequeathed the intact property to the State of Iowa upon his death. The house provides a fine example of Wright’s
quirkiness: He only approved the Walters’ incorporating their piano into the
decor after the legs were shortened to keep his horizontal line design.
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Wright designed all aspects of this home, including the mushroom-shaped outdoor lights.
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The dining area is comprised of interlocking tables...
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Notice the height of the piano. Wright insisted the legs must be shortened to keep with his horizontal line design.
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| Wright's design incorporated lots of natural lighting and plants to bring nature inside. |
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| Lovely gardens on the grounds of Cedar Rock State Park, which is located on Historic Route 20, the longest road in the U.S.A. (3,365 miles from Oregon to New England). |
Despite the rain we encountered, we enjoyed our tour of Cedar Rock immensely.
Time for me to bid adieu.
Mom is going for her daily walk, and I want to join her. But I’ll talk to you again soon.
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