Mines Of Spain - Dubuque, IA - May 2020

Happy Mothers Day.

Here's your drink, breakfast in bed, and present.  Now that that's out of the way, let's get going.
We took a little day trip to Dubuque to the Mines Of Spain.  The weather didn't look good but it turned out to be not too bad of a day.

Horseshoe Bluff Nature Trail
I really liked this trail.  Who knew something so cool (besides me) could be in Iowa.
The Horseshoe Bluff Trail has 3 levels.  We started up the trail to level 3.  What a beautiful view at the north end.  Should have taken a picture but there's a view of the Mississippi behind us.


We went down to level 2 which skirts around the top for a while.

We might have gone out-of-bounds on this climb.

Then down to level 1.  The stairs were nice, but come on, we should be climbing down rocks!

Colin doing his best "stand by me" moment.


The back half of the trail had a hidden surprise, there was a train crossing then another short trail that leads to the Mississippi River.  How fun.

Overall, I give this trail a 5 for the scenery and the initial lookout from level 3.


Calcite Trail
Spoiler Alert, there was Calcite.  Not sure if I could spot calcite along this trail even if there was but we'll assume they're telling us the truth.

This was a little less scenic.  Mostly woods.  It was a nice respite from the rain though as the thick tree canopy kept us dry!  The first part of the trail was fairly steep and it continued on w/ quite a bit of up and down.  I'll give this one a 3.


There are a lot of other trails left to visit here so I give this one an incomplete.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pikes Peak State Park - McGregor, IA - June 2020

Image
Pikes Peak State Park is located in McGregor Iowa.  This park was a nice day trip to break up the monotony of our Coivd Spring.   Bridal Veil Trail This trail leads to the Crows Nest and Bridal Veil Falls.  This trail is very kid friendly as parts of it is paved sidewalk and the rest is a wooden boardwalk with stairs and handrails. There are several scenic overlook areas offering a few good views of the Mississippi. The crow's nest has a nice lookout over the Old Man River. The Bridal Veil Falls is beautiful and one of Iowa's most visited sites. East & West Hickory Ridge Trails This was a nice peaceful wooded trail. Hickory Rock Trail Ditto. Overall The views outlooking the Mississippi were nice but nothing overwhelming.  Sorry but 3.5
Read more

Wapsipinicon State Park - Anamosa, IA - Nov 2020

Image
Wapsipinicon State Park  is located in Anamosa Iowa.  I was getting grief for going out hiking too much, so took a little break. It was a record-breaking day with 73 degrees in early November and it will probably be Spring until it's nice like this.  Had to get out one last time before the long Coivd Winter.   Ice Cave Small little cave right off the road.  It was very cold back in there; hence the name.  I was surprised to get Mary in even this far. Hope nothings behind us! Horse Thief Trail / Cave This trail had a perfect spot along the creek for a photo op. At the end was the Horse Thief Cave.  Legend has it this was where actual horse thieves hung out.  (And played horses?) Dutch Creek Trail This was a short little trail that went along the Dutch Creek and the access road.  Good for a nice open and easy walk with some pleasant views.   Pine Trail Th...
Read more

Wildcat Den State Park - Muscatine, IA - May 2020

Image
Hadn't been down in this area much, but saw it online and wanted to check it out.   Wildcat Den  park is a hidden gem.  This park has some great trails and really looked like it had some great campgrounds (if you're into that sort of thing). Lower Picnic Area Trail This trail was my favorite.  The sandstone cliffs (from what I understand are millions of years old) were beyond my expectations.  The bluffs and rock formations were awesome.  You gotta go see this. Mill Trail This was a nice hike out to the old Grist Mill.  It was a change of pace as it was mostly tree covered. Pine Creek Overlook has a scenic view right off the trail. Quite interesting, I'd never seen a snake climb a tree like that.  Ok, bring a swimsuit or old clothes as it is too tempting to enter the pool on the backside of the mill. Punch Bowl Trail We followed the Cool Hollow trail primarily as a means to get to the Cedar Cliff trail, it was a nice The tree w...
Read more