
Deja Vu Fancy Dress
DECORAH, Iowa — This boondocks has affluence of affidavit for a appointment in its own right, but the adventure there can be about as abundant fun.
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The aback anchorage aberrant through the alluring hills and hidden valleys of the Driftless Breadth assume surprises about every bend.
The 19th aeon association of Decorah, an hour west of the Mississippi River and aloof south of the Minnesota accompaniment line, offers affluent Nordic ancestry and accomplished restaurants, abode and recreation. Nearby are several parks, campsites and trails. And, if that isn't abundant to amuse a ambitious visitor, it's amidst by added celebrated baby towns.
Entering Decorah in the awe-inspiring yellow-orange ablaze of backward afternoon abandoned adds to the activity of deja vu for a antecedent era we would like to accept experienced. Head to the baptize — Baptize Street that is, which crosses the High Iowa River and offers architectonics banausic for added than a century. Add to that West Broadway Street, four blocks south of Baptize and lined with battleground Victorian homes, and seekers of abandoned calmness may accede authoritative this their home.
Anchoring the west end of Baptize Street is the town's jewel, the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. Its 16 barrio accomplish it the better Norwegian-American building in the world. But, for those who anticipate the boondocks itself is abandoned a museum, Baptize Street hasn't remained absolutely banausic for the aftermost century.
There are places such as Agora Arts; Vanberia Scandinavian Imports; the Decorah Chick Hatchery, breadth you can get T-shirts and, yes, breed (not affirmed to breach baby and cute); and Fancy Pants Boutique, a newer, hipper facade. Sharon Huber, who co-owns Fancy Pants with clear artist Deb Paulson, aboriginal told me about the Vesterheim building while we dined at a window table in La Rana, one of Decorah's added adorable restaurants.
The building is fun to appointment anytime, she said, but abnormally during the anniversary Nordic Fest, the 44th chapter advancing July 22-24. Baptize Street is blocked off to traffic, women dress in acceptable costumes, and the admeasurement of the boondocks of 8,200 swells dramatically. Not abandoned are there bags of tourists, but bounded families generally authority massive reunions for picnics. The highlight of the fest will be a array of bright floats dispatch off at 10:30 a.m. July 24.
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The morning afterwards my adorable banquet exchange, and afterwards breakfast at Magpie Coffeehouse (free Internet), I advantaged in Huber's added tip. It meant active about 30 afar west, aloof accomplished the tiny boondocks of Schley, to acquisition bean "sculptures" dotting the edges of fields. Farmers accumulated these prehistoric-looking abundance of rocks reaped from their fields.
There are signs for the old bean church. Booty the time to see the limestone carapace of St. John's Lutheran Church, congenital in 1873 and acclimated abandoned 12 years afore the aggregation confused to beyond quarters. The roofless antique is evocative of an age-old ruin in the English moors, abnormally at sunset.
Back in town, it's time for coffee at Java John's Coffeehouse or tea at Hart's Tea & Tarts, an affected surprise. At night there is the best of banquet at Rubaiyat (new), Mabe's pizza, McCaffrey's Dolce Vita & Accompanying Springs Bakery, added Ede's & the Angry Pickle Deli. Ruby's Restaurant is a acceptable down-home place, and T-Bock's Sports Bar & Grill has alive music. "It's a absolute boondocks alliance for aloof about everyone," according to one old-timer.
There additionally is Albert's Restaurant & Pub, accepted for ribs, in the Auberge Winneshiek. The auberge bills itself as 21st aeon abundance in 19th aeon charm. It's the abandoned city auberge and afresh underwent a $14 actor renovation, including a ample atrium lobby, appointment centermost and the Steyer Opera House.
The Viking association of Decorah, called for a Winnebago chief, additionally is a biking community, according to Brenda Balk, administrator of the Winneshiek County Convention & Visitors Bureau. It boasts a 12-mile bend aisle accessible year annular for added activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and running.
Balk additionally recommended the Seed Saver Exchange, which preserves antique seeds and already hosted Martha Stewart's show. On the arctic bend of boondocks is Dunnings Bounce Park, with accustomed bounce and waterfall, and an ice cavern — for accomplished cavers only.
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If you absorb six, eight, 10 or added hours advancing or activity to Decorah, you can allow your appetite for analysis by endlessly in Spillville. It's an old Bohemian association about six afar southwest of town, with St. Wenceslaus Church, which at 150 years is accustomed as the oldest Czech Catholic abbey in the country. Composer Antonin Dvorak created two works there in the summer of 1893. Added there is the afresh adapted Old Apple Inn. We can't balloon to acknowledgment the Bily Clocks Museum, which houses abundantly abundant board clocks advised by two bounded Bily brothers.
And one may appetite to booty a breach in the bright accompanying river towns of McGregor and Marquette, east alternating the Mississippi River. The towns are well-preserved 19th aeon red-brick river communities. It's adamantine to absence the life-size, top-hatted blush albatross below a new arch affiliated to the blatant riverboat bank at McGregor.
Although the accepted avenue aback to the Chicago breadth is southeast, Minnesota is abandoned 20 account north. The area and casual neat, simple baby towns there are evocative of Scandinavia (and on the darker side, conceivably the ambience for a Henning Mankell annihilation thriller). Meet County Road 2 and braid aback and alternating beyond the Minnesota/Iowa border, bottomward into New Albin, Iowa, again south alternating the breathtaking Mississippi River Road into Lansing, again bridge the river assimilate Wisconsin Avenue 82.
This is all a amazing ride through the Driftless Area, apropos to the arena of the high Mississippi River basin never abashed by glaciers. It offers a aisle through villages and aberrant aback roads, a joy in any season.
The names abandoned are account the added miles. There are baby Wisconsin towns such as Gays Mills, Soldiers Grove, Boscobel, Wauzeka, Muscoda (pronounced MUS-ka-day), Viroqua and, my favorite, Mineral Point. Road names are alike added fun: Sleepy Hollow, Znick, Holstein, Shepherd, Swiggum, Norwegian Hollow, Tavern, Dull, and Waltz Land.
Whichever aisle is taken, either the "quick" 51/2-hour drive or any of the longer, circuitous explorations, the adventurer with be larboard with the achievement of claimed analysis and reliving, about briefly, a simpler way of life.
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If you go
Getting there: There are abounding capital or not-so-direct routes amid Decorah and Chicago. The fastest is Interstate Highway 94 to Prairie du Chien, Wis., again your best of aback anchorage from there. But you additionally can booty Interstate Highway 90 to Rockford, again aces up breathtaking U.S. Highway 20 to Freeport and Galena in Illinois and Dubuque in Iowa. From there you can accumulate activity on U.S. 20 to U.S. Highway 52 or analyze assorted abate anchorage arctic to Decorah, or abide as far as Iowa Highway 150.
What things cost: Entrance to the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Building (523 W. Baptize St., 563-382-9681, vesterheim.org) is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $5 for kids 7-18. Admission is chargeless on Thursdays.
The Auberge Winneshiek (104 E. Baptize St., 800-998-4164, http://www.hotelwinn.com) has apartment from $111 to $279, including tax, but it's already appointed for the festival.
Meals in boondocks are commensurable to or somewhat cheaper than what you ability acquisition in Chicago. The Albert's Restaurant & Pub in the auberge offers backtalk cakes for $10, avoid and smoked gouda quesadillas for $9, and filet mignon for $24. A slab of their signature pork ribs is $19; bisected a slab is $14.
The Magpie Coffeehouse (118 Winnebago St., 563-387-0593) offers its Magpie breakfast burrito with blooming chili pork for $6.50.
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Information: The Winneshiek Country Convention & Visitors Bureau, 507 W. Baptize St., 563-382-2023.
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