We took shelter where we could, under the picnic shelter, in trucks, and on the playground.
The thunder and lightning passed off to our east and we started launching boats in a lull from the rain.
By the time we were all on the river it had started raining again.
The rain let up and clouds remained for most of the day.
The Turkey River is a well-known kayaking venue in eastern Iowa. The current is swift and the scenery exceptional. A small deer ran alongside the lead boat for a while before it could escape into the woods, and we saw 6 eagles flying patterns over our heads; one had the good grace to land so I could take its photo.
We stopped at Motor Mill, which was built in 1869 as a grist mill. It stopped operating in the 1880s due to a severe infestation of chinch bugs, which destroyed the local grain crops. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977.
The bridge is a replica since the original bridge was destroyed by floods.
We stopped for lunch at a private preserve owned by Gary, a member of a Clayton County Conservation group. He told us of his efforts to document and preserve Turkey River history. He also provided watermelon!
When we arrived at Garber (population 84) we had the option of taking an icy cold rumble shower (seen below) or waiting in line for a lukewarm shower indoors--I opted for the indoor shower!
We walked up a hill to St. John's Church for dinner, and there were games of bean-bag toss and volleyball until dark.
The "official" band played until 9 PM, and their music was soft and easy to listen to.
After dark the unofficial band began--and played way past the designated quiet time of 10 PM. I overheard one rumbler saying "this is my vacation--I don't want to go to bed at 10:00!" Alas, it was quite noisy for those of us that require quiet time.
No comments:
Post a Comment