Author Archive

By Jim McCaffrey
Originally published in the Spring 2011 Inspire(d)

Soon winter will be just a sleeting memory. With the advent of spring comes an ever-changing cornucopia of newly-sprouting varieties of vegetation. Lilies of the Valley, Fiddlehead Ferns, Dutchman’s Breeches, Bluebells, and Jack in the Pulpit abound in the woods around the Driftless Region. One finds the spark of new life in the cultivated gardens of the area as well. Asparagus loves to nudge its pointy little head out of the earth at the first advent of frost packing it in for another season. Freshly planted onion sets strive mightily to reach out and touch the sun. Lettuces frolic with wild abandon, seemingly screaming out “Pick me! Pick me! And slather me with homemade Green Goddess dressing!” But the most formidable spring garden plant just has to be rhubarb. Once it takes hold, it is just like the Energizer bunny. It keeps growing and growing and growing.

So let me share a story from the McCaffrey Family Chronicles. A tale of rhubarb deception or at the very least, a mother’s indiscretion. I grew up the son of a father who went through the Great Depression and a mother who escaped with her sister from East Germany during World War Two. Together my parents some how came up with the down payment on an 80-acre farm just west of Decorah. I’m sure making the ends meet while raising five children and sending them to the Catholic school as well was no picnic in the park. After all, my dad was a rural mail carrier and like most families at that time, he was the sole wage earner. In order to make do, we had a couple of large gardens and raised various species of livestock that graced the table throughout the year. One year we raised 400 chickens in the garage. We spent an entire weekend butchering and pulling feathers. We then proceeded to have chicken for supper six days a week. On the seventh day we rested and had hamburger. I still do like chicken in spite of that experience. Needless to say, a lot of effort was necessary to keep the farm above the waterline.

We pretty much lived out of the gardens year-round. What wasn’t eaten fresh was preserved in one fashion or another. Potatoes and onions were piled on pallets in a dark abyss of a corner in the basement. To this day I can remember distinctly the raw spud aroma that permeated the basement air. Hey, my father was Irish, so 400 pounds of potatoes hanging out in the basement was not uncommon. We also amassed a trove of canned vegetables and pickles that were stored in a large floor-to-ceiling cupboard in the cellar. Mom was the “preserve principal” in our family. She had a small wooden-handled paring knife that she used for her culinary cutups. As a chef I marvel at the amount of food she processed with that knife. Bushels of sweet corn were voided of their kernels by several swift strokes. She spent hours at the kitchen table being the human vegematic. I can just see her slicing strawberries, chopping up rhubarb, and cutting green beans French style.

Rhubarb was usually the first of the yearly harvest. Mom would slice the stalks into small pieces and freeze most of them for when the strawberries were ripe and delicious. She then made some delicious strawberry and rhubarb jam and pies. My favorite of her desserts, however, was her so-called Rhubarb Upside Down Cake with a sweet butter sauce. Mom passed away a couple years ago and no one can find that recipe. I decided to use some Irish ingenuity and see if I could come up with something close. So I Googled Best Rhubarb Upside Down Cake. “What is wrong with this picture?” In fact, “PICTURES.” Every recipe with a picture of the cake had the rhubarb on top. Even Martha Stewart’s. (One can’t argue with America’s culinary maven). Mom’s rhubarb was on the bottom. My childhood conception of upside down cake has been completely shattered. Mom, how could you have led me so astray? OK. Take a deep breath and breathe easy, breathe easy. Time to come up with a plan. In the future, I will call it Rhubarb Upside Upside down cake and the heck with Martha. I plan on making this for my family in honor of my mom on Mother’s Day this year. It isn’t the original recipe but it is close. Oh, and Mom, I still love you.
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Jim McCaffrey is a chef, author, and co-owner with his family of McCaffrey’s Dolce Vita restaurant and Twin Springs Bakery just outside Decorah. He is author of a humorous cookbook titled “Midwest Cornfusion”. He has been in the food industry in one way or another for 40 years.

Ed. note: Benji made this delicious – seriously delicious – cake for these photos and halved the recipe, baking it in a 9” round cake pan and two eggs. It worked beautifully. (Sorry, Jim, it’s not upside upside down, but we served that way, and MAN was it good.)

Rhubarb Upside Upside Down Cake

8 Tbl butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
8 cups cut up rhubarb
3/4 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 cups all purpose flour
2 Tbl baking powder
2 cups milk
3 eggs
1 Tbl vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 8 Tbl butter in large skillet or pot.
Add brown sugar and stir until blended. Add rhubarb and mix until well coated.
Grease an 11 X 18 baking dish. Cover the bottom evenly with rhubarb mixture.
Cream butter with sugar in an electric mixer. Add the rest of the ingredients.
Mix until smooth. Gently pour over the rhubarb mixture and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake 40-50 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sweet Butter Sauce
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup cream or 1/2 and 1/2
2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan on medium low.
Cook and stir for about 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.
Pour warm over cake slices and enjoy!

A Paper Project by Inspire(d) Media/Aryn Henning Nichols

These paper chicks are a fun spring project for the young and young-at-heart!

Supplies:
Construction paper or card stock in whatever colors you want for body, beak, and eyes (scraps work well, but make sure you have at least one piece that is 10-11 inches long)
Glue stick
Scissors
Sharpie or black pen or marker
Ruler
Pencil
Toilet paper roll or other similarly round object (for tracing)

1. Mark an inch-wide strip along the long side of the paper with your pencil. Cut. Repeat to get a second strip.

2. To create the body, roll first strip and glue at the bottom, leaving roughly three inches at end for start of tail.

3. Cut second strip in half. Roll and glue at bottom to create head.

4. Glue head to body…you can position further up the body so the chick is looking up, or down if you’d like it to be pecking the ground!

5. Mark a 2-inch by 3/4-inch strip on your beak paper (mine’s traditional orange, but do what you want to make it your own!). Cut.

6. Fold your cut piece in half and trim the corners, making the middle attached part the small side.

7. Fold in the bottom sides so there is a little lip to attach glue.

8. Glue the beak to the head wherever you’d like the beak positioned. Little fingers are handy here – I find securing the bottom, then the top is easiest.

9. Cut the remaining half strip of paper (mine’s yellow) in half again. Then cut in “feathers” – just snip your scissors into the strip multiple times, the long way, leaving some space for glue at one end. Snip into the bird’s current tail as well.

10. Glue feathers to tail and then curl with your pencil (if desired).

11. Use something circular to draw a circle on your paper for the wings (I used a candle holder, but a spice jar or toilet paper roll would work well). Cut out, then cut in half.

12. Like the tail feathers, snip your scissors into the rounded sides to create wing “feathers”. Fluff up if you’d like.

13. Glue, slightly overlapping, to the body.

14. Cut two small circle for eyes (I used white paper, but you can certainly have colored eyes!). The Sharpie works well to trace. Cut out, then mark the pupil (black part) with a marker or pen.

15. Glue eyes to body, and then you’re done! Happy Spring! If you’d like to share a photo of YOUR spring chick, please tag @Inspire(d) Media on Facebook (and like us at facebook.com/iloveinspired). Thanks for making our Spring 2012 Paper Project!

By Sonya Luse Geenen

Illustrations by Natalie Moore

Originally printed in the Spring 2011 Inspire(d) Magazine

So you want to start a garden? There’s no time like the present to get those hands dirty… or at least start planning to get your hands dirty… once there is some dirt to get at. And there’s nothing like fresh _____ (fill in the blank with your favorite veggie) picked straight from your garden to make your day!

As the snow is piled in your yard begin to notice the sunny areas and then once the snow has gone rip up some sod, get the soil ready, and get going. Make friends with your neighbors who garden and ask questions. Find the gardening books at the library and check out embarrassing numbers of them. Some of your veggies will produce so heavily they’ll knock your socks off. Others may flop. There are many factors that play into a happy, productive garden, so don’t beat yourself up if something doesn’t do well this year. Take notes – consider a garden notebook – and do it differently the next time around.

It’s helpful to know that the average last frost date for the Driftless Area ranges between May 1 and May 31. And first frost date ranges between September 1 and September 30.

This is an outline for a basic kitchen garden. The size isn’t mapped out because everyone has different spaces – the layout can change, but some plants have been placed next to each other because they are allies and companions. The marigolds and nasturtiums, for example, act as replants to trouble-causing insects and enhance the growth of other vegetables. Basil is another example of an ally. It enhances the flavor and growth of tomatoes.

There are two gardens here, but they are really the same garden at two different times of the season. The early plantings will taper off and need to be pulled – lettuce, spinach, peas, radishes – and the later plantings – tomatoes, beans, peppers, basil – will easily fill their spaces.

***

Nasturtiums: Sow directly one week after last frost, space 6 – 12” apart, ¼” deep. The flowers are edible and will add good color, spunk, and spice to your salads.

Marigolds: Plant directly into the garden two weeks before the last frost. 6 – 12” apart just below the surface of the soil.

Beets: Plant these versatile (you can eat them raw in salads, roasted, steamed), mega nutritious (with vitamins A and C and more iron and minerals than spinach) veggie a month before the last expected frost, or as soon as you can work the soil. Sow ½” deep and space 2 – 4” apart. Fun fact: Beet seeds contain 8 true seeds. You’ll need to thin these plant clusters so toss the tiny tender leaves into salads or cook ‘em up. Beets are yummiest when they’re 1 ½ – 3” in diameter.

Lettuce: Fresh garden salads are magic. There are many lettuce varieties. Some favorites are butterhead, leaf lettuce, and romaine. Mix your choices – the textures and colors are fun to play with and make beautiful salads. Soil temps only need to be 35 degrees to plant outside. Mark your lettuce patch and sow seeds closely ¼” apart, rake lightly to cover. Plant every two weeks for a continuous harvest.

Spinach: Here is another early bird green veggie. Plant as soon as you can work the soil, up to six weeks before the last frost. To keep a continuous harvest coming make small plantings every 10 days until mid May. Plant ½” deep and 2” apart. Thin to 4 – 6” apart once they have two bigger, or true, leaves. Enjoy in salads, or add it cooked to pasta or grain dishes.

Sugar Peas: Snow and snap peas have edible pods. If you choose other varieties look forward to a new hobby of shelling peas. You also get to use your creative juices to fashion a trellis for your peas to climb. Plant 4 – 6 weeks before the last frost when the soil is at least 40 degrees. Plant 1” deep and 1” apart. Yumm!

Radishes: These are quick growing, instant gratification-type veggies. Some will be ready in as little as three weeks. Plant 4 – 6 weeks before the last frost, as soon as the soil can be worked. Space ½ “ deep 2” apart. Keep watch and dig around the tops a bit to check if they’re ready for eating.

Carrots: Plant three weeks before last frost is expected. Carrot seeds are tiny. Mark your rows and sprinkle the seeds 2 – 4” apart. They can take one to three weeks to sprout so toss a few radish seeds in to help mark the row and pull them after the carrots sprout. You can harvest some as soon as they are big enough to eat or leave them to pull in one harvest.

Cucumbers: Cucumbers enjoy warm soil and will germinate faster with warmer temperatures. Wait until the soil is at least 70 degrees. There are bush and climbing varieties. If you decide on the climbing varieties you’ll get to build some beautiful trellises. Plant ½” deep and 1’ apart.

Beans: Beans, beans, the magical fruit… These guys need warm air, 70 – 80 degrees, and soil temps of at least 60. Sow at least one to two weeks after the last frost. Spacing depends on if you’ve got bush (3- 6” apart) or pole beans (1 – 3” apart). Sow 1” deep with soil pressed over them to make sure of soil contact. Harvest almost daily when beans are pencil sized. Steam them up or eat as you pick them.

Tomatoes: There are gobs of variety when it comes to tomatoes. Many sizes, colors, and shapes. You’ll need to find a good source for tomato transplants unless you want to give starting tomatoes from seed a go. Plant the transplants out when the soil temps are nice and warm, 70 degrees. Space tomatoes 1 – 2’ apart with trellises already in place. Plant at a depth so the lowest set of leaves is at soil level. As they grow, tie them up loosely every 6” with soft twine. Keep watch, water as they need it, and enjoy keeping tabs as YOUR tomatoes bloom, set fruit and then as they ripen and you get to eat them.

Peppers: Like tomatoes, find transplants to purchase. Find happy plants, ones with strong stems and dark green leaves. Soil temps should be at least 60 degrees. Space peppers 1’ apart, and plant the transplants as deep as the lowest leaves. Most peppers become sweeter as they mature from green to their truly ripened colors of reds, yellows, oranges, browns or purples.

Basil: Sow seeds directly two to three weeks after frost when the soil is warm. Seeds can be planted just below the surface of the soil. In a patch, plant basil thickly or space them more generously – 1’ apart – in a row. You can encourage bushy growth by pinching the plants back. Basil can be chopped fresh and put on tomatoes, in salads, sauces and other dishes. Pesto is another very delicious option for basil to use throughout the year.

Chives: A permanent herb garden is a great thing to start. Chives are easy to find in yard sales, garden stores, or neighbors who need to split the chives they have. Oregano, thyme, rosemary, and lavender are herbs to work up to.

Supplies:

Paper (I like red for Chinese New Year, but you can use any you like, 8.5 x 11 works best)
Pencil
Tape or Stapler
Scissors

1. Make sure the your paper is wrong side up (if you’re using patterned paper, the pattern would be facing the table). Measure 1 inch from the short end and make a line with a pencil. Cut along the line and save this piece for your handle.

2. Fold the remaining paper lengthwise (keeping the wrong side out).

3. Measure 1 inch along the long (open) edge and make a line. Then, along the fold, make a mark every inch.

4. Cut up to the full line at each mark.

5. Turn your paper right side out.

6. Roll it into a tube and tape or staple the edges together.

7. Push the lantern down to open up the slits a bit.

8. Tape or staple the handle inside the top, and you’re done! Make several to hang in a doorway or just a few to decorate your home. But keep away from flames – these are for decorative purposes only!

Happy Chinese New Year!

What you’ll need:
Inspire(d) Turkey Page 29 from the Fall 2011 issue (get it online here!)
Scissors
Brown paper bag
Cardboard (optional – cereal boxes work well)
Glue (stick, Elmer’s, whatever works…but probably NOT Super Glue)

1. Out of the paper bag, cut a band wide enough to fit your (or your friend’s, child’s, spouse’s) head.

2. Wrap the paper bag band around your head and mark or make note of where it needs to be glued. Then, of course, glue it!

3. Next, cut a circle for your turkey’s face. You can use the template on the Inspire(d) page if you like, just cut out the whole circle and trace.

4. Cut out pieces, as directed, from Inspire(d) Magazine (you may choose to back the “feathers” and “wings” with cardboard if you want them to not flop. If so, and if you’re smarter than me, glue the cereal box cardboard sheet to the entire turkey page before step 4, then cut just once).

5. Glue the feathers in place – they go on the inside back of the headband, and it might help to line them up along the back so you know how you want them spaced.

6. Glue the eyes and wattle to the paper bag circle. Fold the beak where it says “fold here,” and glue just the side with the writing (it will read upside down) to the turkey face. This way the beak can open and shut. Now on the opposite and outside of the band, glue the face in place.

7. Center the wings around the face, and glue on each side.

8. You’re done! Place on head. Maybe do a dance. Happy Thanksgiving! XO – A & B

Tutorial and one-handed photos by Aryn Henning Nichols

Read an inspiring story about Decorah’s Spencer-Berg family and their four-month sabbatical in the Summer 2011 Inspire(d) Magazine, online, starting on page 20. The Spencer-Bergs are folding cranes for a good cause. Here’s how it began, from the Spencer-Berg’s themselves:

“The crane project actually started over a year ago when Anna and Aidan were looking for a way to raise money for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. They made earrings using tiny cranes that are smaller than a dime (the square of paper that you start with is 3/4” square) and also made strings of cranes interlaced with colorful glass beads. When the earthquake and tsunami happened in Japan it seemed a perfect time to bring the project back with a few changes. And after Anna and Aidan and their family experienced the massive earthquake in New Zealand, they had renewed interest in the plight of people suffering from natural disasters and especially earthquakes. The sisters have been organizing crane-folding gatherings, so far bringing together more than 40 people. Collectively they’ve folded about 800 cranes. Anna’s goal is raise $1000 with the proceeds going to earthquake/tsunami relief for Japan.

Inspiration for the project came from the story a real-life girl named Sadako who died from leukemia after the bombing of Hiroshima.  She folded cranes while ill with a goal of reaching 1000.  These cranes were folded from anything she could get her hands on including the labels from her IV medications and wrapping paper from gifts received by fellow patients. She died before reaching 1000. A memorial to her stands in Hiroshima.  Her efforts to bring about healing for herself and her nation through the simple act of folding peace cranes has been an inspiration for Anna’s project and the many other crane-folding projects across the country.

Anna’s hope is that more crane projects will continue to form. It’s so easy to forget about a natural disaster within a few weeks as new disasters come along to grab our attention, but the people of Japan will be suffering for years to come.”

Join Anna Spencer-Berg on her crane-folding mission. You can adopt a “family” of beautiful beaded cranes that are strung in smaller sets of three to five. (Suggested donation is $5 per bird – so a string of three would be $15). Adopt a “flock” of cranes – simple garlands of cranes without beading. (Suggested donation is $1 per bird.) “Adoptions” come with a lovely picture and thank you message that can be displayed in your home or business along with the birds. Offer to host a “sale” of cranes. More information is coming soon at thousandcranesproject.com.

Tips from the Spencer-Bergs on starting a crane project and folding origami:
• Be in it for the long haul. It takes a looooong time to fold 1000.
• Consider playing some quiet music from Japan in the background (itunes or pandora are nice sources)
• Number your cranes so you are accountable to yourself for getting to 1000
• Before starting the crane take a minute to pause and reflect, write a simple message on the blank side of the paper and sign your name. It will not be visible but the message inside will be carried with the bird where ever it goes.
• Be creative with paper sources. We’ve used opera scores, postage stamps, maps, old books with Sanskrit poetry, and traditional origami paper. One time Aidan was in the bathroom longer than usual and emerged with a lovely gentle white crane folded from a square of toilet paper!
• Take time to get the angles of the neck and tail just right. Gently shape the wings into a gentle arc rather than creasing them into a harsh flat shape. Treat each bird gently and with respect, appreciating the delicate beauty. Don’t give into the temptation to be in “assembly line mode”.  It’s not about getting to 1000 so much as it is about the journey along the way.

Upload pictures of your cranes to Inspire(d) Media’s Facebook page when you’re done, pretty please!

1. Cut the page out of Inspire(d), or use any square piece of paper (fold a piece of printer paper diagonally and cut the extra – that will make a square!).

2. Fold in half one way.

3. Fold in half the other way.

4. Fold diagonally.

5. Fold diagonally the other way.

6. Open up your sheet. Turn it so it’s a diamond, not a square.

7. Take the right hand corner and fold it into the bottom corner, using the folds you’ve made.

8. See! Like this!

9. It will then be square with the right corner tucked inside the square (make sense?).

10. Run your finger down the middle to make a strong crease.

11. Take the left corner and do the same thing, folding it down to meet the bottom corner.

12. See! Like this!

13. You should now have a smaller diamond, with two corners folded in.

14. It’ll look like this from the bottom.

15. If you’re using the sheet from the magazine, you’ll see there are many fold lined inside. That’s because we’re going to be making folds on these parts of the diamond.

16. Take the right corner and fold it over to meet the middle, like you’d fold a piece of New York pizza.

17. Do the same on the left side.

18. Flip the diamond and repeat on the other side. It will look like a little kite.

19. Open up the flaps you just folded (I know it seems silly, but trust me).

20. Do the same on the other side.

21. Now this is the tricky part. You’ll pull up the bottom point.

22. And bow the edges in, following the folds you’ve made.

23. It will look a bit like a boat as you’re bringing the sides together.

24. I find it helps to make sure the bottom of the boat is creasing here at the back.

25. Then bring the sides together and flatten the boat out.

26. Do the same on the other side, remembering how the boat folds together.

27. Make sure your creases are strong.

28. Your crane should now look like this – more a tooth than a crane. The bottom half can separate, the top can’t.

29. Now pull the right flap up…

30. And fold it into the middle, like that pizza before.

31. Do the same on the left side.

32. And repeat on the other side.

33. Now it’s a skinnier tooth!

34. Pull the right flap toward you and look at the crane from this side (basically turning it 90 degrees).

35. Pull the bottom fang up …

36. And invert the fold.

37. This can be the tail! Make your crease strong, having the tail lean toward the back a bit.

38. Now look at the tooth from the other side…

39. Repeating what you just did.

40. This can be the head!

41. Use your nail to fold down the head, flattening out the crease.

42. Fold down the wings, making arches in each.

43. Carefully pull on the wings to puff out the center part. Continue to tweak the wings, head, and tail to be the way you want, and you’re done!

Compiled by Inspire(d) Staff
Originally printed in the June/July 2010 issue of Inspire(d)

Sure, summer is all about festivals and swimming and canoeing and fairs, but what do you do when it’s raining? Or when it’s hot, humid, and sticky in a way that only the Midwest can be – like you’re trapped in a hot tub and there’s no time machine. Right?
Right. So in all our infinite wisdom, we hatched a plan: let’s learn more about some cultural, educational, fun, air conditioned museums in the Driftless Region. We asked each museum to submit a little entertaining information about what’s waiting within their walls for people like you and me. And boy did they deliver. Your kids can go rock climbing. You can see a clock someone once wanted to buy for $1 million dollars, a sailboat that actually crossed the Atlantic, and the place where the modern tractor was made. It’s all pretty cool. Literally and figuratively.

Check them out. Explore. If you’re a tourist, get the most of your stay. If you’re not – pretend you are!

Vesterheim Museum, 520 West Water Street, Decorah, Iowa

Hours:
May – October open daily: 9 am – 5 pm, Thursdays ‘til 8 pm
November – April: Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm, Thursdays ‘til 8 pm
Admission: $10/adult, $8/senior over 65, and $5/children age 7 –18
www.vesterheim.org • 563-382-9681

With 24,000 artifacts and 16 historic buildings, this national treasure uses the Norwegian-American experience as a lens to explore the diversity of an immigrant nation. Step inside to discover stories of courage and beauty. You’ll find a cabin made from a single tree, a sailboat that crossed the Atlantic Ocean, elaborate costumes, colorful painting, silver wedding crowns, woven tapestries, and even intricately carved butter molds. The lives of the people who settled our nation were often as colorful as their folk art, and their stories speak through the objects they left behind. Come and see what they have to say. “USA Today” named Vesterheim one of “10 great places in the nation to admire American folk art.” Vesterheim also preserves living traditions through classes in Norwegian culture and folk art, events, tours to Norway, and educational programs for children and adults. Preserving a heritage. Connecting us all.

The Porter House, 401 West Broadway Street, Decorah

Hours: June – August open daily: 10 am – 4 pm, and Sundays 1 pm – 4 pm.
Admission: $5/adult, $4/seniors, $3/children age 6–16, Children 6 and under free
www.porterhousemuseum.com
563-382-8465

Near the turn of the century, Grace Young fell in love with the “boy next door,” Adelbert (Bert) Field Porter, and married him in her parent’s music parlor in June 1904. They lived out their lives in the Italianate Villa that previously belonged to Grace’s parents – it now houses their personal furnishings, collections, artwork, photographs, and library. A.F. Porter’s collection of exotic butterflies, gathered over seven trips around the world, is the focal point of the museum, along with Grace’s piano in the music room, and her painted china collection. The museum grounds include a unique rock wall designed by Bert and built from his extensive collection of rocks and minerals. Fountains, birdbaths, planters, and a water garden enhance the gardens surrounding the house. In July of 1968, Bert conveyed the house and it’s contents for preservation as a public museum.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, Burr Oak, Iowa
(Off Highway 52, 12 miles north of Decorah or three miles south of the Minnesota state line)
Summer Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 9 am – 5 pm, Sunday 12 – 4 pm
Admission: $7/adult, $5/children age 6-17, Family Rate $25
www.lauraingallswilder.us • 563-735-5916

Question: Who has 10 eyes, no income and was forced from their previous life by an invasion? Answer: The Charles Ingalls family when they moved to Iowa in 1876 and Laura was nine years old. Laura’s family left the Banks of Plum River in Minnesota, fleeing the horrible grasshopper plague, to find a better livelihood. In Burr Oak, they helped run the Master’s Hotel and they moved twice more during their year in the small village. The building where they first lived opened as a museum, 100 years after their move, in 1976. The third site where they lived was the birthplace of their fourth daughter, Grace. Knowledgeable guides – familiar with Laura through Burr Oak history, her widely-read books, or the popular television series – help guests from around the globe understand the Ingalls’ Iowa life and times. Come explore the story of one of our country’s most beloved authors.

Children’s Museum of La Crosse, 207 5th Avenue South
in historic downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin

Hours:
Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10 am – 5 pm; Sundays 12 – 5 pm (closed Mondays and major holidays)
Admission: $6/person (Sunday Savers: $1 off admission!) Infants and members FREE.
www.funmuseum.org • 608-784-2652

Learning and fun…rolled into one, for the young and the young at heart! Spend some affordable, quality time with your kids at the Children’s Museum of La Crosse, where you’ll explore three floors of hands-on exhibits, a climbing wall, gift shop, and much more. Lots of new exhibits added in recent months, including the heart-pounding NEOS game, Whoosh, Toothy Tango, kid’s crane, and a two-story rescue center. Memberships include a full year of admission + other benefits, starting at only $50! The $120 Passport level membership includes admission to over 425 participating museums nationwide! Ask about birthday parties, field trips, summer camps and other programs: convenient and fun – and kids will even learn something!

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum, 800 Riverview Drive, Winona, Minnesota

Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 10 am – 5 p, Sunday 11 am – 5 pm (Closed Mondays and Holidays)
Admission: $6/adult, $3/students age 5 – college, 4 and under free, $20 Family Rate
www.minnesotamarineart.org • 507-474-6626

The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is not what you expect, or where you expect to find it. Next to a working Mississippi river port in the beautiful “historic island city” of Winona, the Museum houses one of the best collections of art inspired by water in the United States. A place where everyone is welcome (no art degree required!), the Museum is a year-round destination that hosts ongoing events and programs for kids, families, and adults including our popular Toddler Tuesdays and Family Fest.

Rochester Art Center, 40 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester, Minnesota (on the Zumbro River)

Hours:
Wednesday, Friday, Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm; Thursday: 10 am – 9 pm; Sunday: 12 – 5 pm
Admission: $5/adult $3/senior (62 and over); Free to children, students, members & Olmsted County Residents
www.rochesterartcenter.org • 507-282-8629

Then: Founded in 1946, the Rochester Art Center presented local and regional art for nearly 30 years. For the next 30, RAC became a national focus for arts and crafts, particularly ceramics.
Now: Today, RAC is a venerable organization in cool new digs. In 2004, we built an ultra-modern building, presenting contemporary art. We’re famous for Free Family Day (1st Saturday/month), Total Arts Day Camp; 3rd Floor Emerging Artists Series; national and international artists; FLUX (late evening music/art/performance for young-adults), and as a top 10 place in Minnesota for weddings and receptions… the view’s that beautiful.

Bily Clocks Museum/Antonin Dvorak Exhibit, 323 S. Main Street, Spillville, Iowa (12 miles south of Decorah)
Hours:
May – October: Monday-Saturday, 9 am – 5 pm, Sundays, 12 – 4 pm
April – November: weekends only
Admission: $6/ adult, $5/senior 65 and over, $4/youth age 6-17, $16/Family
www.bilyclocks.org • 563-562-3569

Why did Henry Ford in 1928, offer $1million for one of the Bily brothers clocks and why did they refuse the offer? Take a tour of the Bily clocks museum, located in the quaint village of Spillville, and you’ll find out! Experience for yourself this one-of-a-kind collection of 40 hand-carved clocks created by Frank and Joseph Bily (bee-lee), farmers by trade and carvers by night. And why did Antonin Dvorak, Czeck composer from Praque, find his way to Spillville? That answer is found on the second floor of the museum. You’ll just have to come to find out!

Froelich Tractor Iowa John Deere Museum, 24397 Froelich Rd., Froelich, Iowa (4 miles east of Monona on U.S. Highway 18)

Summer Hours:
Open six days a week (closed Wednesdays): 11 am – 5 pm
www.froelichtractor.com • 563-536-2841

The Froelich visitor experience includes an 1891 general store museum, an 1866 restored country school, a l903 dairy barn, a rebuilt railroad depot, a turn of the century blacksmith shop, and a mini-grain truck display (new in 2009).
The highlight of the summer is the Froelich half-scale model tractor display and video of its historic development. In 1892, in this tiny village, John Froelich invented the first farm tractor powered by a gasoline engine that operated in forward and reverse. It became the Waterloo Boy and the current John Deere tractor division in Waterloo, Iowa. Historians credit Froelich, Iowa, as the birthplace of the modern farm tractor. (Photo by Danny Eilers)

Villa Louis, 521 North Villa Louis Road, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin

Hours:
Open May 1 – Oct 31: 9:30 am – 5 pm. Guided tours on the hour from 10 am to 4 pm
Admission: $9/adults, $7.75/seniors, $4.50/youth 5-17, $24/family
villalouis.wisconsinhistory.org • 608-326-2721

The Villa Louis, also known as Dousman Mansion, is located on St. Feriole Island in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Today the site is restored to its late-19th century grandeur, when it was the estate of the prominent H. Louis Dousman family. At the center of the estate is the elegant Villa Louis mansion, designed by E. Townsend Mix and built in 1871. Earlier it had been home to Louis’s father Hercules L. Dousman, and before that the land was occupied by Fort Crawford. Prior to this, in 1814, the Siege of Prairie du Chien was fought at the site by American and British troops hoping to control Fort Shelby during the War of 1812. Still farther back, the site was of importance to American Indian tribes, especially the Mound Builders. Today the Villa Louis is the finest example of a British Arts and Crafts interior in a rural setting in the United States.

Photo by Lauren Kraus

There are tons of great hiking, biking, and walking trails throughout the Driftless Region in Northeast Iowa, Southeast Minnesota, and Southwest Wisconsin. We’ve featured a number of them in Inspire(d) over the past few years, all written by the lovely Lauren Kraus. Check them out here!

Decorah Area Trails: Twin Springs, Upper Ice Cave Hill in Dunning’s Spring Park, and Van Peenen Park

Trails north of Decorah: Pine Bluff and Coon Creek

The Backwoods of Winneshiek County: Bear Creek and Pine Creek Areas

Falcon Springs State Wildlife Area and Lionberger Environmental Preserve

Trails at Lake Meyer (Calmar, Iowa) + Mother’s Day Trail in Decorah

Southeast Minnesota: Root River State Trail and Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail

Effigy Mounds National Monument (NE Iowa)

Kickapoo Valley Reserve (SW Wisconsin)

Map Courtesy Oneota River Cycles

By Lauren Kraus

Originally published in the October/November 2010 issue of Inspire(d)

Fall is upon us, whether we like it or not. Personally, I find it’s hard not to love this transition of seasons: from the hot, blistery summer that makes sleeping difficult unless directly positioned under a fan to the cool, crisp autumn with bright blue skies and crackly orange, red, and yellow trees. What’s not to like?

One way to really soak in this gorgeous time of year is to get out for a drive, a walk, anything to see the fall splendor. And I’ve got just the place to check out! The Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) – most definitely a close neighbor in the Driftless Region – roughly 45 miles from both La Crosse, Wisconsin and Lansing, Iowa – making it an easy fall weekend or daytrip destination.

The Kickapoo Valley Reserve is a sweeping 8,569 acres of land nestled in Southwestern Wisconsin between the villages of La Farge and Ontario. Traveling in this part of Wisconsin is breathtaking with winding roads meandering up and over tall bluffs covered in rich woodlands, perfect for leaf-looking and horizon-gazing. I suggest a route that takes you through the quaint town of Viroqua, Wisconsin. Take the time to stop and enjoy some wonderful shops and restaurants. A couple of my favorites are the Viroqua Food Co-op and the Driftless Café – or stop bty Kickapoo Coffee’s roastery and say hello from Inspire(d). Kick back – it’s a leisurely drive, right?

As you continue on the route, don’t be surprised to see colorful roadside stands selling the best of their fall harvest and fresh farm eggs. At the southern entrance to Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR) sits La Farge, another picturesque Wisconsin town that is home to the national headquarters of Organic Valley, the largest cooperative of organic farmers in the United States. Be sure to visit in their retail store on Main Street and see what their products are all about.

My own first experience with the incredible KVR was through an adventure race called the Dam Challenge Triathlon – a 7-mile paddle, 14-mile road bike ride and a 3-mile run. It turned out to be quite the endeavor… Let’s just say waking up at 5 am and leaving Decorah early enough to make it for race time was not my idea of a peaceful Saturday morning. My friends came to pick me up on that crisp, October day before the sun was even thinking about making an appearance. We drove the twisting two-lane highway through morning fog toward the Mississippi River, sipping on black coffee and trying to get into race-mode. After crossing the Mighty River, I will never forget turning around in the minivan to look at the sun rising behind us as we climbed the bluffs in western Wisconsin. The Mississippi River Valley was flooded with fog and the bright new sun reflected on the fall-colored maples, oaks, and hickories, creating a fiery glow that has been burned in my memory.

The exhausting race served as an excellent tour of the KVR and surrounding areas. We paddled the clear, cool water, rode through dense valleys of pure Wisconsin farmland, up and over steep ridges, and ran the wooded, rocky trails. I’m convinced it will forever be a favorite place. I love that the area is rugged, full of exposed sandstone outcroppings, a mosaic of green moss, towering cliffs and the narrow, snaking Kickapoo River.

It was officially dedicated under the governing body of the Kickapoo Reserve Management Board in May of 2001. It now boasts a beautiful visitor and education center, many miles of rustic trails for hikers, bikers and equestrians, 25 primitive camp sites including some accessible by vehicle and some accessible only by canoe or hike-in/bike-in, 125 miles of canoeing on the Kickapoo River and opportunities to hunt, fish and trap. Not to mention, the Dam Challenge Triathlon every October. (The 2010 Dam Challenge Triathlon is scheduled for October 2. Sorry, registration is closed, but keep it in mind for next year!)

Upon arrival, make sure to pop in at the beautiful visitor center located on the south side of the area. They offer great information about the Reserve, a detailed history of the area, and employees who can answer questions and give tips as well as maps. You can’t go wrong with any hiking trail or any camping spot, but one of my favorite spots to camp is letter “N”. Set up here and hike on the trail that leaves from the north part of the campsite. This will lead you up a hill and to an area with some steeper climbing and scampering over rocks bringing you to an awesome lookout over the whole valley. There are numerous lookouts on other hiking trails too – it’s easy to find great vistas all over this place. If canoeing is your thing, there are bridges every mile on the river making it easy to get in and out as well as know exactly where you are on the water.

Kickapoo is plum full of potential for pure adventure – all you need to do is get there. The Reserve is accessible from wherever you may be in the Midwest making it an easy weekend expedition or even a Saturday get-outta-town trek any time of year. If you happen to miss the fall-foliage trip-window, or go and love it so much you want to go back, the winter months offer a whole new set of activities with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and even a Winter Festival in early January. Whatever outdoor liveliness you’re into, the KVR is a stunning place to pay a visit and have a dam good time!

Lauren Kraus loves everything about fall. She plans to spend some good time in the KVR warmed by hot tea and a wool sweater tromping around in the woods or floating in a canoe. The 2010 Dam Challenge is her 3rd and not the last.

Websites to check out:

kvr.state.wi.us
www.organicvalley.coop
www.kickapoocoffee.com

Iowa’s only National Monument is Better than Ever

Text and Photos by Lauren Kraus

Oirginally printed in the October/November 2009 issue of Inspire(d)

The Driftless Region is home to many great things – one being the only National Monument in the entire state of Iowa.

Effigy Mounds National Monument, located on highway 76 three miles north of Marquette and 17 miles southeast of Waukon, is also one of over 390 parks in the National Park System. The only other National Park in the state is the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in West Branch.

Since October 25 marks the 60th anniversary of the day President Harry Truman signed a proclamation and established Effigy Mounds as a National Monument, we thought you might like to learn a little more about the place – and we encourage you to take a trip and check it out yourself.

According to the National Parks Service website, the “Effigy Mound Region” is located in Southern Wisconsin and Northeastern Iowa. Around 1,400 years ago, earthen effigy mounds – areas of dirt often shaped into effigies of animals – began to appear from just west of the Upper Mississippi River to Lake Michigan’s western shore. They were built by people known as Woodland Indians, but nobody really knows why they began, and no one knows why they stopped. Native American legends portray the mounds as ceremonial and sacred sites.

A man named Theodore H. Lewis was one of the earliest surveyors in the upper Mississippi Valley. Another man, Ellison Orr, from McGregor, was also an accomplished surveyor and mapped mound groups and other archaeological areas in northeast Iowa. Both studied the Effigy Mounds region. Thanks to their detailed recordkeeping, treasured information about Iowa archaeology is available today.

But to truly understand all of the work that went into these mounds and the history behind them, you simply must visit! Being centrally located and nestled in the Upper Mississippi Valley makes Effigy Mounds an easy day trip from wherever you’re starting. The Visitor Center located off of highway 76 is a nice starting point full of great information, a 15-minute video on the mound builders, a museum with American Indian artifacts from the area, and a bookstore. A $3 entry fee is required. The now 2,526 acre National Monument consists of a North Unit and a South Unit divided by the Yellow River, each containing impressive mound groups and amazing overlooks of the great Mississippi River. The overlooks in the North Unit provide views of Pikes Peak State Park, Prairie du Chien, various ponds, the Yellow River marshlands, and islands that make up the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. During the autumn months, the river valley speckled with yellow and red clusters of changing oak, maple, walnut, birch and aspen makes for a picturesque time to be out and exploring this monument.

Roughly 14 miles of wide, meandering trails run through Effigy Mounds providing access to the various mound groups as well as the overlooks. Get out for a relaxing, scenic trail walk, try a trail run or head back during the winter for an adventurous snowshoe or tromp-in-the snow hike. The park does not groom the trails for cross country skiing, but remains open year-round. After a good visit in the park, don’t forget to look into other awesome area attractions like Yellow River State Forest, Pikes Peak State Park and the river towns of Marquette and McGregor. A cold brew (or house made root beer) at the Old Man River Brewery in McGregor is prefect after a hike at the Mounds.

The Upper Mississippi River valley provides an incredible landscape and unique historical features like the Effigy Mounds. Wherever you are, get out there and take advantage of these great places. Help Effigy Mounds celebrate its 60th anniversary by exploring the area and learning more!

Helpful web links:
http://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm
http://www.iowadnr.gov/forestry/yellowriver.html
http://www.iowadnr.gov/parks/state_park_list/pikes_peak.html
http://www.oldmanriverbrewery.com/

Lauren Kraus loves exploring new places, the crunching of fall-colored leaves while walking and really good root beer. She was also excited by Iowa’s only National Monument and the beginning of the beautiful season that is autumn.