By Dianne Koch
Want to lengthen a beautiful fall season? Why not travel north of Dubuque to Allamakee County to catch the height of the color season there and then enjoy the color peak again when it arrives here in the Dubuque area?
Lansing, Iowa, is beautiful in all seasons, but now a new building devoted to the Driftless Area graces a hillside just south of Lansing, commanding a view of the Mississippi Valley below. The Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center Museum on Columbus Road just opened this past August. Ragbrai riders were treated to a sneak peak in late July. Learn about the Driftless Area and the glaciers that created this impressive landscape. Discover more at AllamakeeCountyConservation.org.
Lots of other opportunities exist nearby as well. Hiking or biking through Yellow River State Forest in provides lots of memorable scenery. Biking from Waukon Junction to Harpers Ferry, west on Lansing Harpers Road to Lansing and back on the Great River Road to Harpers Ferry and then to Waukon Junction makes for a gorgeous 30-mile bike loop. Visiting any of the Allamakee County Parks will provide more hiking ideas as well. Canoe access points are also listed on the Allamakee County Conservation site.
Enjoy the fall twice by going “up north.”
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