WHY WIRELESS?
LATENCY
JCWIFI has lower latency*…no wonder even financial traders prefer wireless
*Latency is the delay that occurs when your computer is talking to other computers/servers; for example, you may experience low or high latency (delay) during an online auction or engaging sports game – not good!
JCWIFI offers low, consistent, no-hidden fee pricing compared to fiber and cable providers’ often inconsistent, add-on pricing
JCWIFI is local with friendly, local tech and customer support — not outsourced like a national company
JCWIFI cannot be physically cut so is less fragile than fiber optics where cut lines can result in long outages
JCWIFI uses radio waves that travel at the speed of light so your wireless internet is as fast as the speed of light
Judy Czurylo (left) and Toni Martell took to a spot along Lake Carroll Blvd. in Section 23 to pick up trash during Lake Carroll’s annual Cleanup Day. CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM
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Program Goals:
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• Teach positioning, mobility, transfers and walking skills
• Reduce pain through use of modalities and adaptive equipment
• Improve cognitive and communication skills
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“I think it is easier for some to just toss something into the weeds in a ditch than take it home and either recycle it or throw it away,” Jim Richards said. “It stems from a lack of respect for our environment. All life evolved together on this planet and we must work in concert with it, rather than exploit it or abuse it. There are consequences to ignoring signs all around us of our lack of understanding.”
Trash isn’t just a people problem. For animals, it can be hazardous to their health. They can mistake discarded items for food, which can clog their digestive system or in some cases poison them. They can also become entangled in discarded plastic packaging, which can lead to injuries or suffocation. Carelessly tossing away trash doesn’t help plants and trees either.
Prairie Club members have made it a mission to help people understand the relationships between nature and living things, and have created areas throughout Lake Carroll to help plants and animals thrive, and that in turn helps creates a healthier ecosystem.
“Having learned much over the past 8-10 years, working to restore precious areas around us, we’ve learned that all organisms have evolved to maintain a stable ecosystem,” Richards continued. “When this system is out of balance, we see the result, be it plants and animals going extinct, weather turning unpredictable or insects dying off such as the monarch butterfly.”
Lake Carroll Trail Club chairman Tom Giovanni leads volunteers on the 14 1/2-mile trail looping around Lake Carroll in search of trash during Cleanup Day. At right, from top: Mitch Feucht gathers garbage in the ravine where Zier Road parallels the trail. Patrice and Kevin Greenan pick up around the Lake Carroll Campground. Jim Richards, president of Lake Carroll’s Prairie Club, addresses volunteers at the Lodge.
PHOTO: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM
Mike Bykowski
... Seen here looking for trash along Lake Carroll Boulevard in Section 16
Above:
While nature benefits from a cleaner environment, it can also unwittingly contribute to the problem too. Wind can carry garbage from near and far, and when it does, it often hits the trails first, many of which wind around the community’s perimeter. While not the first thing people see when they drive by, Lake Carroll’s trail loop was first on the Trail Club’s list of cleanup priorities. Fifteen member of the club, led by chairman Tom Giovanni, hopped on ATV’s and picked up along the trails.
The Trail Club reformed last year after a lengthy absence, and one of its goals has been to clean up along the trails. There was a lot cleaned up last year and that made this year’s efforts much easier, Giovanni said.
“The cleanup day was a success. We brought out people who had never been involved before and they were excited to be a part of it,” Giovanni said. “It is a great way to help build a strong sense of community.”
With the trail system being looked after more by Trail Club members again, it’s become an amenity that people are utilizing more, and they’re respecting it by keeping it clean, Giovanni said.
“A cleaner Lake Carroll represents all of us in the best light,” Giovanni said. “We take pride in our community and want people to feel good about coming to Lake Carroll. The group effort is heartwarming. Everyone showed up with a positive attitude.”
Above: Nelson Martell picks up trash along Lake Carroll Boulevard in Section 23. Below: Tom Young picks up trash along Zier Road.
CODY CUTTER/ CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM
While Cleanup Day comes just once a year, trash is a year-round nuisance, and Pam Richards encourages people to think of every day as Cleanup Day.
“I keep telling people, we only have one Earth and it is up to each of us to be the caretakers of what we were given,” Pam said. “I’m just really proud of this community for always showing up to help out.”
While it may seem like properly disposing of waste is just a drop in the trash bucket, little things like that make a big difference, Pam’s husband and fellow caretaker likes to remind people.
“We are on this Earth a very short time, in geological terms,” Jim said. “We have a duty to preserve this Earth, our home, for future generations to enjoy as we have and leave it better than it was when we were here.
“You wouldn’t throw trash around your own home, why do it outdoors?”
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
Brian
ome businesses like to boast that they have everything you need all under one roof.
Terry McGovern and her daughter can come pretty close to making that claim — it just takes them a few more roofs to do it.
The two are the busy business owners who keep a lot of plates spinning in Stockton, and some of those plates even have food on them. They run four different businesses in the town about a half-hour north of Lake Carroll, offering customers places where they can shop for gifts, home decor and flowers, find fashions, treat themselves to a treat, or sit down for a bite to eat.
Looking for home decor or a flower arrangement for a certain occasion? Beautifully Berkeley at Stockton’s busy Main Street crossing has that. Want to add to your wardrobe? Walk a half-block to Savvy’s Boutique to check out the latest trends in women’s fashion. Worked up an appetite shopping? Cross Main Street and have a bite to eat or some coffee at Stella’s Cafe and Catering. Time for dessert? Just head back across Main Street for a treat at Sweet Alice’s.
CODYCUTTER/CCUTTER@SHA
Terry McGovern has found her happy place in downtown Stockton, where she runs a quartet of businesses with her daughter. “It’s a good home for me ...” she said. “I really enjoy the people. I’ve made great friends here.” McGovern is seen here at Beautifully Berkely, their floral and home decor shop.
Being in business runs in McGovern’s family. While she owns Stella’s on her own, she coowns Beautifully Berkeley, Savvy’s and Sweet Alice’s with daughter Molly McGovernMensendike; and the business names come from her grandkids, Berkeley, Alice and Stella.
McGovern, who is originally from Galena, credits a young and vibrant group of volunteers and civic leaders in helping her quartet of businesses thrive in the small town of 1,700 residents, she said.
“It’s a good home for me, and I’m pleased with everybody here,” McGovern said. “I really enjoy the people. I’ve made great friends here.” McGovern probably crosses Main Street more than anyone else in town, and it starts before the crack of dawn, making her baked goods and candy at Sweet Alice’s — turtles, truffles, orange peels, macrons, pecans, cupcakes, fudges and more — and then walking over to Stella’s to tend to her morning customers for cups of coffees and cappuccinos and a diverse menu of hearty breakfasts.
a dock or extension?
have many options for you to be able to use your dock this year with the low water level?
also have trailers for purchase if you want to trailer your pontoon in and out.
Stella’s is located inside one of Stockton’s most historic buildings — so historic that it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. The W.E. White Building has served a variety of purposes since the Queen Anne commercial structure was built in 1897, one year after a large fire destroyed much of downtown, and it’s been Stella’s since 2012. The interior retains the original tin ceiling and much of the original footprint, and the tops of its tables honor the town’s well-known sites and scenes throughout its history. Customers can sit at the tables to eat or lounge on a pair of couches for coffee and conversations.
On the menu, Stella’s biggest lunch seller is its BLT on bread made in-house. The top breakfast seller varies, McGovern said. The farmer’s plate of two eggs, skillet-fried potatoes, toast and a choice of ham sausage and bacon, as well as the Hobo Hash of bacon, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cheese, sour cream, two eggs and toast, are popular with locals.
The avocado toast and pesto fried egg has proven to be a hit with tourists and visitors.
“I saw it on Facebook and I said ‘We’ll try this,’ and so we did and it was a huge hit. We sold so many of them on the weekend, but it’s definitely a tourist thing; they’re more familiar with it.”
Stella’s also sells its own loafs of bread — including white, wheat, lemon blueberry and raisin. The bread is also used in its bread pudding.
In addition to the many chocolates it has under glass, Sweet Alice’s also has jars of penny candy to pick from and a variety of looseleaf teas to scoop out — all are sold by the pound. The candy jars are a hit with kids, McGovern said, and many pay for single pieces with a pocket full of coins. McGovern also does custom orders, and she’s done orders ranging from margarita cupcakes to gender-reveal cheesecakes.
“We’re really willing to try everything,” McGovern said. “I [recently] got a request for a gender-reveal cheesecake, which I had never seen. I researched it and I know how to do that now, so we’ll do that. You have blueberries or red raspberries, but they all go inside and you have to have it so you don’t expose them.
“We’ll get people who will call in and ask, ‘Will you do this?’” McGovern said. “They’ll go onto Pinterest and show me, and I can go, ‘Yeah, I can do that.’ Pinterest is our new best friend. We’ll try anything and we love it when people come in.”
Sweet Alice’s also sells caramels, which many customers buy in boxes to ship “all over,” McGovern said. Its ribbonthin peanut butter brittle “doesn’t stick on your teeth; it’s super thin like paper,” she said. Lemon tarts and mini cheesecakes also are available, and its orange peel chocolates have real orange peels in them.
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“We have people who come over from Dubuque just for those,” McGovern said. “Those are real orange peels. A lot of candy stores have gone to a citrus gummy for their orange peels, and then people kind of faded away from [buying] them, but we take the oranges and I cut off those peels and caramelize them and dry them on a rack before I put them in the chocolate. They’re how they should taste.”
Owning so many different businesses has proven to be a good fit for mom and daughter, especially during events like Valentine’s Day, when having places where people can get flowers and sweets “is an amazing combination,” McGovern said. The two shops — Sweet Alice’s and Beautifully Berkeley — are connected, making it easy for customers to go from one to another.
The gift selection at Beautifully Berkeley combines the beauty of nature and home decor. “There are a lot of greens and it’s more of a natural, nature theme, and we’ve tried to kind of keep it that way,” McGovern said.
“We enjoy having the gift shop and we enjoy the creativity,” McGovern said. “We blend things that we do ourselves with things that we find.” For example, she and Molly make their own scented soaps, and they also sell dish towels with sayings they find on the internet printed on them.
CARROLL COUNTY HAS SEEN A 54.7% DECREASE IN UNDERAGE DRINKING SINCE WE STARTED WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS IN 2006! ***Illnois youth survey***
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“It makes for a nice flow,” McGovern said. “People can coordinate and make things work for them, and we like that. With the floral arrangements, you’d be shocked at just how many people want to come in and grab a bouquet. We’ll always have them ready.” They can also do wedding flowers and flowers for prom and homecoming.
“And, of course, the candies and the flowers go together so much, you wouldn’t believe it,” she said.
At Savvy’s, a trendy selection of clothes, footwear and accessories aim to appeal to women from their teenage years to just before they reach their golden years, McGovern said. McGovern is more hands-off with Savvy’s and lets Molly handle it — her daughter knows what’s trending with both women her age and what she sees from the teens she teaches in her English classes at River Ridge High School in nearby Hanover. Molly also makes her own clay earrings and jewelry under the M’s Musings brand sold there, as well as other brands.
“It’s a little boutique in a small town, and we try to keep the prices so that they are reasonable,” McGovern said. “It’s a small town, we’re not Chicago. A lot of it’s young and definitely trendy. She follows TikTok and all of the [social media websites] to know what’s on trend.”
And if you don’t see something you’re looking for, just ask and they’ll do their best to track it down.
As for what’s tending in Stockton? Creativity and commitment from business owners like McGovern have helped give the small-town economy a boost in recent years, making it possible for those in rural areas to steer clear of the big city and shop local.
“It’s really amazing for a small town how much it has,” McGovern said.
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
PHOTOS:
hen it comes to enjoying The Mighty Mississippi, there’s a place not far from Lake Carroll where you can find pretty much anything that floats your boat.
It’s a business where you can dock a boat, rent a boat, store a boat or fix a boat. You can get gas or gear or pick up a souvenir. You can even check in to a floating hotel — and it’s in a place unlike any other.
And that’s not just hyperbole.
It’s called Island City Harbor, and it’s located on the only island city in Iowa, Sabula, about a halfhour’s drive from Lake Carroll.
The community is surrounded by the Mississippi River to the east and three lakes in the other directions.
Being a business in a one-of-a-kind community isn’t the only thing that sets Island City Harbor apart though. For the people who’ve stopped there, it’s “the nicest shop and marina on the Mississippi,” and for the people who run it, it’s been a family dream come true.
Island City Harbor serves as a one-stop shop for boating supplies, gas, gifts, service and a source of tourist information for one’s visit to the river region. It also offers overnight stays on three boats and a floating cottage on the harbor. Kayak, canoe, and paddleboard and pedal boat rentals also are available on the nearby South Sabula Lake, and a pontoon boat can be rented for a group trip on the river.
The nautical niche its owners have carved out for themselves has been a labor of love since 1994 for the Lawson Family.
Jerry and Patricia, and their son Jesse own the harbor, and the parents also own millwright and towboat businesses headquartered at the harbor.
Kelly Connor has been the harbor master and marketing manager for five years, and is the person most boaters and customers meet during their visit.
“Island City Harbor is a conglomeration of a family’s dreams,” Connor said. “They’ve always added to it, as their boys were here since they were little. They’re always looking for new opportunities, they value relationships they’ve built in their various industries, and are thankful for everyone who’s helped them get there. They’re very involved in the community, and that is wonderful.”
Just how popular is the Sabula area as a Mississippi boating locale? The harbor itself has seven docks and 130 slips that are rented out, but if you’re looking to make it your boat’s home, it’s going to be a little while; there are around 30 potential renters already on a waiting list. Most of its boats are kept in storage on site
ter. If you’re out and about on the water and just stopping for the day, though, there’s space available to dock.
The harbor’s gift shop offers something to remember your river visit by, and includes locally made items and decor, mostly in a nautical theme: decorative signs, purses, accessories, jewelry, decor, candles and apparel — including Island City Harbor T-shirts. Just want to sit back and read a book? A lending library lets book lovers borrow something to read, either while there or out on the water.
“I’ve noticed a lot of people come in and will say this is the nicest shop and marina on the Mississippi,” Connor said. “We just say, ‘Thank you!’ We’re really proud of it, and we all work together on it. There’s never the same day.”
Want to enjoy a day — and night — on the water, but feel like kicking back in instead of cruising? Island City’s “Boatel Row” offers a floating cottage and three houseboats that can be rented for overnight stays.
during the win-
SUBMITTED PHOTO Island City Harbor owners Patricia and Jerry Lawson
The Minnow houseboat has a single twin bed, futon and a full bathroom; its decor is reminiscent of 1960s style. Another houseboat, the Driftwood, also accommodates two. The Lilypad has two bedrooms and sleeps four, with a full kitchen and dining room. Complimentary kayak rentals at the nearby lake are included with the Minnow and Lilypad rentals.
For families or larger groups, The Nantucket floating cottage can sleep six on four beds, and offers a view of the river and sunrise from one of the bedrooms and a shaded, screened-in porch looking toward the harbor.
“This was a dream of Patt’s, and she designed all of this,” Connor said. “There’s four single beds upstairs and a full bath, it’s just like a house on the water. The views here are incredible. It’s so cozy. You can watch the boats go in and out, the birds, and the fish that come out of the water. It’s very picturesque.”
Boatel Row is within walking distance of South Lake Beach and fishing, and a short driving distance to trails and parks — but it’s best not to wait until the last minute to book a stay. Cottage rental is a twonight minimum and books fast, Connor said.
The welcome mat is always out at Island City Harbor, both for customers and visitors to the area. The business does double duty as a Jackson County Welcome Center, stocked with pamphlets and publications featuring tourist information about places both in Jackson County and the surrounding area.
These boats were made for relaxing ... Island City Harbor’s Boatel Row offers a number of options for overnight stays on the water, from smaller houseboats up to the Nantucket floating cottage (seen here). The cottage sleeps six on four beds, and has a view of the river and sunrise looking out from one of the bedrooms, and a screened deck looking toward the harbor. Go to islandcityharbor.com/vacation-rentals to learn more.
Island City Harbor also serves as the welcome center for Jackson County, stocked with pamphlets and publications featuring tourist information about places both in Jackson County and the surrounding area. Maquoketa is the county’s seat and hub for tourist activity away from the Mississippi River, which includes attractions such as Maquoketa Caves State Park, the Hurstville Lime Kilns, the Codfish Hollow Barnstormers events center and plenty of art-themed attractions. (Read more about Maquoketa in the April 2023 Lake Lifestyle, at issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/svm_ll_040523/4).
Seven generations of Connor’s family grew up in Jackson County, and she can answer questions visitors have about the area as well as the river, and she’s heard plenty of them, from Illinois residents visiting for the first time to fellow Iowans.
A stop in Sabula gives visitors a beautiful view of northeastern Iowa, Connor said.
“We’re in the Driftless Area, and we’re very blessed with a lot of bluffs and hills along this path along the Mississippi River, and it draws people in,” Connor said. “We always have big ideas. We have a lot of things that we want to do in the future, and so this just keeps expanding. It’s wonderful.”
Shaw Media reporter Cody Cutter can be reached at 815-632-2532 or ccutter@shawmedia.com.
PLAYHOUSE
8215 BLACK OAK ROAD MT. CARROLL, IL 61053 (815) 244-2035
AUGUST 1 - 17,
Island City Harbor, 305 South Ave. in Sabula, Iowa, is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It is closed on weekends from November to April. On the river, it is at mile marker UMR 535. Find it on Facebook or Instagram (@islandcityharbor), go to islandcityharbor.com or call 563-687-2825 for more information.
The river that runs between Illinois and Iowa is called the "Mighty Mississippi" for a reason. The iconic waterway stretches 2,340 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, serving as not only a natural highway for people and wildlife, but as a major artery in the lifeblood of the shipping industry, carrying nearly 200 million tons of freight and commodities each year.
It’s also a great place for some R&R.
The second-longest river in North America is one of the richest sources of biodiversity in the world, and for a stretch of 33 nautical miles in northwest Illinois, some natural peculiarities exist that are unique along the river’s long and winding path, providing a living lesson in the fascinating role the river plays in our ecosystem.
The area can be found between Lock and Dam No. 12 in Bellevue, Iowa, and No. 13 in Fulton — each about an hour’s drive from Lake Carroll — and nestled among those miles are classrooms overflowing with knowledge and playgrounds brimming with places to retreat from the clamor of the daily grind and find solace in the sights and sounds of nature.
The area is designated as Pool 13 — just don’t look for
any diving boards. Sure, there’s plenty of water, but in this case pools are areas between navigation dams along the river. With its sloughs, islands and backwater lakes, Pool 13 is a prime spot for fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing.
It wasn’t always that way, though.
While nature had taken its course long ago, when man came along during the mid-1930s and built the lock and dam system along the river, it reshaped parts of the area, making the river much wider in some spots, transforming other areas into swampland, and creating small lakes and islands.
As the natural order was re-ordered wildlife began to adapt to the new lay of the land. Some fled while others found different places to call home, further from their new neighbors — but there are still some areas around Pool 13 where man and nature come together.
The river's expanse also lends itself to breathtaking views of the Pool area — the river and surrounding land, skies and bluffs. Spots along the Pool attract tourists who come to soak it all, some at city and state parks, some on self-guided tours, and some who cast off from boat launches created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the dam system.
In this issue of Lake Lifestyle, we've put together a list of places on both sides of pool: recreation areas, parks, boat access points, even an interpretive center where nature lovers can learn more about what makes this stretch of the Mississippi a unique one. So, if you feel like diving in to Pool 13, turn the page and join us on our journey …
Seen here is a view of Lock and Dam 12 from Bellevue State Park. The dam is at one end of Pool 13, a stretch of the Mississippi River that runs down to Lock and Dam 13 near Fulton.
Cody Cutter/ccutter@shawmedia.com
Take a small city best known for outdoors tourism, and add Iowa’s only island town to the experience, and you’ll find several areas of the Mississippi River that are fun for boaters and sightseers alike.
Savanna and Sabula are connected by the Dale Gardner Veteran’s Memorial Bridge (named for a former astronaut who lived in Savanna) which carries U.S. Route 52 and state Route 64 over the river. The stretch of highway in Iowa en route to Sabula features an isthmus with islands and sloughs on both sides.
docking and fuel service business with a gift shop, bait store and Jackson County’s Welcome Center (see the story on page 22 to read more about it). Also in town is the North Sabula Access boat launch, 314 47th St., which leads boaters into small lakes — Barge, Dead, Joe Day and Town — and to the river itself after going under the bridge.
Sabula is home to Island City Harbor, a
West of Sabula are the Upper, Middle and Lower Sabula lakes, which don’t have boating access to the river. Driscoll’s Island, 60571 Sycamore St., which stems off the highway going west of town, provides access to Middle Sabula Lake. South Sabula Lake Park, 1516 South Ave., just south of Island City Harbor, has a boat launch to Lower Sabula Lake, as well as a camping area.
South of Savanna is the large Spring Lake, between the Illinois mainland and several islands in the middle of the river; an access point, at 9498 state Route 84, is 1 mile south of town. Between town and the access point is a frog pond, 9898 state Route 84, that is open to fishing and frog catching.
Marquette Park (photo at left) in Savanna is along the city’s riverfront, named for explorer Jacques Marquette, who sailed the river along with Louis Jolliet on an exploration mission in 1673. The park has a boat launch, picnic areas and works of art involving local and river history.
High atop a bluff and home to one of the widest river views is Mississippi Palisades State Park, 16327A state Route 84, a 2,500-acre park perfect for people of all ages who want to enjoy nature, whether it’s a leisurely stroll or a hearty hike, or maybe you just want to soak in nature’s handiwork. Trees as far as the eye can see create a sea of green during spring and summer, and serve up splashes of vibrant color during the fall. You can also take a hike along any of the 11 marked trails, which run for 15 miles throughout the park. Trails on the north end of the park are wider and less strenuous than those on the south end. Some trails take hikers to the small limestone caves below the landscape. For those seeking a bit of adventure, the park is one of the few in the state that allows rock climbing. Miller’s Landing provides boat access opposite of the park.
Illinois’ longest natural sand dune is located on the grounds of the Lost Mound National Wildlife Refuge, located on the former Savanna Army Depot, 8 miles north of town. The depot was used for storage of military weapons until it closed in 2000. The area has largely been left in its pre-closure state, with nature taking over in certain spots. The Black Oak Dune Overlook at the depot provides a view of the river and its sand banks, as well as the mouth of the Maquoketa River. Before the depot was built, ornate box turtles were commonplace in the area; a repopulation effort has been underway for nearly a decade. According to the Stewards of the Upper Mississippi River Refuge website (stewardsumrr.org), the prairie provides a significant habitat for grasslands birds whose populations have been in decline, including the upland sandpiper, western meadowlark, loggerhead shrike, grasshopper, henslow, and lark sparrow.
The 4,000-acre Green Island State Wildlife Management Area is located between Sabula and Bellevue, and is accessible via the community of Green Island (itself comprising of just a few houses and a church). The area consists of several islands, lakes and sloughs away from the highway traffic running on top of the bluff.
The park has access to lakes and sloughs from three boat launches, but no river access. Blake’s Lake is the largest lake within the park, and Fish Lake is the furthest from the main land with road access.
The gravel road to Fish Lake from the park’s access road is a little more than 1 mile long, extending toward the middle of the river, with wildlife activity within earshot and snags (dead trees) jutting from the lakes. Isolated from other park activity, it offers a rare treat: a spot where you hear nothing but the sounds of nature. Running parallel to the road is a small slough abundant with snapping turtles, many of which can be found along the water’s edge.
Signs give visitors information about the many waterfowl, shorebirds and warblers that are around during migration season, as well as nesting species such as the common gallinule, least bittern and king rail.
It may be called Fish Lake, but you’ll find some feathers among the fins too, like these egrets. The gravel road to the lake leads you to an isolated spot, free from the din of the daily grind.
Inground Pools Above Ground Pools In Stock Hot Tubs
Bellevue is a small river town that is home to several momand-pop shops downtown that overlook the river.
Lock and Dam No. 12 (photo at right), is nearby, at 401 N. Riverview St. Built between 193438 it’s one of 29 located between Minneapolis-St. Paul and St. Louis. Around 12,000 barges pass through each year (around 30 a day). The dam’s public access area has a raised platform, accessible by stairs, that give sightseers views of the river, dam, and boats that pass by. A boat launch is nearby, south of the dam.
Where the dam is today used to be the route of the former Bellevue Ferry, which ran from the town to Hanover and Galena.
Bellevue State Park, 24668 U.S. Route 52, is situated on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The view from Bellevue overlooks the Lost Mound National Wildlife Refuge and the many nearby sloughs and winding streams. The park has an open butterfly sanctuary and the South Bluff indoor nature center (open by appointment), which tells the stories of the diverse flora and fauna in the southern region of the Driftless Area. The hiking trails total seven miles of varying terrains. An interesting sight along one of the trails is a primitive lime kiln, which was used to turn limestone into quicklime during the mid-1800s.
Bellevue Public Area, 24143 U.S. Route 52,, and Pleasant Creek Recreation Area, 19995 U.S. Route 52, provide river access. Camping is available both at the state park and at Pleasant Creek.
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PHOTOS: CODY CUTTER/CCUTTER@SHAWMEDIA.COM
The portion of the Mississippi River north of Lock and Dam No. 13 in Fulton is around 3.5 miles wide, making it the largest part of the river which is not also a lake. The expansive view of the river can be checked out at sites both along the river and on the bluffs above it in Iowa and Illinois.
winding gravel road that goes downhill. The area has a boat launch and camping.
Want a taste of wine during your Mississippi River journey? Wide River Winery, 1776 E. Deer Creek Road north of Clinton, was established by Dorothy O’Brien in 1997, and most of its more than 20 wines have a law theme to their name. Dorothy is an employment law attorney and her husband, Charlie Pelton, is a retired Clinton County judge. Their vineyard is on 21 acres of riverfront land. Reds include Caught Red Handed, Conviction, Felony Red, and Repeat Offender. Whites include: Blushing Testimony, Jury Duty, Not Guilty and White Collar Crime. Wine club memberships are available. Go to wideriverwinery.com for more information.
Once the site of an old-time amusement park, Eagle Point Park, 3923 N. Third St. in Clinton, features unique views and structures, along with playground equipment, sand volleyball and basketball courts, and a disc golf course. Drivers, bikers and walkers can roam along a serpentine road throughout the park with plenty of hills and curves. Attractions include a long limestone foot bridge over a ravine, as well as a castle-like stone tower where visitors can ascend and get a view of the park and the Mighty Mississippi. The park’s lodge, designed with a wooden motif, has an overlook of the river, and is available for event rental.
Bulger’s Hollow Recreation Area, 4686 170th Street north of Clinton, is accessible from U.S. Route 67 and follows a shaded,
Lock and Dam No. 13, 4999 Lock Road north of Fulton, was built between 1935-39, and like No. 12 upstream also has a raised platform overlook and a nearby boat launch. The Thomson-Fulton Sand Prairie (photo at left), 22998 Railroad Lane, is north of the dam and includes Mickleson’s Landing around Potter’s Marsh.
