A Fall Day in Decorah

It wouldn't be a fall season without a little Sunday road trip.  For years, we've been traveling to Prairie du Chien with my parents for all our usual spots like Shihata Orchard, Pike's Peak, and Stark's for discounted wine, Spotted Cow and maybe a famous Pete's water burger if we're lucky.  But because it seemed as though our usual family caravan wasn't in the cards this year, Beau and I decided to change things up and head to Decorah instead.  A few weeks later than usual, we packed the truck early last Sunday and enjoyed a gorgeous fall drive and a day away to explore, just the four of us.

  

Is it just me or does it seem like the Iowa landscape keeps getting prettier?  Maybe I'm just getting old, but Beau, who isn't much for noticing the little things actually agrees me on this one.  We determined on the way to Decorah that maybe it's because landowners in the country are letting their ditches grow more instead of mowing them like I remember, and it seems we are seeing the beauty of a recent revival to let the land grow to expose more prairie, wildflowers, and natural growth.  I wouldn't call myself an expert in things DNR, but it was hard to deny the beauty of our state as we drove through small town Iowa.  After a lot of rain the night prior, an ominous gray sky was our backdrop against groves of trees of all shades of fall.  Everything carried a dark, hauntingly beautiful mood and the world felt quiet, sleepy, and soulful.

We've explored Decorah before, have become familiar with the Trout Hatchery, Dunning Springs, and just recently enjoyed a weekend of camping on the river with the Guess clan.  But I just had a feeling we had only began to uncover all the treasures in this little town, so we made a goal to discover some new things to add to our already long list of things we love about this town.  Our first stop was for brunch, of course, at McCaffery's Dolce Vita, a tiny little hideaway off a road that we were convinced would never lead to a restaurant.  But when it did, let me tell you, my heart skipped a beat!  There with the Sunday after church crowd, we dined on hot coffee with cream, orange juice, wood fired breakfast pizza with hollandaise, and lemon ricotta pancakes with warmed berries.  The food was delicious, the atmosphere warm and cozy, and I could have sat there at our table by the big picture window all day long.  We spotted blue jays and cardinals just feet from where we sat and decided McCaffery's might have to become a staple on future Decorah visits.

With full bellies, it was time to get outside and walk off our comfort food!  Our next stop was also a new adventure and boy were we glad we found it.  I had my eye on the unique stone bridge and archways I discovered when perusing Decorah's stamp on Instagram, but had a difficult time figuring out where it exactly it was.  But just as we were about to give up and head to Dunning Springs, the kids spotted a big playground to the right and I discovered the overlook bridge from Instagram, directly across the street!

We spent a good portion of our afternoon in this spot, first letting the kids run free at Phelp's Park, and then exploring Trout Run Trail.  Phelps Park is full of big, beautiful oaks, and while it seemed most of the leaves were still intact on their branches, the ground was so covered you had to dig to see grass.  This made for some pretty fun running, the leaves crunching under our feet as we ran from tree trunk to tree trunk, hiding and spooking each other.  A big stony gazebo sat in the middle of the large park, along with several small little shelter houses perfect for a family picnic.  We collected pretty leaves for pressing, played hide-and-seek, and soon enough held our breath as the kids took off down Trout Run Trail, high up in the trees with sticks in their hands.

I know I'm guilty of saying this often, but there are few places in Iowa more beautiful than this one.  A little hairy at times with no railing, this trail overlooks most of Decorah and follows along rocky cliffs, caves, and crevices.  Everything was covered in leaves, and the stone steps and bridges and overlooks added such a medieval feel as we took in the scenery and made sure Cruz and Mila stayed on the inside of the trail.

We ended the day with treats for the kids at Decorah's Food Coop and a patio table for four at Toppling Goliath.  Seated under their signature hops lined pergola, we sipped flights of delicious beers and made friends with Miley, the sweetest Labradoodle that nearly convinced all four of us to contact a breeder.  It was the perfect end to a much needed day away.

Fall is my favorite and so are these little traditions with this family of mine.  I will never get over these little snapshots we get a front row seat to when we take the time to explore our world and invest in one another.  On this day, it was Mila riding on Beau's shoulders and reminders of when Cruz used to do the same.  It was Cruz's all-boy spirit coming through as he couldn't help but not climb up a slippery hill to stand on a cave or pull a limb twice his size out of the ground.  It was playing car games of princess or superhero trivia or "going to the grocery store", followed by dance parties recorded on my phone.  And finally, stopping every so often on the trail to drink in the beauty of God's earth, the evidence of a change of seasons, and the faces of my people.