The state has a special beauty that is uniquely Iowan… and it’s spectacular. But only if you know where to look.
Recently this past summer, I took a group river tubing and along the way we stopped at a sandbar to eat lunch.
After lunch I led everyone to the mouth of a nearby creek that flowed only a few inches deep. Even though the river water was brown, the creek water was crystal clear. Walking through up the shallow creek waters was refreshing, given it was a hot day. The sandy creek bed cut a channel a few feet deep and there were lots of trees and wildflowers growing along the sides.
Sometimes we’d walk in the water and other times on the adjacent sand bars. Along the way we came upon some sandstone outcrops where the creekbed made a turn. Then we saw a boulder or two. After about 15 minutes we unexpectedly reached a large beaver dam. Behind the dam a pond had formed.
We were having a lot of fun and took a group photo in front of the dam.
Always curious, I climbed over the beaver damn into the pond which was just a few feet deep and walked over to the other end. I wanted to see what lay ahead where the channel turned the corner. My friend Tom P. followed me and we both walked through the deeper waters, united in the spirit of exploration.
There was the feeling of being in a very wild and untouched place. Not something you’d normally associate with Iowa.
Even there wasn’t anything specific we could point to that was amazing, we were lifted by the experience. After returning to the others I noticed Tom looking around at the dam, creek, trees and foliage all around us, with an expression of wonder on his face.
“Wow… this is absolutely amazing,” he said, in appreciation and surprise.
I recognized that look. In fact, I’d experienced it myself years before. I knew right then he had seen the light.
Or rather, he’d seen Iowa for the very first time for what it really was. Even though he’d lived there his entire life, in that moment he was seeing it as if for the very first time. The same way that I and many others on my trips have been fortunate enough to experience over the years. The way that you can, too.
We weren’t even in what I considered the most scenic or exciting place. I ‘d been to dozens of other places that were much more beautiful. Heck, most people wouldn’t think there was anything out of the ordinary just by looking at the picture of us.
