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2018

REPORT OF LACEY-KEOSAUQUA STATE PARK TRIP July 27 - 29

% for david's 60th birthday

I found that some state park cabins were available at several places including Lacey-Keosauqua State
Park in Keosauqua. While the cabins usually only rent for a week’s time, one is able to rent them for a
weekend IF they are unoccupied at 8am on Tuesday of a particular week. We were able to rent cabin #2
at Lacey-Keosauqua for Friday and Saturday nights. Susie and I had explored how to make the weekend
into a celebration of David’s 60th birthday. This was after Susie explored getting more of the
Thompsons together on the 28th. Unfortunately Susie determined that Mike and Lynne could not
participate due to health problems she was having. Mike also told her that about the only think Orv
likes to do is drive around in his truck. So it would have to be something for just the three of us.
This time the packing and preparation was a little more organized than the trip to the Red Oak Cabin.
David made a salad and I gathered home grown vegetables.
We left about 4:00 and were able to see RAGBRAI folks coming into town from Sigourney. We drove
down 218 and then switched over to Highway 1. Susie left from Davenport at about the same time.
We enjoyed the small towns and fields of corn and beans we passed by. We both arrived at the cabin at
about the same time. We unpacked and ate David’s salad made with rice noodles and various vegetable
toppings from our garden. Twinkie and Karaby had to get used to each other, but after about 3 hours
(when food was no longer being an issue) they spent quite a bit of time together rough housing. After
eating a marshmallow or two, we went to bed. While the cabins are very nice the beds are not too
good. They are futons. Putting them into the vertical position was hard and the futons themselves were
heavy and not very conforming. David slept in the truck.
Saturday morning we noticed that we shared the cabin with mice. We learned that we would have to
put food away better. David and Suzie fixed buckwheats and lamagoo. Subsequently we took a drive
around the park to get the big picture. At one point we stopped and took a short hike along the Des
Moines River. At the start point I noted that an Amish family was having a picnic breakfast. A car full of
men arrived later probably post farm chores. Along the hike we came to shelter #2 which has a lovely
view of the Des Moines River and was a classic CCC construction. We also drove into Keosauqua to
check that out. I wanted to look at the Manning Hotel which was built and owned by Brad Gilchrist’s
family for many years. Brad’s paternal grandmother was a Manning. It is located right along the Des
Moines River. On the outside there were marks on one of the pillars noting the height of the various
floods. The flood of 1943 was ~ 5 feet tall. We also looked at the inside which had old furniture and
wall paper. Brad’s father was born in this hotel- in the kitchen on a table. Brad’s father remembers
swimming in the lobby of the hotel in 1943 when the flood was so high that the lobby was flooded with
~5 feet of water. He would jump off the stairs to the second floor and swim in the water. The place is
now for sale. Hope it can be restored well. We thought we could have something to eat or drink so we
stopped at a place called Café Eat. David only wanted a malt and Susie only wanted a piece of pie but
basically we had lunch there. I had one of the best toasted cheese sandwiches I have ever had. It had
provolone cheese and a slice of tomato and red onions for filling. We again noted the presence of
Amish. Two buggies were seen- probably heading for a Misty Malt. David noted that the buggies were
equipped with cup holders for the front seat passengers.
Once back at the cabin, David and Susie went swimming, while I watched the dogs and took a nap.
Then we all went fishing in the lake within the park. It was Twinkie’s first time in a boat but she behaved
well. David caught and released several fish. Sometime on Saturday we played mancala. Susie and
David started and then I entered in. We have misplaced the gem stones which go with this game so we
used black beans which are a little too small. I hope to find the gem stones some day. For dinner we
had hamburgers. For dessert Susie fixed a pineapple upside down cake which was cooked in a skillet

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over the fire. We all retired and were able to sleep in spite of the poor beds. It was a full moon but we
were too tired to take a good look at it. That night it rained heavily for a long time.
Sunday morning Susie fixed an omelet while I dressed and began packing. Subsequently Susie suggested
that we all take a stab at doing a 5 minute water color painting. Since Susie is taking an art class she had
the supplies and some basic directions. Naturally David’s painting was the best. It was a depiction of
the five of us in the boat fishing. Have a photo of it in the album. Unfortunately Susie got a water mark
on it in the process of taking it home with her. After cleaning the cabin we took a short hike on the way
out of the park. We also stopped in Keosauqua to see if the “open by chance” antique dealer was there.
He was not but we shared a little more Kringle and bid each other goodbye. David found the Racine Wi
Kringle at Aldi’s. It was very good. On our way home we stopped in Fairfield. A church service was
being held in park in the center of town. The service included preaching and a brass band playing
popular music from the 80s. Around noon we arrived back home and had time to nap, unpack and
regroup. An album of photos taken by Susie and myself is in Google photos. Some are labelled with
Blaise’s name but those are actually Susie’s.

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