Every time we begin plotting vacation ideas here in the US I am always amazed by the vast size of our country. How incredible it would be if we could just move into an RV and drive, coast to coast, north to south, exploring every state at our leisure.

This year we will visit a few places new to our family as well as places my husband and I visited before we had kids, which we can’t wait to explore with the girls. Also included is a small “wish list” of destinations we would like to make it to, if time and money allow.

The Desert Southwest

Apache Junction

February will find my eldest daughter and I enjoying a long weekend in Chandler/Tempe/Mesa/Apache Junction, Arizona. I have visited in the past, but this will be Brenna’s first time seeing large cactus, mountains, and a real desert. We won’t get to the Grand Canyon, but have it on our “when the girls a re a bit older” list. Read More »

As we anticipate our first frost here in Minnesota tonight, it gets us thinking about fall.  Through my window, I see corn that is drying up, soybeans that are turning from green to yellow to tan, and trees whose tints have begun to change ever so slightly.  In the coming weeks, people in many places will begin their traditions of fall color viewing, and many of these scenic drives take place along a river route.  This year, why not see the leaves from a different vantage point?  Instead of driving alongside a river, look for fall colors from the Mississippi River itself!  Here are some ideas.

Mississippi Headwaters in Itasca State Park, Minnesota

Start at the Source. At the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota‘s Itasca State Park, you can actually wade across the Mississippi River as it begins its journey to the Gulf of Mexico.  Trees in the park line the river, and you can cross back and forth as many times as you wish.  There’s something exciting about walking across the Mighty Mississippi, no matter what your age.  Itasca State Park is open year-round and the only cost for this experience is a $5/vehicle pass into the park.  You may wish to stay longer and enjoy some of the many trails that run through this scenic park.

Drive across the river. Well, you won’t exactly be driving as you cross on the Cassville Ferry, but you’ll be making the journey in your car as it is shuttled from Cassville, Wisconsin, to Millville, Iowa, or vice versa.  Catch the Great River Road from either side and visit such places as Stonefield Village just outside Cassville or get a birds-eye view of the river valley from Pikes Peak State Park.  During the fall months, the ferry runs only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and the cost is $15/car.

Go cruising. In the Mississippi River town of Dubuque, you can take a relaxing ride on the river and get a history lesson along the way on a Spirit of Dubuque cruise.  This replica paddlewheeler runs up and down the river from the Ice Harbor area of Dubuque.  Views of the city and surrounding areas are beautiful, and you may catch a glimpse of wildlife as well.  After your river cruise, take some time to learn more about the Mississippi River at the excellent National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, which is right next to the dock area.  Several cruises run through October, and prices vary.

The Minnesota DNR says we’re in for one of the best leaf-peeping seasons in quite some time, so I hope you’ll have some time to take in the fall colors along the Mississippi River, or wherever you are this fall as the leaves turn.

Photo credit: the author.

In days gone by, cities built on bluffs faced a dilemma as they grew:  how to efficiently move people from the top of the hill, where homes were being built, to the lower ground where many worked.  A roadway might go miles out of the way, so a more efficient system was devised, a funicular railway.  These cable-driven railways moved people from the top of the hill to the bottom (or vice versa) along a very steep incline.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has one such system.  The Duquesne Incline opened in 1877 and was restored in the 1960s.  Today it is still operational, affording a beautiful view of the city from the top observation deck.  A museum of the incline’s history is at the top station, and tours that show the workings of the system are also available.  With a maximum round-trip fare of $4.50 for a round trip (with reduced rates for many groups and ages), it’s a slow-speed thrill ride as you climb the steep hill and look out over the city from above.  It’s not just for fun, however, as it is still used by commuters to get from home to work or school.

The main station of the Duquesne Incline is located at 1197 West Carson Street in Pittsburgh, and operates from 5:30 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. on Sunday.

Another such cable car can be found in Dubuque, Iowa, where the Mississippi River bluffs rise high above the downtown area of the city.  The Fenelon Place Elevator is the world’s shortest, steepest scenic railway, and from the top visitors can see three states.  The Fenelon Place Elevator got its start in the early 1880s, but fires caused it to be rebuilt several times.  Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and visitors or commuters can enjoy the ride for $2 roundrip.  Children 5-12 are half-price, and kids under 5 are free, a bargain price for a moving history lesson.  The top of the Fenelon Place Elevator offers views of downtown Dubuque, the Mississippi River, and surrounding areas, and at the bottom there are several shops and restaurants.  The downtown business district is just a few blocks away.

The Fenelon Place Elevator is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., April 1 through November 30, and is located at 512 Fenelon Place in Dubuque.

Other cities around the world have built funicular systems to move people up and down steep inclines.  Have you had a ride on one of these cable cars?

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children.  She continues to ride on these funicular railroads despite a strong fear of heights.

School has begun, the nights are getting cool and farmers are preparing to harvest their fields.  Thoughts begin to turn to apple picking, pumpkin patches and corn mazes.

Corn Mazes by the Light of the Moon

Night Time Corn Maze

While a corn maze by day can be fun and challenging, a corn maze at night takes on a whole new dimension.  If the maze is open during the Harvest Moon (traditionally the full moon used by farmers to harvest their crops late into the night before the days of headlights on tractors) you may not need a flashlight to navigate the twists and turns of the maze.  But bring one- just in case.

My family has an annual tradition of visiting a local maze at Geisler Farms near Des Moines, Iowa.  We contact a group of friends, grill hot dogs over a fire pit, toast smores and as the moon rises in the sky groups of people begin disappearing into the maze.

This year Geisler Farms Harvest Moon maze is October 11 & 12.  Entry is $7 per person.

More Night Time Corn Mazes

Not everyone is lucky enough to live in Iowa, so here are a few more night time corn mazes around the country.

Alstede Farms in Chester New Jersey has Harvest Moon Hayrides & Night Time Corn Mazes on October 14 & 15, 21 & 22, 28 & 29 from 6-10 pm.  $14.95 for kids, $16.95 for adults.

Hinchley’s Dairy Farm in Cambridge, Wisconsin has “Flashlight Fun” every Friday and Saturday night in October.  You’ll even get a free pumpkin!  $8 per person.

Bowles Farms in southern Maryland have done moonlight mazes in the past though I don’t see one on their schedule for this year…  $10 per person

The Niederman Farm in Liberty Township, Ohio is open until 10pm every Friday and Saturday in October.  $9 per person; ages 2 and under free.

Cooper’s Farm & Maze in Uxbridge Township, Ontario is hosting full moon mazes on September 12 and October 11 and are also open Saturday evenings til 10pm.

Corn Maze

If finding your way through a maze at night isn’t enough of a challenge, you may want to check out this list of Haunted Corn Mazes.

Don’t forget a flashlight- one for every member of the family.  Or at least one for each child.  And a jacket.

Do you visit corn mazes?  Have you visited one at night?

Photos by JLHalsted