Where in the heck are we now?

Here is another tough one. Where in the heck are we now?

Here is a hint. The small sliver of water above the dog is the Mississippi.
And, in fact, it is the north eastern-most part of Iowa.

What in the world could be important here?

It's Effigy Mound National Park.
Never heard of it? Neither had we till passing this area.

It's where the local natives buried some people, 2,500 to about 1,500 years ago.
Apparently that was a custom of these local guys.
Some seem to be a family, holding some objects.
Others seem to be more of a mass grave. 
And apparently some were used over and over again.

Most are just simple rounded mounds, some 20 feet, and some bigger, like the one above.

But, some are really large, several hundred feet long and shaped like animals.
Bears are a favorite here. 

Here is Dallas posing like a dead bear.
See the mound covered with leaves, behind him?

That's the hind leg of the bear, laying down in the same position as Dallas.

It's huge! 
And hard to believe it is full of bodies.

Well, with a view like this……

overlooking the Mississippi from a bluff about 400 feet high,
(and imagining that the highway and railroad were not there)
I can only surmise that these were people they wanted to have a good view,
no matter what time of the year!



Hope you are enjoying these out of the ordinary stops along our drives. 
If so, keep looking for more.