50 degrees. Sunny. Easily accessible. Bountiful jugs and an incredible view.
Record scratch
The whole park is closed….the only days I’m here 🙄
It was too good to be true — the rock just in arms reach. Well, good thing basically everything around here is beautiful!
I have found myself falling in love with this area. The Driftless Area. The people feel kinda western — horses, farms, extreme weather and even some cliffs. But these ranges and prairies give the overwhelmingly soft embrace I’ve only felt the Appalachian provide. People are slowed down Cali style, but know how to work and get shit done. I really fuck with it.
Good lord I’m never go climb though it seems like.
Savanna had Richmond vibes — crusty folk on the river that love to have a good time. Coupled with striking old-timey architecture, I kind of want to move here…
As I stroll down the main road paralleling the Mississippi, I pass a museum and walk in. It turns out, I shouldn’t have been there — they were closed for the season (basically everything is here). However saying I was on a road trip from Virginia was the magic word. I was quickly invited in, and given a private tour of the museum!
To be clear — nothing about the nice lady showing me around was weird — but the exhibits were…interesting. The entire place was a passion project of local historians. I can’t deny the fact of their dedication. However, the dedication, maybe…was questionable?
The creator of these masterpieces is a local middle school teacher (my guide had only positive affirmations about) who took on an (obsessive) love of the civil war. Used to this coming from Virginia, I recognize the potential novelty of this in Illinois.
It starts pretty wholesome, a couple wax figures of civil war characters, and some model trains. Okay you are speaking my language! (Maybe regrettably).
But then we come to a room, that for some reason, she fails to illuminate. I’m told there are over 100 of these figures, all created by the same middle school teacher. A mix of decorated manikins and wax (?) sculptures. I get to witness his phases of obsession first hand. I don’t know why the lights aren’t on — but I’m glad they are off.
I finish the tour, surprising all the middle aged ladies congregated to do something to the museum. Again, not trying to allude suspicion, I legitimately do not know what their intentions were. I just ended in a room with 10 people doing idk what and they were equally confused about me.
I continue on in my Savanna journey.
I see on the (m)apps, a hill with potential climbing. I practice my newly acquired bushwhacking skills — to no avail. Just a sick pic of the river. No rock to climb ):
Oh I did come across several L Rob Hubbard books at the local book store. Kinda interesting?
Finding a shop selling crystals, I go in to chat up the owner. They (husband and wife) are super cool, and we talk for a while. They suggest I check out some mounds in the area. I’m so glad they did, because it’s been one of the best sunsets I’ve seen so far.
I didn’t get to go climb, which was definitely frustrating, not gonna lie. But I flipped the script and had a great time in Savanna. I also found a seemingly abandoned cabin…..which is affordable…..and the crystal shop people told me about people my age moving in to do river tours. 🧐
I’m not saying that’s what I’m trying to do. But after hours talking with Bev about my ‘best life’, it’s hard to ignore these types of opportunities.
I really did not expect to love this place so much. But there is something about the Midwest that really gets to me. Perfectly superpositioned between the relaxittudes of California and the grind of the East Coast. A people who aren’t afraid of hardship but also appreciate the luxuries. I can get behind it.
Leave a Reply