Along the Mississippi River

It is believed that the HOPEWELL SOCIETY was several thousand years old. The Mound people populated along the Mississippi River and then out to all the Rivers in Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, even along the Susquehanna. This was a large population of Original People. They built mounds for homes, for ceremonial and for graves. Some of these earthen structures were believed to be as tall as some pyramids. The Mounds have been weathered now, but as you walk you can feel the power. The ancestors still walk around.

PIKES PEAK STATE PARK

I felt something funny with the rv as we drove over the Mississippi at Dubuque, IA. This town reminds me of Lancaster. We spent the night in the parking lot of Walmart, right on their strip. In the morning we hunted for someone to look at the RV. We ended up on the waterfront at a truck place. The brakes were fine, they said. We had Mike's car checked too. then up winding roads through hills and corn fields, we traveled north up the river road. We made it to Pikes Peak State park, named after the same dude as he mountain. The park sits on a bluff above the river. Many tribes inhabited this spot because it is high and for trading. The Wisconsin river meets "Old Miss" there. We had a great site.

The park has mounds there as well. It is very spiritual feeling place. Dakota and I hiked to the mounds. I had been here before, last time I traveled, and maybe in some other life. We walked to Bridal falls. There were over 300 steps up to the bluff top where the mounds were. I stopped to catch my breath, near the top, and I felt a big chill run down my spine. There were spirits there, and not so sure they were happy I was coming up. I said aloud, "I am coming to offer a song to the ancestor, may I come up?"

ok so it felt ok, so I went up and I sang a song. I walked almost to the tip when I started to feel alittle spooked again, so I turned around and went back. I made a tobacco offering at one of the mounds. As I was going back down at the same place, I again felt a chill. "I said Thank You, and beat a track down the side of the bluff. It was an interesting hike. At the Lookout Point, I met a bikers club from Wisconsin. Love those men in leather... op oh yea....It seems everyone in Iowa has a Harley.

EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL PARK

Just up the road north is the Effigy Mounds. Here is a National Park preserving Native culture. The mounds are a 1 mile hike up to the top of the bluff. There are bears and circles. There is a definite energy there. Mike agreed to try to walk, and I was surprised that he made it. He said the energy helped. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effigy_Mounds_National_Monument

We did tobacco offerings, and met some other hikers. We also met a 6 foot black snake...yea Mike never saw me move so fast. One of the other hikers saw the snake too, evidently he shows himself every once in awhile up there, because the Rangers laughed when I told them They showed me his skin they found.

Interestingly, the Hopewell culture is sometimes called the serpent culture, due to all the serpent designs that have been found over the years. We think it was one of the ancestors.

There are some cool little towns along the river here MacGregor was a ferry spot, now has lots of nature lovers, hippies, and old farmers. It was a fun place to hang out. We went to the old Hotel there and had lunch. reminded me of the Blue Star Hotel.

Next we are off to Clear Lake...