State park trail entry point.

Journey Home

Tales from the pilgrimage.

Nature

  • A Life Without Stripes

    Some mornings I get out on the state park trail early — 45 minutes before sunrise. Ambient temperatures have been in the 50s and 60s at that hour, yet others are already out walking or jogging. I recognize most of them, if not by name, then by their gait, and whether or not they return… Read more

  • Sunday Afternoon Drive

    BIG GROVE TOWNSHIP— When we were children, our parents used to take us out for a Sunday afternoon drive. A typical trip might include visiting Weed Park in Muscatine, friends of my parents in Blue Grass, or to the Niabi Zoo near Coal Valley, Ill. Today’s Sunday afternoon drive was not as much fun. I… Read more

  • Pelicans and Cranes

    LAKE MACBRIDE— The pelican migration is underway, and flocks of the white and black birds fly lazily— above our lakes and river— back and forth in a pattern I recognize, but can’t adequately describe. Pelicans appear here twice a year. I stopped during a trip to North Liberty to watch them fly near the construction… Read more