Maquoketa Caves & Cave of the Mounds (Days 3-4)
Hi! My name is Charles, and I visited every contiguous U.S. state in the same trip. Learn more about me and my travels in "Road Trip w/ Charlie!"
Today, we're exploring the Maquoketa Caves, Cave of the Mounds and more!
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Continuing on from Chicago, I made my way across Illinois to Iowa to visit the Maquoketa Caves State Park, a location known for its numerous nature trails and self-guided cave exploration.
Interested in finding out more about how this road trip began? Feel free to explore more of our available articles from “Road Trip w/ Charlie” (listed in chronological order).
On the third day of the road trip, I was finally starting to get used to living on the road. Everything became more routine. Suitcases were not unpacked, they were scavenged through, grabbing only my essentials and the clothes I needed for the day. Dirty clothes were kept in a separate bag designated for laundry, and a reserve of water bottles, granola bars, and other non-perishables were stored in a foldable trunk organizer I bought for my car beforehand (essential for road trips of any size).
Upon my arrival to the Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa, I started to experience a new feeling of paranoia regarding the items I kept in my vehicle 24/7. Maybe it was something about the sprawling forestry, or perhaps it was the loud car that peeled into the otherwise-unfilled parking lot as I put on my hiking shoes for the day, but I began to feel uneasy about the possibility of my possessions being pilfered through while I was out in the woods. From this point on, until the completion of the road trip, I made sure to double-check that all windows were covered before embarking off for the day. Stuffing my KODAK Mini Shot 3 Retro camera into my drawstring backpack, I locked my car and head towards the nearest trail.
Fears momentarily put to rest, I made my way down a narrow wooden staircase to view the first cave on my path. The cave’s entrance was deep underground, with an opening fit only for crawling (or extreme limbo). My expectations of exploring the caves were quickly dashed, however, as I recalled a warning that I had read online about bats hibernating during the time period I had chosen to go (early April). Determined to still make the most of the visit, and noting to myself to return during a different time of year, I explored the park’s many nature trails, taking the opportunity to briefly meditate and reflect on the experiences I had and the experiences that were to come.
Continuing onwards, I walked along the designated nature trails, through trees, mud, streams, and the like. It was a fairly rainy day when I arrived, and the rain only let up for a brief moment during my visit. I silently thanked myself for actually changing into my hiking shoes beforehand, something I had considered not doing for a moment in the early morning.
Most of the trails were open-area and ground-level, but there were some parts of the trails that were at higher elevations and cramped quarters, such as the one in the video below.
Despite the rain, the sights were very pretty, and I was appreciative to interact with the local wildlife that greeted me on my walk. Birds sang, squirrels scurried, and I was in no hurry to leave this destination. I believe if I was able to explore the caves a bit more, arriving at a different season besides the one I was able to fit into my trip, I would have stayed longer. But, as I neared the natural end of the lengthy trail I was on, I felt satisfied that I had exhausted all of my available options at the time.
Getting back to my car, I washed off my muddy shoes with water from a water bottle, rubbed them thoroughly with paper towels, disposed of the waste in an available waste bin, and made a pit stop to a local winery on the way to my next destination, the Cave of the Mounds.
After my nature walk in the morning, I was quite hungry, and I decided to grab a bite to eat from Stone Cliff Winery in Dubuque, IA. The restaurant had good reviews, and I was interested in trying some of the sweet, fruit-flavored wines they had in-house.
I ordered the Caprese Panini, ordained with mozzarella, balsamic, basil, and tomato, all topping a crunchy and crisp panini bread. The meal also came with coleslaw, which was delicious. To drink, I ordered a wine flight of Jazzberry, Wild Pineapple, Sangria, and one other I am failing to now remember. I do remember all of them being very good, with my favorite being either the Jazzberry or the Wild Pineapple.
An Aside: To better bolster my memory of the events of this road trip, I often research the locations I visited to recall more specific details, such as menu items or bat hibernation periods. In my researching of Stone Cliff Winery, I have now learned that this business’ owners are retiring and putting their business up for sale. The retirement announcement occurred in August, 2024, and no new owner has been announced as of the time of this writing. I last visited the establishment in April, 2023.
It is events such as these that help remind me that life, at its base level, is just a collection of stories, but not just a disarrayed folder where items are shoved for safekeeping, abandoned and forgotten, but instead a catalog, where organization and cause-and-effect are important for recollection, giving key context to otherwise ordinary events. Every day, an owner closes a business, an entrepreneur starts one, and all sorts of other occurrences take place. You never know what might change or when something (or someone) might have their last day. Many of our memories are colored through hindsight, assigning rarity based upon their proximity to other key events.
In that, all of our experiences are unique when we more specifically define the criteria, but this is often easy to forget when all it seems like we’re doing is ordering food at a restaurant alongside other patrons. For instance, how was I to know that just one year after my visit to Stone Cliff Winery that it would begin proceedings to make a sale or close its doors for good?
No two people’s lives are ever exactly the same, and the moments we live are truly and wholly ours. No one else’s.
A restaurant isn’t just a restaurant. Each memory is a time capsule, capturing a sliver of time that will never return, and for that, each memory is special.
But enough of that. Back to the trip…
After my visit to the Stone Cliff Winery, I took a short walk outside and watched the water move along the coast, feeling the cool breeze in my hair (back before I shaved it all). I saw that there was still some time left in my day before I would need to make preparations to go to sleep, so I decided to travel to an additional stop slightly past the Cave of the Mounds, the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI.
From the descriptions online, I had expected the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, WI to be a bit larger than it was. But even still, I was not disappointed. What the garden lacked in size, it more than made up for in beauty. (Just wait until we reach Botanica in Wichita, KS.)
The garden was filled with sprawling vines, large trees, vibrant flowers, and brightly colored birds. Every sight was picture-worthy, and every moment was peaceful. Plaques were placed around the greenhouse commemorating donations, sponsors, and loved ones that had passed. The dichotomy between the serene natural flora and the somber undertones of reality made for an interesting and thought-provoking stroll, and I left the Olbrich Botanical Gardens with a sense of cautious fulfillment.
On the way out, I bought a green ballcap that proudly displayed the words “Plant Lady.” Making my way to my car, I headed to a resting spot near my next destination, the Cave of the Mounds.
Day 4: Cave of the Mounds, WI
The Cave of the Mounds is a limestone cave formation discovered in the early 1900’s in Blue Mounds, WI. Designated as a National Landmark instead of a National Park, the cave is popular for its rich history, guided tours, and the span of its trail.
The cave was very dark. Led into the depths by a tour guide, I rented the use of a UV black light in order to see some of the rock formations more clearly. Some of the minerals in the cave also became illuminated in a neon green-ish color when under the black light, giving the experience a more interactive element to try and discover which rocks would glow and which would not.
The trail was longer than expected, and many incredible stalactites were poking out from the ceiling. I believe a bat was seen on our tour, though my memory may be failing me in this regard.
The most impressive sight from the Cave of the Mounds was seen at the end of the guided path, showing a narrow, unnavigable stream that taunted with what the rest of the cave might look like further beyond. The body of water reflected the ceiling above, giving the illusion of hidden depths lurking below the surface.
Concluding the tour, we made our way back to the entrance, and I prepared myself to travel to Minneapolis, where I would meet up with one of my friends to stay with them for a short period of time.
At this stage of the road trip, I was still easing myself into things, and I was eager to return to a nice, secluded place to sleep and redouble my efforts. I was very appreciative of my friend for letting me stay with them for the duration of my Minneapolis visit, and we will go into more detail on these events in the next installment of Road Trip w/ Charlie!
And that about wraps it up for this edition! For more information on each step of my journey, and to discover all of the places that I saw, feel free to explore the rest of my articles in “Road Trip w/ Charlie.”
Until next time, travelers!
