Northeast Iowa - ostensibly Clayton County has a rich and varied history. It is in the portion of Iowa adjacent to southwestern Wisconsin and nearby northwestern Illinois. The Wisconsin River joins the Mississippi at Prairie du Chien heading south to the Gulf. It is part of the "Driftless area" which escaped glaciation during the Ice Age. The result is a hilly and dramatic scene. Clayton County can boast that it does not have a single stoplight. The population has been shrinking steadily from 27,750 in 1900 to 18,678 in 2000. Elkader is the County seat and was our base for touring the area. The Elkader B and B offered excellent accommodations and wonderful hospitality.
Our journey began in Cascade and moved to Dyersville, Balltown, Elkader, Gunder, Spillville, St. Olaf, McGregor, Effigy Mounds and Prairie du Chien.
