Day Trip to the Mississippi River city of Burlington, Iowa
Hi everyone! Well I had a great trip to Houston scheduled this week for a yoga training seminar and on the way there I planned to stop at some great places and have some blog material to share with you. Needless to say my training was cancelled. So after sitting home for a week I decided to take a day trip.
With my sanitizer bottle dangling from my purse- the weapon of the times - I headed east. Somehow I felt guilty to take the trip but after thinking rationally about it I decided that since I would not be coming in contact with anyone--why not?
Burlington, Iowa is a quintessential Mississippi River city. I have visited all of the river cities along the border of Iowa and a lot in Missouri and they all have a very distinct feeling of early American history-the Mississippi Riverboat era. Mark Twain's home of Hannibal , MO is just south of here.
The first thing you notice about all of the river cities is the abundance of brick building. This is because the Mississippi river geology offers the perfect clay for making bricks. So all the river cities have this in common and you can instantly gravitate to the historic districts by "following the red brick". It does not seem like brick is any longer the building material of choice probably because of cost.
The big and beautiful homes perched on the bluffs of the Mississippi in Burlington were mostly built between 1850 and 1910. I took a walking tour yesterday of the historic district and snapped some of the homes most representative of the architecture of the era/area.
With my sanitizer bottle dangling from my purse- the weapon of the times - I headed east. Somehow I felt guilty to take the trip but after thinking rationally about it I decided that since I would not be coming in contact with anyone--why not?
Burlington, Iowa is a quintessential Mississippi River city. I have visited all of the river cities along the border of Iowa and a lot in Missouri and they all have a very distinct feeling of early American history-the Mississippi Riverboat era. Mark Twain's home of Hannibal , MO is just south of here.
The first thing you notice about all of the river cities is the abundance of brick building. This is because the Mississippi river geology offers the perfect clay for making bricks. So all the river cities have this in common and you can instantly gravitate to the historic districts by "following the red brick". It does not seem like brick is any longer the building material of choice probably because of cost.
This gorgeous turn-of-the century home is for sale. I poured over the photos of the inside at the realtor's website when I got home. If you love historical houses like I do you can look inside by clicking HERE.
The big and beautiful homes perched on the bluffs of the Mississippi in Burlington were mostly built between 1850 and 1910. I took a walking tour yesterday of the historic district and snapped some of the homes most representative of the architecture of the era/area.
Most of the homes had historical signs hanging outside with the names of the original owners and the date of construction. Many have stunning views of the river like this one...
Cobblestone alleys and brick streets are still to be found around town.
The owners of the houses seem (from what I could see) to have preserved the inside decor to represent the past as well. I saw beautiful cut glass bowls glittering on tables near the windows, lace curtains on the windows and antique furniture on the porches.
This Italianate architecture reminded me strongly
of the riverboat history of the area.
Most of the homes have fantastic stained glass or leaded windows as accents. Decorative sandstone lintels also in abundance.
Lucky enjoyed the smells of a new neighborhood.
The bridge to Illinois is a defining landmark of Burlington.
The mighty Mississippi looking northward.
There is a great park along the river featuring two guns aimed at the shore of Illinois. LOL
A more peaceful area of the park is the spring where Chief Blackhawk and his tribe used to get water.
I am hoping to take more day trips to state parks, monuments and other off the beaten track places. Places where I can do no harm to myself and others. If I do travel, I will keep you in the loop and hopefully provide some entertainment to you and yours!
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