One-tank trips: Burlington

By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer

June 10, 2008 11:36 pm

— BURLINGTON — My favorite part of any trip is getting home.
I mean, it’s fun to go somewhere, see the sites, meet the people and maybe learn something new. But I always feel glad to get back to Ottumwa.
So because some people say Burlington is like a slightly larger version of Ottumwa, my wife, Carrie, and I thought it could make the perfect short trip on a recent vacation day. And we made it up and back on less than one tank of gas, including a foray into nearby Illinois.
We didn’t do everything we could have done in Burlington.
For one thing, we skipped anything that would cost money, because I had put most of our “disposable” cash in our gas tank. There’s some nice restaurants in Burlington, too, but we had a big lunch on the way. We didn’t hit the casino, the antique shops or the ball field.
And we didn’t go to Snake Alley, “famous” because it takes about 275 feet of walking to move 58 feet up a hill.
But even without visiting “The Crookedest Street in the World,” we still had a good time.
Mostly, we relaxed at Crapo Park. After we got back to Ottumwa, I was told the wife and I had been completely mispronouncing the name. Turns out the “Crap” in Crapo rhymes with the word tape. Luckily, no Burlingtonians heard what we had innocently been calling it.
We found out about the park at the Port of Burlington Welcome Center, a neat historic building with train tracks out front and the Mississippi River out back
One visitor there, perhaps a native, insisted we go check out Burlington’s “great library.” We didn’t. Another said we could see eagles from the back deck. We couldn’t. But we loved the view of the river. And we enjoyed watching a few amateur photographers shooting the wild-looking bridge which, they insisted, was headquarters for a whole bunch of eagles.
Man: “Look, they’re right there!”
Me: “Where?”
Man: “There, don’t you see them?”
Me: “No...”
Man: “There, there!”
That went on for a while. My advice: bring binoculars. I didn’t see a single eagle until we got to the park. It was worth the wait watching it glide over the river.
Besides the powerful view in back of the welcome center, the real treasure for me was inside. Free maps, pamphlets and a lady at the desk who could give directions to Crapo Park.
While locals use the park for a variety of activities, including concerts and organized sports, there was plenty of room for just sitting around or exploring nature.
We used a great landmark as our base: The Hawkeye Log Cabin. Closed, but easy to spot.
Marching downhill from the cabin, toward the river, we spotted a sign for “Black Hawk Spring.” The path was wonderfully crooked. Kids must love it. But those with mobility disabilities, like my wife, will need some assistance. Though a little nervous about the woodland path, she did fine. And she agreed the trek was worth the effort.
Our reward? A stream gurgling out the middle of a hill. If you’re quiet on the way down, you can hear it before you see it.
To me, the spring appeared seemingly from nowhere and shot out the side on an otherwise dry wall of rock. To me, that almost surreal sight — and the sound that goes with it — was the gentle highlight of our trip to Burlington.
Later, we sat behind the log cabin, held hands and just looked out at the river and the trees on the opposite bank. If you’re looking for a relaxing spot on your day off, the easy-to-find — and strangely comfortable — solid marble bench is a good option.
We left the park a little early because I wanted to go into Illinois. That way, I could say we went out of state on our trip.
We stopped briefly at both Gladstone and Oquawka.
Oquawka, Ill. was small and directly on the Mississippi River. The most interesting aspect of Oquawka — besides the name — was the edge of the town led right into the water.
If you own an amphibious vehicle, you could literally drive along the street and, with no curb, no fence, not even a strip of grass to impede you, roll your amphibious car directly into the river. Actually, watch out. The way it’s set up, you could do it with a minivan, too. The only thing preventing that from happening is a semi-submerged stop sign at the edge of the road, where the river is lapping at the street’s pavement.
Now that I think of it, all of our mini-vacation revolved around water. Because our last stop for the day was the covered bridge at Gladstone, Ill.
The post-war bridge (that’s the Civil War) once floated away during a flood. Supporters put the bridge back — a little higher than before — and soon made the historic covered bridge a part of a nature trail.
Though closed to traffic these days, at one time, the rules (still posted) regulated how many horses or mules could be on the structure at once.
Now on the National Register of Historic Places, you can see the bridge along Route 164. And like other destinations on our day trip, Route 164 is right off of Highway 34.
Mark Newman can be reached at 683-5358 or by e-mail at mgnewman@mchsi.com.

Round trip Ottumwa to BURLINGTON: 162 miles OTTUMWa TO GLADSTONE, ILL.: 180 MILES OTTUMWA TO OQUAWKA, ILL.: 190 MILES
With gas prices at an all-time high, going away on vacation or getting away for the weekend could be a costly proposition.
Over the next several weeks, the Courier will present some one-tank trip ideas that may help ease the burden on your wallet while offering a chance to see something new.
The idea is based on where one can go on just one tank of case. Using Environmental Protection Agency data, and assuming an average fuel economy of 20 mpg with a 16-gallon tank that means motorists can get to their destination and back within 320 miles.

For more information
n Burlington Convention & Visitors Bureau —
www.growburlington.com/cvb/cvb_home.asp
n City of Oquawka, Ill. — www.oquawka.com