I can still remember what I would call an idyllic upbringing as a young boy in this most beautiful state buried in the depths of the Midwest. To this day, I have never understood those lines in the movies where someone says, with much emphasis, that so-and-so Neanderthal person lives in Des Moines. I always […]
If there is one thing we can say about the upper Midwest, it’s that we’ve had our fair share of Pinoeers come through and settle these fair lands. Unlike other parts of our beloved country that were settled hundreds of years earlier, it took those explorers some time to explore the extent of the Mississippi […]
It’s been a very strange winter so far in the upper Midwest. Tomorrow is February, and instead of fighting snow and freezing cold temperatures, we are in the midst of the perfect Indian Summer. It felt like spring today in the woods, with the sun shining bright and birds chirping. The only thing that gave […]
I couldn’t believe my very own eyes; it really couldn’t be true, could it? For once, I was working on some research totally unrelated to the Iowa DNR, digging into the lesser-known but wonderful Rolling Prairie Bike Trail of North Central Iowa. There are 21 miles of paved bike trail in Butler County and 7 […]
It’s clear that Iowans, as proud Midwesterners, are starting to wake up to the fact that there is something strange in the water, both physically and metaphorically. I was recently having a conversation with a friend via text, someone who I would call an average Iowan, someone who camps at Ledges State Park and rides […]
It’s been a long week at work; kids have been driving you crazy, and the weather has not been too cold; what would you do? I will tell you what an Average Flatlander does. Call up a buddy and head for that river valley for some Bushcraft Taco Time.
The Driftless Area is one of the very few unspoiled places to explore in the upper Midwest. The rolling plains run into the wide open valleys and drainages that surround the Mississippi. The landscape is speckled with beautiful oak forests and dotted with trout streams; small quant towns are hidden down inside the recesses of […]
I love the outdoors in our hidden gem, the Upper Midwest; it’s a one-of-a-kind place. Sure, we trick all those unsuspecting victims driving through on I-80 into thinking that Iowa is just a series of undulating and rolling corn fields that go on forever. But that’s ok; it keeps our beautiful state uncrowded and the […]
There are few things better in life than heading out to that wide, deep, and wild river valley for a little bushcraft. When the weather is overcast and grey, a little bit of rain in the air, it gives it all another worldy feel. It’s almost like you transported yourself back in time; it makes […]
Probably one of the greatest joys that can connect you to nature when you are in the outdoors, bushcrafting, camping, backpacking, whatever … is the joy of cooking your own food under the sky over a fire that you made with your own hands. Nothing better.