Travels and Daydreams: Elevators, Bridges and Fields of Dreams

So I decided to take CaDiva to see eastern Iowa back in 2007. Why? Well, we drove in from the west when she moved to Iowa from California. But also, I just think it is one of the prettiest parts of the country anyone can see. Oh, and there is the Field of Dreams. It is one of her all time favorite movies. And it was right there, on the way back from back from the Mississippi. So we had to stop there.

On the way, we had great, small town breakfast and saw some neat architecture. Don't you just love country churches?

We drove up from Davenport to Dubuque. There is nothing flat about Iowa here. At one point, we looked out from the bluffs and saw three states.

The river and sky are only the second and third most beautiful sites in this shot.

Then someone said, oh you have to go to the Fourth Ave Elevator. Elevator, like in a building or for farm produce we ask. Oh no, not that kind of elevator. This is the the shortest, steepest scenic railway in the world. Well, that sounds like fun. We got our tickets and walked into a small room with steps to nowhere. Except, they weren't steps, they were the seats.

CaDiva didn't really look out the windows but there wasn't much to hold onto and as short as this was it was really a long ride when you are trying not to look out the windows that surround you while holding yourself to a wooden seat with your butt cheeks.

We needed to get up here from down there.

As I understand the story, there was a business man who wanted to go home for lunch and still have time for a nice lay-down before he had to return to work. So he hired this guy to stand at the top of the bluff and pull him up rather than walk all the way around the bluff to get from downtown to his home. Pretty soon, other businessmen were offering to pay to get the ride too. One thing led to another and you pretty soon have actual train tracks running up and down this steep hill taking people to and from downtown. Pretty cool, huh?

This, I cannot explain.

We were amazed that the entire outside set for Field of Dreams was still there. The farm house, the field, and at that time of year, the stand of corn higher than an elephant's eye.