Rural Treasures around Cedar Falls and Waterloo, Iowa

Preview: Southeast of Montauk at the junction of Highways 3 and 13 lies the town of Strawberry Point. Though the town has only 1,500 residents, it’s difficult to miss, for a huge strawberry has been erected at its city hall. The name was given to the town by soldiers, traders, and railroad workers who enjoyed the bountiful wild strawberries once found along the area’s trails and hillsides. Each year in June the town holds Strawberry Days, a community celebration that culminates with the serving of free strawberries and ice cream on the last day of the festival. Strawberry Point is also home to the Wilder Museum, 123 West Mission Street. The museum is best known for its collections of dolls and of Victorian glass, porcelain, lamps, and furniture. Much of its collection was donated by Marcey Alderson, a local music teacher and avid antiques collector who spent his lifetime acquiring exquisite pieces. Dresden, Limoges, and Haviland porcelains, beautiful glassware and lamps, and ornately carved furniture are all on display here. (A favorite with many visitors is a lamp once used on the set of Gone With the Wind.) The Wilder Museum is located on Highway 3 and is open daily from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Memorial Day through Labor Day, and on weekends only in May, September, and October. Just south of Strawberry Point on Highway 410 is one of Iowa’s loveliest nature preserves, Backbone State Park. The park’s most prominent feature is an unusual spine-like rock formation that is known in local lore as the “devil’s backbone.” Legend has it that the devil lost his nerve one day and left his backbone behind as he slithered east to the Mississippi River. The park has camping sites, hiking trails, and wonderful views of the Maquoketa River and surrounding countryside. The above description is an excerpt from "Iowa: Off the Beaten Path." Whether you're a visitor or a local looking for something different, this chapter from the Off the Beaten Path series will help you take the "road less traveled" and discover hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales that most tourists miss.
© Copyright Lori Erickson and Tracy Stuhr published by Insiders' Guide all rights reserved.

This travel guide comes from:
Iowa Off the Beaten Path Guide Book