Lake Pahoja Recreation Area CG, Inwood, IA

Date of Stay:  Monday August 8 – Monday August 15, 2016 (7 nights)

Rate:  $108/week or $18/night (plus $20 year or $5 day car pass)

Website:  Lake Pahoja Recreation Area CG
   1831 Buchanan Ave
   Inwood, IA 51240
   712-753-2313

Description:  Located in north west Iowa about 20 miles from Sioux Falls, SD on a 72 acre lake (no gas motors) in Lyon County.  We stayed on site 10 over looking the 4 mile concrete bike path around the lake.  There are two sections of this cg, one with 30A electric and ours with 50A electric.  A few water spigots in the cg to fill up your fresh tank (one right next to us).  The park roads are paved but the roads in the cg are dirt/gravel as are the site pads and patios.  There are several cabins which are reservable, boat ramp, swim beach, volleyball and basketball courts along with many fishing jettys and pier.  The campsites are first come first serve.  Come in early in the week because the locals pay for a site and place a tent bag or bag chair on the picnic table starting on Wednesday for the weekend.

Trash and Recycle:  No recycle.  Trash dumpster located at the dump station.

Activities:  We enjoyed the very nice bike path around the lake (winding 8 feet wide concrete with small hills).  There are many informational signs along the route with info about plants and animals of the area.  “Pahoja” was the name of the local tribe of Native Peoples.  It means ”dusty noses”.  We really enjoyed hanging out in the shade of our site watching the ground squirrels run all over the place.  We gave them chips and bird seed.  They like junk food better.  One day we rode in to Sioux Falls, SD to check out Falls Park in downtown.  It was really nice but it was a hot day so we didn’t take our bikes.  Our neighbors left on Saturday morning so Maggie and Vel joined us for a couple nights of camping under the trees.  Their friends Michelle and Jen from Sioux Falls joined us during the day.

 

On site 10

 

Us from the bike path                                   Our patio view

 

 

Greg the thirteen-lined ground squirrel

 

Bike path from our patio                                  Swim beach

   

Gin enjoying the bike path… glad she has a new motor

 

Toad or frog crossing

   

Wildlife along the path… fox squirrel and bunny rabbit

 

Not as wild… horses and cows

   

   

Lots of informational signs along the path

 

 

Beautiful views

 

Rural school and teachers home museum

 

 

3.8 miles around from our front door

 

                                 Gin and Vel relaxing             Michelle, Maggie, Vel and Gin watching Olympics

 

Falls Park from the Observation Tower

 

Love the Falls                                   Old power plant is now a cafe

   

Falls Park Visitor Center and Observation Tower

 

Messing around with a couple of statues

Turkey River CG-Vernon Springs Park, Cresco, IA

Date of Stay:  Sunday July 24 – Wednesday July 27, 2016 (3 nights)

Rate:  $20/night

Website:  Turkey River CG-Vernon Springs Park
   11562 Valley Avenue (use directions on website to avoid a nice long dirt road)
   Cresco, IA 52136
   563-547-3634

Description:  Located in north east Iowa near a nice small town having wide gravel road and sites all level with water and 50A electric.  Nice bath house and dump station in back of cg loop.  We stayed on site 2 with woods and the bike trail right behind us.  The Nature Center here was about the nicest one we’ve ever seen with great displays and wonderful wall paintings of nature.  Quiet park during the week and probably not bad on weekends.  Walk-ins only, no reservations.  About 45 sites and only about 10 years old.  Self registration.

Trash and Recycle:  A few dumpsters throughout the cg.  No recycle in cg however, when I asked the nice lady at the Nature Center, she told me about the town’s recycle center at the end of Airport Road that takes most stuff.

Activities:  We arrived on Sunday just as Cresco finished a parade in celebration of the town’s 150 years of existence.  The little town and park is in top notch condition and the folks are polite.  The Prarie’s Edge Nature Center is about the best that we have ever seen.  There is a paved bike trail from the cg into town but it was a bit too hilly for me to pedal.  We celebrated Gin’s birthday here with her choice of activities (video games and bunny watching) and meal (brisket panini, loaded fries and brownie with ice cream for dessert).  No train noise here but the occasional sound of a crop dusting plane wasn’t bad at all.

 

Beautiful countryside in Wisconsin

   

Crossing the Mississippi at Prarie du Chien, WI          River boat Casino on the Iowa bank

 

On site 2 almost all alone

 

Vernon Springs Park across the road from the Nature Center entrance

  

Outside the Prarie’s Edge Nature Center

 

Aquatic life display                                    Above the entry door

   

Faded black bear and red fox                   Welcome                     Bison mount with wall paintings

 

White tail deer display                               Pheasant display

 

Gin on bike path behind Nature Center         Low flying crop duster plane