Our first bit of exploring for the weekend was at Effigy Mounds National Park.  The first picture is of a display of an Eagle's nest.  I was surprised by the size of it and gained an appreciation for the power of the Eagle.  The rest of the pictures in the series are of the hike along the Fire Point Trail out over the Mississippi river, and then back along the main ridge for a bit.

We returned to St. Feriole Island and visited the Villa Louis.  The last few times we were on the island, the villa was closed for the season.  This time, we actually got there one of the first weekends it was open.  It is a wonderful place to visit and get a feel for how people lived and work in the eighteen and early nineteen hundreds.  The picture of the watch tower is a replica of an old fort that used to be on the site before the villa.   Back during the war of 1812, this was actually the site of one of the battles.

We learned this year that the hotel, in the first three pictures of this series, was purchased several years ago by a local business man who had the idea to restore the hotel to its original glory.  Every time we visit the island, we like to see how far he has gotten.  This year, it looks like all of the windows have been replaced, the structure on the roof has been completely rebuilt, and the front of the hotel has new doors.  Apparently when we were there this year, one of the local schools was getting ready to have their prom in the hotel.

In the last three photos, you can see how high the Mississippi River has risen this year.  Apparently, the water was a few feet higher just a few days earlier.  The water has just barely dropped below the sidewalk level and there hasn't been enough time to remove the mud that collected.  In the last two pictures, you can see the difference in river level.  The one on the left is this year, and the one on the right is from 2010.

On Sunday, we decided to hike the park a little bit.  The first two are of the river valley from the top of Pikes Peak.  The next three are of a waterfall that you can walk beneath along one of the trails.  The last four are of the hike along the top of the bluff from the park.  Along the way, you can see a few of the ancient mounds.