Impression Evergreen

A blue deluge Flowing down from the wilds of Minnesota, the Cedar River winds its way through central Iowa and joins the Iowa River just before emptying into the mighty Mississip. The voluminous waterway streams through the heartland at a fairly fast clip as the swift current is not something you want to underestimate. The adjacent, fertile valley is distinguished by dark-forested hills and vast fields of corn. Back in the old days they called it the Red Cedar River because of the abundance of those junipers that thrive on the limestone cliffs overlooking the blue deluge. One evening while we were up in Waverly, we walked along the Cedar and were astonished by the diverse variety of colorful wildflowers that decorated the pathway. At Mount Vernon, a steep stairwell escorted the explorers down to the water’s edge where the Cedar’s true power was revealed. The American Midwest is a fascinating region to visit, characterized by high humidity, verdant hues and afternoons embroil...

Cedar River Bend Just outside of Waverly, Iowa, a muddy trail descends into a dark passageway that whisks you to a bend in the Cedar River. A winding, wooden boardwalk emerges from the dense cover and expels the foreigner onto a sand dune beach. The wide waterway snakes it’s way through the midwestern swampland while moving at a fairly fast clip. Connecting separate segments of the jungle trek, lofty bridges are built into the steep, broken hillside. The damp woodland is overgrown with plants and teeming with reptiles and bird life but the occasional snag is spot-lit by the filtered light. The finish line is decorated with a bouquet of blue wildflowers that so eloquently bid the visitor a fond farewell. A dark passageway A wooden boardwalk A wide waterway Lofty bridges A dead tree snag A bouquet of wildflowers