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Spirit Lake Iowa-2022

Posted on August 20, 2022July 24, 2023 by David Harris

food Big Spirit Lake is part of the Iowa Great Lakes (see post) so we thought we would give it a try. However we woke up to 20 mph gusts- not ideal for paddling on such a big lake. So we opted to catch breakfast first the Breakfast Barn in Spirit Lake. Great classic breakfast, omelets, eggs benedict. Lots of locals and busy. That’s always a good sign.

By the time we finished eating the wind had even picked up a little so we changed our plans and located the Iowa Great Lakes Trail. Most of the trails was protected from the wind and we had an enjoyable 14 mile ride. Almost all of it was paved and we saw only a small section of the 60 mile trail in and around the lakes.

Not sure of the story here about this boat. It seemed quite a distance from the lake so it likely didn’t float there.
The trail extended way west from the towns.
This was really interesting. Apparently, Amy Grant enjoys this area of the country. I searched for more details but could find little on the ride and fundraiser mentioned on the plaque. Ironically, we heard on the news a few days later that Amy was hurt bike riding in Nashville. She’s ok now.

We loaded up the bikes and headed back into town and stopped at the TOPOG Coffeehouse. The shop is located in Queens Park in Arnolds Park. It’s the same area that hosts the museums and amusement park. We had a great cup of house coffee along with a toasted bagel and cream cheese. That whole mall-type area is definitely worth a visit.

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