I've been to Dunning's Springs a couple times now, in summer and in winter, and have yet to climb the wooden steps to see what's up above. That usually happens when I'm in too much of a hurry. I'm trying to train myself to slow my butt down and look around more in one spot. I did, however, get to spot and photograph the squirrel and acorn carved into the rock bridge, pointed out to me by a friend of mine who lives in Decorah. Seeing the climbing path on the far right, that climbs up to where the water pours out of the rock wall, has me wondering if you've climbed up there yourself. I climbed it in the heat of summer and found that while sitting on a rock about 10 feet away from the opening, refreshing cool air pours out and across, pleasantly cooling me down from the sharply cold water of the spring. For anyone else reading my blather here, I recommend looking for Paul's other Dunnings photos--this one of Paul's really captures the quiet solitude of the spot--and, if you're ever in northeast Iowa, paying a visit to the town of Decorah, for this and other natural beauty spots, the unique nature of the way the town is on different levels, and for a visit to the Vesterheim, the country's most spectacular museum of Norwegian art and culture. Thanks for the post, Paul. It takes me back to pre-Covid days and, while it takes me a full day to drive there, is always worth the trip.

Happy Trails

-nik