Exira Sesquicentennial Special: The American Discovery Trail
As I mentioned in my last Exira Sesquicentennial Special regarding the influence of railroads on that western Iowa hamlet, the old Rock Island line between Atlantic and Audubon has now been converted into a recreational trail, the T-Bone Trail. What I didn't know is that this 26-mile section of asphalted rail bed is also part of a larger trail, namely the American Discovery Trail. I found this out from this story in the online version of the Atlantic News Telegraph, the region's daily newspaper.
The American Discovery Trail is the nation's only coast-to-coast, non-motorized trail, but from what I gather, this isn't exactly as rustic as the venerable Appalachian Trail, of which my knowledge comes mainly from that great book, A Walk in the Woods, by fellow Iowa expatriate, Bill Bryson. In a large part made up of abandoned railroad beds, the American Discovery Trail offers opportunities for bicyclists and roller bladers as well as for pedestrians.
To me, this seems like an excellent opportunity for these rural Iowa communities in terms of tourism. While the number of hikers making the transcontinental trek like the Cottrell's is surely minimal, there must be plenty of hikers and bikers making day or week-long trips. What are communities like Exira doing to entice more people to enjoy these opportunities? As a person who has dabbled in design, this seems to offer a myriad of possibilities regarding community development. Why not post a winsome, M*A*S*H style signpost at the western entrance to Exira, showing the number of miles yet to places like Omaha, Denver and San Francisco (or Des Moines, Cincinnatti and Washington, D.C. for hikers heading in the opposite direction of American expansion)? Where are the overnight opportunities such as camping, perhaps by a quiet farm pond, where one can still perhaps enjoy an open campfire and the stretch of the Milky Way overhead at night, not to mention a filling country breakfast in the morning? Why not post some fine, quality historic markers of cast iron explaining the history of the region along the route, such as those found in the Commonwealths of Virginia and Pennsylvania? And there could also be a conversion of a steep hillside not suited for grain agriculture into an open-air amphitheater for summer concerts, plays and other diversions.
These few suggestions, which just happened to pop into my head, are only a beginning to the possibilities which could lure more people into the area and improve the quality of life for both visitors and residents. In another article in the same paper on the same day, a Viking project in the always-progressive, Danish village of Elk Horn 10 miles to the west offers an example of what can be accomplished with a little effort and a little imagination. Community efforts like these need to be combined with local control over agricultural zoning, which unfortunately still has its detractors, mainly from the agribusiness lobby. Let's face it. However lovely the ride or walk may be and whatever enticements are developed along the route, it all goes to shit (pun intended) if anyone can set up an industrial hog confinement on the path. My hope is that towns like Exira can pick up on the opportunities knocking at their thresholds, create a more positive living environment over which they have control and perhaps ensure that Exira is thriving in next 25, 50, 100 and even 150 years.
The American Discovery Trail is the nation's only coast-to-coast, non-motorized trail, but from what I gather, this isn't exactly as rustic as the venerable Appalachian Trail, of which my knowledge comes mainly from that great book, A Walk in the Woods, by fellow Iowa expatriate, Bill Bryson. In a large part made up of abandoned railroad beds, the American Discovery Trail offers opportunities for bicyclists and roller bladers as well as for pedestrians.
To me, this seems like an excellent opportunity for these rural Iowa communities in terms of tourism. While the number of hikers making the transcontinental trek like the Cottrell's is surely minimal, there must be plenty of hikers and bikers making day or week-long trips. What are communities like Exira doing to entice more people to enjoy these opportunities? As a person who has dabbled in design, this seems to offer a myriad of possibilities regarding community development. Why not post a winsome, M*A*S*H style signpost at the western entrance to Exira, showing the number of miles yet to places like Omaha, Denver and San Francisco (or Des Moines, Cincinnatti and Washington, D.C. for hikers heading in the opposite direction of American expansion)? Where are the overnight opportunities such as camping, perhaps by a quiet farm pond, where one can still perhaps enjoy an open campfire and the stretch of the Milky Way overhead at night, not to mention a filling country breakfast in the morning? Why not post some fine, quality historic markers of cast iron explaining the history of the region along the route, such as those found in the Commonwealths of Virginia and Pennsylvania? And there could also be a conversion of a steep hillside not suited for grain agriculture into an open-air amphitheater for summer concerts, plays and other diversions.
These few suggestions, which just happened to pop into my head, are only a beginning to the possibilities which could lure more people into the area and improve the quality of life for both visitors and residents. In another article in the same paper on the same day, a Viking project in the always-progressive, Danish village of Elk Horn 10 miles to the west offers an example of what can be accomplished with a little effort and a little imagination. Community efforts like these need to be combined with local control over agricultural zoning, which unfortunately still has its detractors, mainly from the agribusiness lobby. Let's face it. However lovely the ride or walk may be and whatever enticements are developed along the route, it all goes to shit (pun intended) if anyone can set up an industrial hog confinement on the path. My hope is that towns like Exira can pick up on the opportunities knocking at their thresholds, create a more positive living environment over which they have control and perhaps ensure that Exira is thriving in next 25, 50, 100 and even 150 years.
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