Panning for Ore

 After we rode the mountain coaster and was headed back to check out the gift shop, we passed the mining station. I really never "mined" for gold or rocks when I was younger and if I did, I don't remember it. I decided that I should pan for some ore. 

In the gift shop, you can buy bags of sand filled with random rocks and ore. You can get various size bags. I got the smallest bag (pay dirt) for $9. 

We went back outside and Stacy informed me how to do this. 

Dump the bag of sand in the screen. 

Dip it in the water to remove the sand but keep the rocks.

Keep shaking it side to side to get all the sand out.

It probably took me about 10 minutes to get it all done. I left with a bag of stones. They are not worth much but one day I will use the little guide they gave me to figure out exactly what I have. I'll keep a few and add some to Stacy's kids' collections.

If you have never panned ore or gold, go for it. It is fun and you never know what you may find. Kids really like this activity. 

2639. Explore the Mines of Spain in Dubuque

 Since I knew how Stacy and I traveled, I looked at the bucket list and Google Maps to determine what else in Dubuque could we see while we were in Galena besides the elevator. I had Mines of Spain on the bucket list and figured that was something the hubby won't care for. Too much hiking.

Mines of Spain is a State Recreational Area outside of Dubuque, IA. It is open daily 4 AM - 10:30 PM. There is no admission to explore the park which has more than 15 miles of trails. 

The one thing I saw that we could easily check out was the Julien Dubuque Monument. It looked like a super short walk from the parking lot. 

Apple Maps had a different plan for us. We found a parking lot that mentioned the Julien Dubuque Monument. The map I looked at before we left said it was a .6 mile loop. Totally doable.

We started off on the trail. We first had to climb a set of stairs. Not what I was expecting but okay.

Then we had to climb over/under a fallen tree. Definitely not our agenda for the day.

We continued to follow the trail hoping we were headed in the right direction.

Eventually we came to another parking lot and saw the Julien Dubuque Monument. Apple Maps took us to the wrong parking lot. 

The Julien Dubuque Monument is a stone tower overlooking the Mississippi River. It has a marker inside.

The views of the Mississippi were worth the hike.

Of course we had to hike back down to our car. So instead of a nice .6 mile loop, we trudged almost a mile round trip and had to climb over trees. We definitely walked off our breakfast. 

Maybe I should have checked the map more carefully before we left. I discovered there was a wine cellar at the interpretive center. I will need to add that to my bucket list. I might be able to convince the hubby to check out the Interpretive Center and Julien Dubuque Monument if we actually drive the whole way.

If you are ever in Dubuque or Galena, take some time to explore Mine of Spines. It is a gorgeous area with gorgeous views and hikes for all abilities. 

2629. See the Shot Tower in Dubuque

 When we arrived at our Air BnB for girls weekend, I noticed a binder with things to do in the area. One of them was the Dubuque Shot Tower. I never heard of it. Stacy asked if I ever been to a shot tower and I don't think I had. So we added it to our list of things to do in Dubuque.

The Shot Tower was built in 1856 to manufacture lead shot. I never even know this was a thing. The Dubuque Shot Tower is one of the last remaining shot towers in the US.

It is located near the river and railroad tracks. If you are not looking for it, you probably won't even know it is there. 

The Dubuque Shot tower is over 120 feet tall made of stone. Molten lead was poured through a grate at the top of the tower. Gravity would create perfect sized spheres for shot guns. It is quite amazing if you think about it. 

After the Civil War, it was used for a fire tower for awhile before falling in disarray for many years until it was placed on the National Historical Registry in the 1970s. It has since between repaired.

The Dubuque Shot Tower is definitely worth checking out if you are in Dubuque. It is a piece of history that many people probably don't even know about. 

2637. Ride the Fenelon Place Elevator in Dubuque

 I've been wanting to ride the Fenelon Place Elevator for years. It is an incline railroad and I wasn't sure if the hubby could handle it. So when we decided girls weekend was going to be in Galena, I was like we need to go to Dubuque so I can ride the elevator.

Fenelon Place Elevator is the world's shortest and steepest railroad. It takes passengers 296 feet up the side up the side of a bluff in Dubuque. You can board either at the top or the bottom. It is $4/person round trip and is cash only. Fenelon Place Elevator is open 8-10 daily April 1 to November 30 except for Thanksgiving. 

We decided to ride from the top. There is only street parking. We paid our $4 and joined a couple in the train. It seats 8 people on wooden seats. It is just wooden folding doors on either end. 

The view from the top is spectacular. You can see the Mississippi. 

The ride down takes only a couple of minutes.

Then you let yourself out. We wandered the streets for a bit and checked out a few stores. 

When we were ready to head back up, we got back in the elevator and rang the bell. After about a minute, we were back on our way up. As one car goes up, a second car comes down. 

It is definitely not as scary as the Lookout Mountain Incline Railroad. The incline is not as vertical at any point. I am still not sure the hubby could handle it since there is nothing to grab on to. 

If you are in Dubuque or the surrounding area, definitely ride the Fenelon Place Elevator. It is cheap entertainment and it is a piece of history. 

26 in 2026 -- Try at Least One New Coffee Shop -- The Daily Grind

 When I realized we were going to spend part of the morning in Dubuque, I started searching for a donut place so I could cross off Iowa on the list of states I had donuts in. It turns out that there aren't any true local donut places in Dubuque or least that I could find. I did stumble across the Daily Grind which coffee, donuts, and breakfast sandwiches. It was a logical choice.

The Daily Grind, LLC is located just west of downtown. If you weren't looking for it, you may miss it. They are open 5:30-1 daily. There is a small parking lot. It also some seating indoor and outdoor seating. 

They have donuts, pastries, pizza, and breakfast sandwiches. I wanted my donut so I ordered a donut but then I saw what I thought was a bacon and pepperjack cheese sandwich on a croissant. So I got both. There were a lot of good options. Stacy got a similar sandwich but on waffles instead. 

One of their fall drink specials was a chai latte with a cherry cold foam. Yes please. 

My drink was amazing. I loved cherry cold foam. It like made the drink.

Stacy said her drink was the perfect amount of sweetness.

To my slight dismay, my sandwich came with egg. This should not have shocked me because besides me who just has bacon and cheese on a breakfast sandwich. The egg was a real egg, not the folded kind from McDonald's so I could deal with the texture better. The sandwich was delicious. The pepperjack gave the sandwich just enough of a kick. The croissant was nice and flaky. Absolute perfection.

Stacy thought the waffles made her sandwich a bit too sweet.

I took my donut to go with plans on eating it later. It sat in Stacy's car the entire trip. I did finally eat like 2 days later. It was fine. Nothing special but it was also a 2 day old donut. Maybe fresh it would have been scrumptious. 

This place was so good we came back a second day. I highly recommend The Daily Grind if you are ever in Dubuque and need your coffee fix. 

5862. Go to the Grumpy Troll in Mt. Horeb

As we were driving to our Air BnB for girls weekend, I asked Stacy if she had any ideas for a dinner stop. She didn't. After a quick Google search to confirm hours and such, I said "I have a suggestion but you've probably been there before." I told her the Grumpy Troll in Mt. Horeb. She didn't even hesitate when she said "We're going to the Grumpy Troll."

The Grumpy Troll is a Brew Pub in Mount Horeb. It is right downtown so there's plenty of street parking if you don't mind walking a block or two. They open every day at 11 and closed between 7:30-8:30 depending on the day. 

One of the real reasons I picked it was because it was brew pub and I know Stacy enjoys her beer and they usually have good food. They have a good selection of their own beers plus other local beers. I am a shandy and a sour beer drinker. Recently I have to be in the mood for a sour. The Grumpy Troll had a create your own shandy -- pick a beer and then pick your mixer (lemonade, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice, or apple juice). I went with El Gnomo, which was a light refreshing summer beer, and of course lemonade. The other mixers just seemed weird to me in a beer. 

My shandy was very good. I like they give you options to make it your own. Not everyone likes a simple shandy and it gives you the opportunity to be creative. I had no trouble drinking the whole thing. Sometimes I get half way through a beer and had enough. 

Stacy said no matter what you ordered, you had to have the Grump Chips. I am one never to say no to homemade chips.  We both ended up with the same thing -- The Brisket Melt and Grump Chips. 

Grump Chips are homemade chips sprinkled with spiced parmesan served with a Gorgonzola mayo. They were amazing. I am not one for mayo, it is growing on me, but this stuff was really good. Even if you don't like mayo or Gorgonzola, it is worth dipping the chips in. 

Our Brisket Melts were equally delicious. The best part was it was served on sourdough. It was quite filling especially with a plate full of Grump Chips.

If you are ever in Mt. Horeb, chasing trolls or not, check out the Grumpy Troll for lunch or dinner. It is a perfect place to grab a bit to eat. Hopefully I get back down there so I can take the hubby. 

26 in 2026 -- Try at least one new beer, cider, or cocktail -- Fang Venom

Heather and I decided we needed one last baseball cocktail this year at the T-rats game. We were hoping for some fun themed Bratoberfest drinks but no such luck. 

We headed to Leinie's Lodge to figure out what we were having. I really enjoyed the First Base Fizz we had last time but I wanted to try something new. I debated between two options and went with the lesser of the two evils which was Fang Venom. I will save the other one for next year hopefully.

Fang Venom is not my usual cocktail but it sounded intriguing enough that it was a try. It had Captain Morgan, Watermelon Schanpps, Blue Curaco, Pineapple Juice and Cherries. The cherries is what sold me.

First off it was the interesting shade of green. 

Then there was the taste... the pineapple and watermelon definitely over powered each other and was wrong. I really didn't notice the Captain Morgan. It was definitely a battle of pineapple or watermelon depending on the sip. 

Maybe this will be a lesson in not picking drinks based on the names. It was definitely venom. Not as bad as my first ever martini but definitely something I wouldn't get again. 

I wonder what next baseball season bring Heather and I for cocktails.