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. 

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.