And then I wrote...
by Dick Schilling, "Editor Emeritus"
.. that I had occasion to visit the recently opened Driftless Area Education and Visitor Center at Columbus just downstream from Lansing. To say I was impressed would be putting it mildly.
I liked the idea of doing something with that piece of county owned land ever since the county was forced to clear the area of human habitation. The reasons why that was necessary were debated way back when I still covered the meetings of the Board of Supervisors, and I won’t go into that here.
When architect’s drawings of the proposed building’s exterior appeared, they seemed to very much fit the locale. When brochures tried to give an idea of what the inside would look like, I could not imagine much of it.
I discovered on tour that there is no place, high or low, on either of the top two floors where you can turn and not see something interesting. What surprised me most was the number of live critters on display. Most interesting was a live bee hive clearly visible behind glass, with an exit to the outside provided for the worker bees. Incredible. Oh! And the live rattlesnakes!
It is impossible to describe all the attractions. One could spend hours going from place to place.
If you are a resident of Allamakee County or anywhere in this driftless area of the three states, or a former resident, you owe it to yourself to take the tour and see for yourself. There is something for everyone. School classes should ask for a tour, and some already have. Education is there for the asking!
Some RAGBRAI riders stopped before the official opening, and the sight of an eagle catching a fish was applauded by those on the outside decks. People like that will come back for a more leisurely tour, I am certain.
And the view from the top deck in particular, I feel certain, is unmatched anywhere along the Mississippi River, since the center is located on a bend in the river with views upstream to Lansing and the bridge, and downstream as well.
I have felt pride in being able to identify new public buildings such as the new station for the fire district in Waukon and the law enforcement center where the old county farm was located. Those are needed facilities, funded by taxpayers. There is a difference between needed and desired or wanted, and the center falls into that latter category. So I am proudest of all of the fact that very little public money was invested there in a multi-million dollar attraction. Instead, the Allamakee County Conservation Foundation secured grants, national and state, and raised a million dollars plus from donations from organizations and individuals. Names on the donor wall inside the entrance of those who supported this “desired and wanted” may surprise you with the scope of interest.
Those who worked so hard at making this come true deserve our heartfelt thanks.
