MINNEAPOLIS _ Along the narrow country lane, rolling waves of autumn color covered the hills. I was cutting through bluff country on my way from the National Eagle Center, in Wabasha, to Whitewater State Park, in Altura, about 30 miles apart. But I didn't take the straightest route. It was autumn, after all, and the sun was shining.
I wish I could recall the exact route so you _ or I _ could replicate it. The best I can offer, though, is this advice: Fill your gas tank, turn off your navigational devices and don't be afraid to get lost in the woods when fall blazes across the land. If a dirt road looks appealing, take it. It's the back roads that lend a trip its adventure. Where will you land? What unexpected beauty will you find?
My trip in bluff country roughly traced the path of the Whitewater River. While it flowed toward the Mississippi, I headed against the current. I passed ponds sprouting cattails, farm fields whose golden stubs suggested a season of rest, and the town of Elba, where a fire tower is one of 10 National Historic Outlooks in Minnesota and is its own worthy autumn stop for its views from the top.
