Lacey Keosauqua State Park

Cab and I slipped onto the lake trail at Lacey‑Keosauqua State Park, and right away the place felt touched by something old and gentle, as if the woods were carrying their own quiet spell. The path wound through deep green shade and opened onto those beautiful stone bridges the CCC tucked into the landscape decades ago, each one looking like it belonged in a storybook. Farther along, the trail led us to Ely Crossing, where the Mormon Trail once forded the Des Moines River. Standing there with Cab at my side, the water moving slow and steady beneath us, it was easy to imagine wagons creaking through the shallows and travelers pausing to gather their courage. The whole hike felt like walking through layers of history, stitched together by the lake, the forest, and one very good dog.