In this paper project, Roxie will show you how to fold origami paper boats… and maybe, like her, you’ll make nearly 100 of them! She entered some of her paper boats into the hobby collections for the Winneshiek County Fair this summer, and she got a first place ribbon! She was so excited. We wanted to show off her skills this fall with the Inspire(d) Paper Project! Use your boats as place cards at Thanksgiving or make a fleet like Roxie did as a fun activity on a cool day!
Supplies:
8.5 x 11 paper sheet (or any rectangle piece of paper of most any size)
1. Take an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper and fold it in half.
2. Fold in half again.
3. Open it back up and then, with the crease at the bottom, fold the corners in to the crease (like you’re making a paper airplane).
4. Fold the top piece of excess paper over the folded corners.
5. Flip the paper over and fold the excess corners over the back.
6. Fold the facing corner in as well.
7. Repeat on the other side.
8. Now fold the excess bottom up over the boat (it’ll look like a little hat).
9. Grab the two middle points and open the hat like a pocket – keep opening, then flatten…it’ll be a diamond shape now.
10. With the open pieces facing you, fold the top piece up to the tip.
11. Flip it over and do the same on the opposite side.
12. Open the pocket again (the same way you did before), and make another (now smaller) diamond.
13. With the open part of the diamond facing up, pinch the two pieces on each side of the point.
14. Pull those parts open, and the boat will start to form. It might not open perfectly (like Roxie’s didn’t in the video at the top of the page), but once you pull it should flatten out to make the boat shape. Puff up the middle and adjust the sides to form the boat as you would like it to look, and you’re done! Enjoy!
Sugar Loaf bluff sits high above Winona, Minnesota, its rock spear acting as a beacon, as it has for many years. The well-known rock pinnacle was formed from limestone mining in the late 1800s, although the bluff itself has been a river landmark for centuries. It features an easy drive to an overlook that offers an expansive view of the river, surrounding bluffs, and the city of Winona. The Sugar Loaf area has also come to serve another purpose as well: rock climbing! Winona is quickly becoming known for their outdoor recreation efforts, including climbing instruction and groups.
Did you know that around 1,000 years ago, just above Trempealeau, Wisconsin on the mighty Mississippi River, there was an incredibly sophisticated settlement of native “Mississippians”? The Little Bluff Mounds Interpretive Trail showcases the history of the bluff-top settlement, where three temple mounds still stand. With one of the most spiritual views of the Mississippi River in our region, it is no wonder that Native Americans found this place special. Make your TRIP (Trempealeau Interpretive Path) a trifecta, by visiting the 
If we had to pick our favorite “historical story to name a bluff” in the Driftless, Mount Hosmer would most likely win! So goes the tale of the 1,040-foot bluff with a panoramic view of the Mississippi Valley above Lansing, Iowa: Back in the steamboat days, boats often stopped at Lansing for a spell while on the way up or down the river. Upon one of these stops in the 1850s, passengers decided to have a foot race up the nearest bluff. It was one Ms. Harriet Goodhue Hosmer, a well-known sculptor originally from Massachusetts, who won the race to the summit, and thus had it named after her. Well, that’s the tale that’s told anyway, and we think it’s a pretty fine story. Drive or run (or walk) your way to the halfway look out, or all the way to the top for great views, a beautiful Veterans Memorial, as well as picnicking and more. Blow a kiss over Lansing while you’re up there – it’s such a lovely little river town.
Just outside of McGregor, Iowa is Pikes Peak State Park. A stunning view of the upper Mississippi River Valley showcases the confluence of the Wisconsin River from over 500 feet above. With its showcase, double-deck viewing area, and beautiful park and picnicking area, Pikes Peak should be a once-a-summer (at least!) visit for anyone in our region. If your hiking shoes are aching to get in the dirt, Pikes Peak is a perfect place to get out! Eleven and a half miles of trails take guests through wooded bluffs and valleys, past walls of Decorah limestone, fossil and even 
Tucked away on Highway 43 in Southern Minnesota is the beautiful small town of Rushford, at the convergence of Rush Creek and the Root River. Magelssen Park has three scenic overlooks, with an open panorama of the area for several miles. Drive or hike on beautiful trails to several picnic areas, and the 
On the east end of scenic downtown Decorah lies the 105-acre Palisades Park. With a one-way driving loop, and several miles of single track hiking and biking, the top of the bluff provides a fantastic view of Decorah and the Upper Iowa River Valley. Firepits and grills are set amongst thoughtfully located picnic tables to take advantage of the great views, while also enjoying the shade of the bluff-top trees. Worth noting, the road to Palisades is only open seasonally (Spring-Fall), but is also groomed for cross-country skiing as natural snowfall allows in the winter. Palisades Park is near 
