US Lock and Dam No. 7 — Local services in La Crescent

When we pulled into the rest area one of the maintenance crew told us a barge just pulled up to the lock and to head over to the lock and check it out...sooooo glad he did, I've traveled this stretch for years and never had went to see the lock. It was awesome and the barge crew and lock staff were awesome, answered rapid fire questions from the kids and it was very cool to see it all in action!! Well worth the 30 minutes or so cycle to watch the...

We made a quick pit stop here since it was just down the road from the rest area. Neat spot to take in the beauty of the area. There is a slightly elevated observation deck on the Minnesota side that allows a better view of the dam's operations. There are restrooms, but they were closed as of late May, 2019. We were able to watch a boat traverse upriver through the gates, which was...

Stopped at the rest area to eat lunch and then stopped at the lock to watch the operation. Checked out the museum to learn about the dam and the river and some of the history. Then got to see some boats go through the lock. The lock keeper was very friendly and happy to explain the process to...