Welcome to Dane Country



ELK HORN, IA - The combined communities of Elk Horn and Kimballton constitute America's largest rural Danish settlement. Visitors to this rural outpost see the word "Velkommen" at nearly every turn, and Danish flags of all sizes line Main Street. The town's greatest attraction, however, is its authentic Danish windmill.

The sixty-foot windmill was built in 1848, but has called Elk Horn its home only since 1976. In commemoration of the community's Danish heritage, Elk Horn residents arranged for the windmill to be dismantled and sent from overseas. According to Iowa Curiosities, a law was passed in Denmark shortly thereafter that prohibited the export of any more windmills. I had looked forward to coming to Elk Horn so that I could see the windmill, and was happy to find that our hotel is directly across the street from it.

There's not a whole lot to say about the windmill that can't be gleaned from looking at its picture. It's quite large, and it has a nice gift shop at its base that doubles as an Iowa Welcome Center. If you pay for the tour, you can go to the top and see how the windmill manufactures flour. Since 5PM was nearing, we opted out of the tour and took a look at some of the shops on Main Street before they closed. The most memorable shop we visited was a sprawling market called the Egg Krate, whose various rooms were stocked with an impressive array of antiques, kitsch, books, furniture, and other tchotchkes.

After an unscientific poll of the locals we encountered, we made the Danish Inn Restaurant our choice for dinner. We had had a long day of singing and travel, so downhome local cuisine was a welcome change of pace from our usual monotony of chain restaurants. Taking full advantage of the Tuesday smorgasbord, we sampled authentic Danish meatballs, pork loin stuffed with apples and prunes, and Danish sausages. The Inn served homemade mashed potatoes with a delectable brown gravy, and offered a couple other entrees that I was too weak to resist. A Carlsberg beer helped wash everything down, and for dessert, I opted for a piece of Danish layer cake.



Brian's first course at the Danish Inn

The meal was completely satisfying, and for the most part, I was able to control myself within the All You Can Eat context. The last thing I needed was another Golden Corral-type experience. I had my fill - and then some - but it was worth every bite. I reasoned that I may never have another opportunity to eat an authentic Danish meal in the shadow of an authentic Danish windmill, so I figured that I should go ahead and splurge on the extra calories for the special occasion. I can always atone for it tomorrow.

Posted: Tue - March 22, 2005 at 08:59 PM      

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