Jack's Journal: Burlington, Iowa

Montgomery Gentry rocks the crowd at the Steamboat Days Festival in Burlington, Iowa, on Friday, June 16, 2005. Bo Bice of "American Idol" fame took the stage the following night.

The crowds came out for the annual Steamboat Days Festival in Burlington, Iowa, on Friday, June 16, 2006. The festival featured big-name acts as well as local entertainers.

Boaters crowd the mighty Mississippi River and take in the view of the Great River Bridge on Friday, June 16, 2006, in Burlington, Iowa.

A couple cuts the rug at Burlington, Iowa's annual Steamboat Days Festival, June 16, 2006.

A colorful Russ Brown, VP of Grounds for Steamboat Days, could not have done enough to help with positioning "Winny" right in front of the main gate.

"Winny's" prime spot at the main gate of the Steamboat Days Festival in Burlington, Iowa, Friday, June 16, 2006.

Officers Kenny and Brenda Zahner with daughter Paige enjoy themselves at the Springboat Days Festival.

Festivalgoers flying high at Springboat Days in Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, June 17, 2006.

Up-and-comers such as Solace performed their hearts out on the festival's south stage. To say that this local group from Burlington, Iowa, practically stole the show Saturday night, June 17, 2006, isn't much of a stretch.

Russ Brown poses with some of Burlington's Springboat Days Sweethearts, who give the event a thumbs-up, Saturday, June 17, 2006.

The Early Show's Dave Price looks a bit flat for his weekend gig at the Steamboat Days Festival. Actually, the photo is of Dave's cardboard stand-in.

Local historian Sam Jennison, left, and his wife, Mo, own the Drake, a renowned eating establishment in these parts. Jennison's family descends directly from the pilgrims of the 1600s; members of his family served in the Revolutionary War, the Indian Wars and the Civil War -- and settled as homesteaders in 1859 in northern Iowa's Howard County. He also makes a pretty mean New York strip.

The stately, pre-Civil War homes that still stand in all their glory along Burlington, Iowa's Heritage Hill pay homage to those that were razed to make way for the interstate of the 20th century.

Named the "crookedest street in the world" by Robert Ripley of Ripley's Believe It or Not, Burlington, Iowa's Snake Alley rivals Lombard Street in San Francisco for that honor.

The bricks of Snake Alley date back more than 100 years. The unique road rises 58.3 feet from Washington Street to Columbia Street and covers a distance of 275 feet with five half curves and two quarter curves. It literally can take your breath away as you walk crookedly up it.

The hills of Burlington, Iowa. The city dates back to 1805. The Sac and Fox Indians called this area "Shoquoquon," meaning "Flint Hills," because of the abundance of flint-gathering sites. After the Black Hawk War of 1832, Iowa was open for settlement and Burlington became the first Iowa territorial capital in 1838.