Continuing my series of Iowa river towns at the end of the month, we’re visiting Burlington briefly as we head up the Mississippi. I’d already visited the city back in September of 2013, but I’d only really focused on downtown.

This time I focused on residential neighborhoods on the steep hills north of downtown, and of course that required a visit to Snake Alley, which is said to be the windiest street in the world, even beating out Lombard Street in San Francisco.

There was a bicycle race going on the day we visited, so the street and its lawn was crowded with competitors and spectators.

The area is in general highly preserved and occupied, so I was surprised to find this abandoned church at the base of the street.

Perhaps what is special about Snake Alley is how there are all sorts of interesting little houses tucked into the curves of the street.

There are all sorts of cozy little spaces on the way up.

There is a church at the top of the street.

The architecture, which runs the full gamut of late Nineteenth Century styles, is stunning.