Cedar Falls Travel Guide

If you want to hang with the younger crowd or want to have something to eat or drink after a sporting event at the UNI Dome, stop by College Hill.

It is the street on the Northeast corner of the UNI campus.

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The University of Northern Iowa has serveral things to offer.

The UNI Dome hosts a lot of various events. It is located on the west side of teh UNI campus. UNI is located on the west side of Cedar Falls.

The Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center is located on the UNI campus too. This week George Carlin was there for example.

Sometimes there are other speakers too. Last Spring I saw John Nash speak at one of UNI's buildings. Everyone knows who he is. Russell Crow played Nash in the movie, "Beautiful Mind."

See my picture of Nash during his speech

The UNI Dome is home to the University of Northern Iowa Athletics. The Panthers.

Cedar Falls is a great place to be during the last full weekend of June each year. That's when the Sturgis Falls Festival lights up the parks on both banks of the Cedar River. If the town's original settler, William Sturgis, for whom the festival is named, were to come back from eternity for a visit, he'd be flaggergasted. If he gave some advance notice, he might find himself in a classic convertible, heading up the Saturday morning parade with its hundred or more entries. Afterwards, in the park named for him on the south bank of the river, he'd hear professional Dixieland bands going from morning until midnight. If he'd walk another block south to Overman Park, which commemorates his fellow pioneer Dempsey Overman, he'd find a city block full of foods of all kinds served up by church and community service groups. He could sample Norwegian lefse and Danish kringle, chow a plate of barbecued ribs, wash them down with a big glass of fresh lemonade, and top things off with rhubarb pie and homemade vanilla ice cream. Then he could relax in the shade of a big sugar maple and listen to Iowa's longest-organized (since 1891) municipal band perform. If he wanted to stretch his legs, Old Bill Sturgis could head north over the bridge to Tourist Park. There he'd hear R&B, Rock, Blues, and Salsa bands going full tilt. He'd see hundreds of people dancing dances nobody would've dreamed of in his day. The crowds would likely be more than he had ever dreamed, too: 7000 in Overman Park for the annual US Marine Corps Band concert on Saturday night. 8000 lining the streets for the parade. 20,000 milling around the musical venues, food vendors, arts and crafts show... He'd likely be flaggergasted, but the chances are good he'd want to come back again next year.

Cedar Falls has nearly 70 miles of paved biking and general recreational trails. All are loops that take you back to the vibrant downtown with restaurants, clubs, theater, antique shops, new public library & a sumptuously restored Victorian hotel. Two large parks, Black Hawk and George Wyth, each over 1000 acres with good camping, lie along the river at east and west ends of the city.

Probably the best restaurant in Cedar Falls.

Nice menu mainly driven by Texas Roadhouse's greta tasting steaks.

Free peanuts, good service, great food.

There are a lot of people who eat here for a reason. You might have to wait in the mall for a couple of minutes if you arrive late or on a weekend.

The Texas Roadhouse has the best hot buns with cinnamon butter. Free as are the peanuts. Sometimes I get too full! I guess that's a good problem vs. not liking the food and going home hungry.

Note...this restaurant has moved east of the mall about 3 blocks in a free standing building.

Favorite Dish: Steak (and the free peanuts and hot buns!)

One of my favorite restaurants in Cedar Falls is Montage on Main Street.
A savory meal with an unusual name. It is a unique blend of southern cooking with an upscale preparation and flavor. As a vegetarian meal it is one of the best. The cakes are served with piping hot corn pudding and an interesting salsa topping of peppers and other vegetables. Fabulous! The prices are quite reasonable for the atmosphere and supreme quality of food.

Favorite Dish: I usually order the Johnny Cakes.