Fun things to do in Iowa

This is an amusement park. Although it isn't famous and doesn't have any unique rides, there are a lot of rides here and you could easily spend a whole day in the park. Plus, it is way cheaper than any of the famous parks!

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Each time that Jill and I would cross the Mississippi River into Iowa [Dubuque], I would comment on how beautiful the Courthouse looked as the sun reflected off the golden dome. {The only golden dome in Iowa.] So, it was absolutely imperative that we see it up close.

It's located in the downtown business district and is next to the Old Jail Museum. It's not the first courthouse in Dubuque; it is the second one and was completed in 1891. This stately Victorian/Edwardian/Richardsonian Romanesque structure[Beaux-Arts architecture] was put on the National Register of Historic Places. It has a grand style, a large amount of detail, elaborate moldings, & large columns. Incidentally, it was built as Dubuque's first combination courthouse and jail.

I especially love the 14-foot statue of Lady Liberty that tops the golden dome. I also love the details of the columns in the front.

This might be a good time to mention that Dubuque is one of the oldest settlements in all of Iowa. It has the state's first church [1834], first band, and first newspaper. The city is named after the French-Canadian, Julien Dubuque who began mining lead on the west band of the Mississippi.

Even though tours of the courthouse and jail are given on a reservation basis, it is really just a working courthouse and not meant to be for tourists. But, hey, getting up close and personal on a Saturday in May to take photographs was well worth the effort.

Open:
Monday through Friday from 8:00 am until 4:30 p.m.

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Amana Colonies, one of Iowa's most popular destinations, are actually seven historic German villages founded as a religious commune in the mid-1800's. As a collection of seven, they have been named a National Historic Landmark. Their goal is to preserve their crafts and culture while offering tourist a variety of activities. The Seven are:

a. Homestead
b. South Amana
c. West Amana
d. High Amana
e. Middle Amana
f. Amana
g. East Amana


Here in the Amana Colonies there are many things to do such as:

Take a three-mile trail, play golf on a scenic course, eat a hearty family-style meal, purchase antiques, check out the hand-woven baskets, furniture and clocks, taste and perhaps purchase the locally made wine and beer, bring home some home-made jams, jellies, and preserves, or just unwind in one of the many quaint bed-and-breakfasts.

But, the very first thing to do is to go to the Amana Colonies Convention and Visitors Bureau that is located in a newly-restored corn crib on the Main "drag" in Amana, Iowa, 52203. It's one of the best organized information centers that I've seen. I was impressed with the board that displayed all the different Bed & Breakfasts with photographs, telephone #'s and addresses. They also had a wall with all the restaurants and their menus, which was quite helpful for us.
Open: 10-5 Monday through Saturday
11-4 Sunday

We spent most of our time in the colony of Amana. We shopped, ate lunch, and had a mid-afternoon snack there. We drove to all the other colonies, and stopped at a few places; however, the bulk of our time and interest was at Amana.

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Jill and I thoroughly enjoyed the Amana Heritage Museum in Main Amana. I think it is a good idea to go here, see the short media presentation first and then peruse the rest of the museum and the book store. It explains a good deal about the history and the religion of the Amana Colonies.

This museum is located in an ancient Colony home; the cost is $8.00 at the door or $7.00 if you purchase it at the Welcome Center as we did. The good thing is that the ticket is also good at the other Heritage museums [Church, Communal Kitchen, Cooper Shop, Communal Agricultural, and the Homestead Store].

Both Jill and I are retired high school English teachers, and we really enjoyed the Colony school classroom. [see photo # 2].

They also offered books and other items in the bookstore that pertained to the religion and communal living of the Amana Colonies.

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Muscatine, Iowa, is a "must see" river town. Muscatine has about 24,000 people who live between 2 river bluffs along the Mississippi. The area is spread out; however, we concentrated on the historic downtown district.

While in this lovely community, we discovered that Mark Twain was a one-time Muscatine resident, & he wrote, "I remember Muscatine for its sunsets. I have never seen any on either side of the ocean that equaled them."

No other place has the name of Muscatine. Most people believe that the town was named after a small band of Indians who lived in the area during the early 1800's, the Mascoutins.

Muscatine has been a center for the European fur-trading industry; then the lumber industry, &, of course, the button industry (made from the mussel shells fished from the Mississippi River.

Companies of note that still make Muscatine their home are: H.J. Heinz Company {vinegar, gravy, & ketchup]; IPSCO [leading producer of steel plate & pipe}; Monsanto [Herbicides]; & Musco {sports-lighting technology]' among many others.

While in the town & surrounding area, I would suggest that you see:
1. Muscatine Art Center {Laura Musser Mansion & Stanley Art Gallery]
2. Muscatine History & Industry Center , formerly the Button Museum{it preserves the button industry history]
3. Pine Creek Grist Mill/Melpine Schoolhouse/Wildcat Den State Park [see tips about these on my Muscatine pages}
4. Musser Public Library/Oscar Grossheim Collection [50,000 glass plate negatives from turn of the century]
5. Great River Road [Charles Young, a native of Muscatine, devoted much of his life to the creation of the Great River Road & it was his design for the Great River Road's green & white signs which bear the pilot's wheel ]
6. Pearl Plaza [shopping & restaurants right in the heart of this historic district]
7. Lock & Dam 16
8. Muscatine County Courthouse
9. Mississippi Harvest Sculpture

Muscatine is a River City you won't soon forget.

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Bellevue is bordered by the mighty Mississippi, & its name means "Beautiful View", which is literally true. It certainly has natural beauty with the Mississippi River as its front door & several State Parks & Reserves that surround it.

Bellevue was the first settlement in Jackson County, & it is the oldest city in this county as well as one of the five oldest cities in Iowa. Such historic attractions as The George Dyas House & William Dyas Barn, Dyas Hexagonal Barn on 362nd Avenue are places to see.

Although we did not see it on this trip, we were told not to miss Mont Rest [1893], a beautiful home "nestled halfway up a 9 acre wooded bluff overlooking one of the most panoramic views of the mighty Mississippi River." (300 Spring Street; (563) 872-4220).

The Grant Wood Scenic Byway [East End} goes through Bellevue to & through several other small towns, including Maquoketa, Anamosa, & Stone City.

Bellevue has a golf course north of town, & the county has over 8,000 acres of federal, state, & county parks. We stopped in to see the best known of their parks: Bellevue State Park, which has overlooks, bluffs, & an old Indian Mound. It also has a butterfly garden. It was designed specifically to attract butterflies by providing necta plants. It's used as a teaching & research resource.

Iowa's oldest standing frame flour mill is located here on the southerbn border, & we visited it. (see individual tip).

Photographs:

1. A Riverfront Park that we enjoyed visiting.
2. A Memorial dedicated to the armed forces of our county that was done by the American Legion. One of the quotes on it reads, "Day is done, gone the sun. From the lake, from the hill, from the sky, all is well. Safely rest, God is nigh".
3. Bellevue's Lock and Dam #12. We saw a huge tug boat & barge pass through the locks.
4. We visited the Butterfly Garden in the State Park.
5. Photo of one of the corner buildings in the town of Bellevue to show the architecture.

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We wanted to learn more about The Old Order Amish & the Mennonites as well as explore the Kalona Historical Village, so off we drove to this small town that is just 15 miles southwest of Iowa City.

Don't miss the Kalona Historical Village on Highway 22. It's a great example of how united this community really is. It started with the Historical Society's push to save the town's Depot & grew into a 2-block-long area. By 1973, the former Rock Island Railroad Depot was entirely restored & 2 other historic buildings & 2 museums were opened to the public.

It then became a joint effort of the Kalona Historical Society & the much older Mennonite Historical Society. The Mennonite Museum & Historical Archives were erected. The Historical Society opened the Wahl Museum with the Kalona Quilt & Textile Museum & the Reif Mineral Museum & gift shop.. Jill & I visited all of these, & you can learn more when I do my Kalona pages.

By the middle 1980s, the Society obtained the Grout Church, a line shaft mill, the Richmond Post Office, a one-room schoolhouse, & a pioneer log house.

Today, the Kalona area is home to one of the largest Old Order Amish-Mennonite settlements west of the Mississippi River.

What is obvious in Kalona is that the presence of the Amish-Mennonite traditions has been partly responsible for much of this town's conservatism & stability.

Don't confuse the Kalona Amish with the residents of Amana Colonies. "There is no connection between the two" say the tour guides. Both have German ancestry & are quite religious. Do not take photographs of the Kalona Amish because personal photographs have been "interpreted as a form of idolatry"...

There's more to Kalona than the Amish-Mennonites such as great places to eat, shop, & view the beautiful countryside.

Photographs:
1. Street scene of quaint Kalona.
2. Kalona Chamber of Commerse
3. Kalona Cheese Factory
4. Famous Kalona Quilts
5. Kalona Historical Village Sign

The very first thing that Jill and I did when we went to Dubuque was to find and visit the Dubuque Convention and Visitors Bureau. Boy, were we glad that we did!

Besides receiving a free Spy map of Dubuque [a map with pictures as well as street markings of all the important places to visit], we also gained valuable knowledge about the Dubuque Fest, places to eat, musical events, art activities, and the Old House Enthusiasts Tour location. We also purchased our ticket [$10.00] to tour six preservation homes.

We were also given a discount book that contained several useful discounts for what we had planned to do while in Dubuque.

The woman who assisted us [As seen in the photograph]was very friendly, quite informative, and very patient concerning our multitude of questions. She marked our map step-by-step to make it easier to find our many destinations.

Thus, my suggestion is to be sure to visit the Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau before you begin your exploration of Dubuque.