Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for iowa
Dutch Inspiration in Iowa
By Linda Tancs
Having been settled by Dutch immigrants, Orange City, Iowa, was first known as Holland. The name was later changed to Orange City in tribute to the royal House of Orange. The city celebrates its Dutch heritage annually with a tulip festival. Beginning later this week, the festival showcases about 50,000 tulips, as well as locals dressed in traditional Dutch clothing amidst the parades, shows, replica windmills and food vendors.
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World’s Largest Popcorn Ball
By Linda Tancs
The world’s largest popcorn ball is located in Sac City, Iowa. The colossal structure measures 8 feet in diameter and tops out at a whopping 9,370 pounds. It’s displayed in its own custom shed at the edge of the Sac City Museum Village. While you’re there, be on the lookout for historic barns and corn cribs painted with colorful 8-foot-square quilt blocks. You can pick up a map of quilt locations at convenience stores in the county.
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Billed as the Great North American Eclipse, a total solar eclipse will cross North America on April 8, 2024, passing over Mexico, the United States and Canada. The path of the eclipse begins in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas, and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The eclipse will enter Canada in Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton. This will be the last time any solar eclipse will be visible within the United States until 2045.
Be prepared! So long as supplies last, you can purchase eclipse glasses and other accessories, like a phone app and photo filter, from American Paper Optics, a NASA-approved manufacturer. The link in the preceding sentence is an affiliate link, which means that if you click on the link and purchase merchandise from the page, then I may receive a small commission.
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Iowa’s Backbone
By Linda Tancs
Dedicated in 1920, Backbone State Park is Iowa’s first state park. Located in Dundee, its name derives from the narrow and steep ridge of bedrock carved by a loop of the Maquoketa River that was coined the “Devil’s Backbone.” Needless to say, it’s a sought-after spot for rock climbers, particularly around Backbone Trail. Interestingly, many of Backbone’s buildings were constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which was established in 1933 as part of the New Deal program of President Roosevelt in an effort to provide work for unemployed Americans during the Great Depression. Among the CCC projects completed at Backbone were the dams on the Maquoketa River forming Backbone Lake, an auditorium, bridges and roads. Near the park’s west gate is a museum dedicated to the work of the CCC in the state.
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Following the Mississippi
By Linda Tancs
You may have wondered whether you can drive along the course of the Mississippi River. Yes, there’s a road for that. The Great River Road National Scenic Byway follows the course of the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, passing through 10 states. Its designation as a National Scenic Byway is in recognition of the route’s outstanding assets in the areas of culture, history, nature, recreation and scenic beauty. The different roads and highways comprising the byway are marked by a green pilot’s wheel logo to keep you on track. Watch for river-related attractions and interpretative centers. You can take in the whole route in 36 hours of straight driving, but why not stretch it out for four to 10 days and enjoy the ride.
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Wimbledon of the West
By Linda Tancs
Southwest of Charles City, Iowa, is a patch of bent grass called the All Iowa Lawn Tennis Club. If that term sounds vaguely familiar, then you’re probably thinking of the All England Club—that venerable institution in London hosting Wimbledon each year. Affectionately referred to as the Wimbledon of the West, the Iowan equivalent was conceived by Iowa farmer and tennis lover Mark Kuhn, who developed a faithful replication of Centre Court at the All England Club. Unlike its British counterpart, you don’t even have to be a pro to play. Just make a free reservation. The grounds are open from Memorial Day through September.
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A Shot in Dubuque
By Linda Tancs
Standing sentinel over Dubuque, Iowa, is the city’s icon—a 120-foot-tall shot tower. One of few remaining in the United States, it’s the only one west of the Mississippi River. Shot towers were designed for the production of lead shot balls (ammunition), which assumed their spherical shape as the molten lead fell from the top of the tower to a water basin below. Used both prior to and during the Civil War for lead shot production, Iowa’s tower was subsequently used as a watchtower. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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A Miracle in Stone
By Linda Tancs
Touted as the largest man-made grotto in the world, Iowa’s Grotto of the Redemption is a religious shrine comprising nine grottos adorned with a vast collection of building materials, including petrified wood, malachite, azurite, agates, geodes, jasper, quartz, topaz, calcite, stalactites and stalagmites. Located in West Bend, it represents the lifelong work of Father Paul Dobberstein and is included in the National Register of Historic Places. The museum features tools used by Father Dobberstein in the construction of the grotto as well as a documentary video.
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A Great House in Des Moines
By Linda Tancs
In the early 1920s, cosmetics king Carl Weeks commissioned the building of a signature home in Des Moines, Iowa. Known as Salisbury House, it was inspired by a 15th century manor in Salisbury, England, known as Kings House. Comprising 22,500 square feet on four floors, the 42-room mansion originally included 17 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms. Weeks was fascinated by English homes and Tudor architecture, incorporating 17th century tile from Lord Nelson’s Trafalgar estate in parts of the roofing and adding 16th century English oak paneling and floors to the interior. Family-occupied until 1954, the home is now a house museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Along with the gorgeous architecture and 11 acres of woodland, tourists are drawn to the property for its extensive collection of antique furniture, tapestries, fine art, rare books and artifacts.
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World’s Largest Truckstop
By Linda Tancs
Along Interstate 80 in Walcott, Iowa, you’ll find the world’s largest truckstop. Known as Iowa 80, the stop opened in 1964 and currently serves 5,000 customers per day with parking spaces for 900 tractor-trailers, 250 cars and 20 buses. The amenities include a 300-seat restaurant, a gift store, a dentist, a barber shop, a chiropractor, a workout room, laundry facilities, a 60-seat movie theatre, a trucker’s TV lounge, 24 private showers, a food court, a convenience store, 10 gas islands, 16 diesel lanes, a fuel center, a seven-bay truck service center, a truck wash and the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum. Each year in July, the Iowa 80 hosts the Walcott Truckers Jamboree, a three-day event dedicated to celebrating America’s truckers. This year’s event begins on July 9.
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The City of Five Seasons
By Linda Tancs
In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the folks believe that taking time to smell the roses extends life, almost like adding a fifth season to the calendar. That’s the basis behind the city’s tagline, The City of Five Seasons. For all the history, arts and culture that flourish in Iowa’s second largest city, you may very well need a fifth season to experience it all. Start with a focal point like Brucemore, a classic 19th century Queen Anne-style house on a 26-acre estate in the heart of the city. Caroline Soutter Sinclair built the mansion between 1884 and 1886 as a home for her six children; it’s only been owned by two families since that time. Now operated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this historic site is also an important community cultural center, offering concerts, theatre, special tours and exhibits. Guided mansion tours start this month.
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