on location: midwest ❖
randy mink
mages of cornfields, barns and livestock inevitably come to mind when anyone mentions Iowa. In a state that leads the nation in pork production, it’s not surprising that these visions of rural America tend to “hog” the spotlight. But the Hawkeye State is more than endless green acres sprinkled with farm towns. For groups touring Iowa— and for people living in its quiet hamlets—the cities have their own allure. Oases of culture waiting to be discovered, these urban centers offer museums, amusements, theater, music and fine cuisine. Fresh attractions are pumping new life into historic cities that have figured out Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Des Moines how to reinvent themselves.
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Iowa’s Urban Pleasures
Beyond the silos and waves of grain, country sights give way to city lights in population centers like Dubuque, Des Moines and Waterloo
In Dubuque (population 57,000), one of the Midwest’s great Mississippi River towns, much of the past decade’s redevelopment has occurred along the downtown riverfront. The America’s River Project, a complete overhaul of the Port of Dubuque, invites visitors with a conference center, riverwalk, outdoor plaza, amphitheater, the Grand Harbor water park hotel and new Diamond Jo Casino. The National Mississippi River Mu62 June 2010
seum & Aquarium will double the size of its Port of Dubuque campus with an $18-million expansion set for completion by the end of June. New museum features will include a gallery that covers America’s river history and a Gulf of Mexico aquarium with sharks, rays and other ocean creatures. Guests at the Rivermax 4D/3D Digital Theater will feel their seats rumble and experience wind, water and scent in a completely immersive experience.
Youth groups and others who don’t mind rustic surroundings can stay overnight in dorm-like quarters on the museum’s William M. Black dredge boat, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated on the Missouri River from 1935-1973. Adjacent to the steamboat, a boardwalk trail features a fur trader’s log cabin, Indian hut, boatyard and wetland habitat. Groups will enjoy an outing on the mighty Mississippi with Dubuque LeisureGroupTravel.com