Iowa Tour Guide

IOWA TOUR GUIDE

Special Supplement

June 2014 Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area / Daenna Newkirk, Des Moines, IA

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here’s something magical about the Mississippi. From an early age, our visions of America’s most famous—and its second longest—river are shaped by history books and the timeless stories of Mark Twain. In our minds we picture boys playing along its banks and paddlewheeler steamboats plying its waters.

Just crossing a Mississippi River bridge from Illinois to Iowa is a much-anticipated

charming communities loaded with history and a passing parade of attractions. River cruises, casinos and minor league baseball are just some of the diversions that await tour groups. Add museums, historic homes and shopping for antiques and collectibles in cozy downtowns that smack of yesteryear. Save time to watch barges going through the locks or, in winter, bald eagles swooping over the river as they feed at the open waters around the dams.

Dubuque, the oldest city in Iowa, in recent years has seen much redevelopment

Mississippi Riverwalk, an amphitheater and Diamond Jo Casino. Sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises on the Spirit of Dubuque paddlewheeler and Miss Dubuque yacht also have group appeal.

For the best view in town, take a ride on the Fenelon Place Elevator, billed as the “world’s steepest, shortest railway.” It was built in 1882 as a way for a businessman to get home for lunch and take a nap each day.

About 20 minutes south of Dubuque along the Great River Road is St. Donatus, a sleepy hamlet with roots in the small Eu-

thrill—even if you’ve done it dozens of times before. Think of your last visit to Dubuque or Davenport, Bellevue or Burlington, and your first image is probably that of strolling along the riverfront or viewing Ol’ Man River from a bluff-top lookout.

The Great River Road, a National Scenic Byway, travels 3,000 miles along both sides of the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, providing a logical route for sightseeing in Eastern Iowa. It connects

along its riverfront, where the star attraction is the Smithsonian-affiliated National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.

Guests at its 3-D/4-D digital theater feel their seats rumble and experience wind, water and scent in a completely immersive experience. The outdoor area features a boatyard plaza with a working blacksmith shop, wetland habitat and the landmark William M. Black dredge boat.

Other waterfront highlights include the

ropean country of Luxembourg. The hillside Way of the Cross and Pieta Chapel recall the Luxembourger immigrants who settled the area. Kalmes Restaurant, now in its fifth generation of family ownership, preserves Luxembourger traditions through photos, artwork and a menu with “Luxembourg Classics” like ground steak with cream of mushroom. A 10-minute drive south leads to the quiet Mississippi River town of Bellevue, where visitors can shop, watch barges

IOWA’S

Davenport’s downtown riverfront

transit the locks and enjoy panoramic views of the river valley from Bellevue State Park.

Clinton, located in easternmost Iowa at the widest point of the Mississippi, abounds with attractions. The Sawmill Museum tells the story of the town’s industrial prominence from the 1850s to the 1890s, when Clinton was the “Lumber Capital of the World.” Lumber from Clinton’s mills helped fuel westward expansion and accounted for the country’s highest number of millionaires per capita during the period.

The Curtis Mansion, the restored Victorian home of lumber baron George M. Curtis, awes guests with its Tiffany glass windows, carved banisters, ornate wood trim and massive fireplaces. The town’s minor league baseball team is the Clinton LumberKings, an affiliate of the Seattle Mariners.

Groups in Clinton can commune with nature at Bickelhaupt Arboretum, try their luck at Wild Rose Casino and in summer enjoy a musical or comedy at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, a restored paddlewheeler on the riverfront. Wide River Winery offers tastings and tours, and invites guests to hike the bluff trail for vistas of the Mississippi.

Little LeClaire lures nostalgia-minded

Pine Creek Grist Mill, near Muscatine

tourists with its antique and gift shops, particularly Antique Archaeology, home base for the History Channel’s popular “American Pickers.” You might even run into the show’s Mike Wolfe, a LeClaire resident. The riverfront’s Buffalo Bill Museum honors a celebrity from the past—William F. Cody, born nearby in 1846—with exhibits and a video on the Wild West showman. The Twilight Riverboat, the riverfront’s most photogenic asset, offers two-day cruises from LeClaire to Dubuque. Another tourist magnet is Mississippi River Distillery, where free tours show the craftsmanship that goes into each bottle of vodka, gin and whiskey made with locally grown grains. Samples are available.

Davenport and Bettendorf, a short drive south of LeClaire, make up the Iowa portion of the Quad Cities, the largest metropolitan area between Minneapolis and St. Louis. Also encompassing Moline, East Moline and Rock Island, Ill., the Quad Cities (pop. 380,000) is the only place where the river runs east to west.

Downtown Davenport boasts an attractive riverfront park ideal for strolling, plus attractions like Rhythm City Casino, Figge Art Museum and The River Music Experience, a non-profit center where visitors can relax over drinks at the Redstone Room and hear local talents showcasing the works of Mississippi River-inspired musicians who influenced blues and jazz. The newest river-

Mississippi River Towns Charting a course along the state’s eastern border puts groups in touch with a vital valley overflowing with river lore —and lots more

side landmark is the 110-foot-tall Ferris wheel at Modern Woodmen Park, home of baseball’s Quad Cities River Bandits, a farm team of the Houston Astros.

Other crowd-pleasers in the Quad Cities include Davenport’s German-American Heritage Center and Putnam Museum of History and Science, Isle Casino Hotel in Bettendorf and the Celebration Belle, the largest non-gaming riverboat on the Upper Mississippi. The Belle’s sightseeing, lunch and dinner cruises depart from Rock Island, as do day-long cruises to Dubuque.

Muscatine, about 25 minutes southwest of the Quad Cities, takes pride in its industrial heritage. By 1900 it was known as the “Pearl Button Capital of the World” and once accounted for more than 40

to walk down the twisting street will be picked up by the motorcoach at the bottom of the hill.

Tours of Burlington also include a drive through Heritage Hill National Historic District, a neighborhood boasting 160 structures in a variety of architectural styles, from late Victorian and Queen Anne to Gothic and Greek Revival. Mosquito Park, named for its size, offers dazzling views of the Mississippi. For an up-close look at river traffic, stop by Lock and Dam No. 18, one of 29 such operations on the upper Mississippi.

Entertainment choices in Burlington include Catfish Bend Casino and Burlington Bees baseball. The ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels’ Class A affiliate caters to groups by offering a buffet meal in the

Following the mighty Mississippi is a nostalgic journey into the past and spotlights the very essence of America’s heartland Mississippi River Distillery, LeClaire

percent of the world’s button output. More than half of the city’s workforce was devoted to the button industry, from harvesting the raw material—shiny mussel shells in the Mississippi—to shipping the final product. Visitors to the Muscatine History and Industry Center learn that pearl button production ceased in the late 1960s.

The Muscatine Art Center, housed in a 1908 mansion, exhibits American and European paintings, period furniture, Oriental rugs and decorative arts, plus collections of antique paperweights, American art glass and music boxes/instruments. Wildcat Den State Park, 10 miles from town, is home to the Pine Creek Grist Mill, Iowa’s oldest operating such mill, and an 1877 one-room schoolhouse. Groups in Muscatine also enjoy Winters’ Buffalo Farm, where they can take pictures of the majestic herd, buy buffalo meat and witness exotic animals like llamas, peacocks and a zedonk (a cross between a zebra and a donkey).

Traveling south on the Great River Road leads to Burlington.

Snake Alley, perhaps the town’s most famous landmark, was recognized by Ripley’s Believe It Or Not as the “Crookedest Street in the World.” Built of bricks in 1894, the steep street drops 58 feet over a distance of 275 feet and rivals San Francisco’s Lombard Street for the “crookedest” honor. Many groups visit the elegant, Victorian-style Phelps House Museum at the top of Snake Alley. Those who choose

Brat Garden and having a group member throw out the first pitch.

Downtown Burlington’s Capitol Theater, a restored 1937 Art Deco jewel that reopened in 2012 after being closed for 35 years, presents independent and classic films, plus national touring acts. A dinner on the stage can be arranged for groups.

Fort Madison’s main draw is Old Fort Madison, a replica of the frontier defense post that was built in 1808 and abandoned and burned just a few years later. Located in Riverview Park on the downtown riverfront, the fort offers tours led by costumed interpreters and on certain occasions has musket firing, military drills and bread-baking demonstrations.

In Keokuk, in Iowa’s far southeastern corner, an old railroad bridge that spanned the Mississippi, is now an observation platform where people come to picnic and watch the riverboats go through the locks at Lock & Dam No. 19. The impressive dam, the largest electricity-generating plant in the world when completed in 1913, stretches almost a mile across the Mississippi. The dam is not open to the public but has a lookout deck popular with eagle watchers in winter. Also visit the George M. Verity River Museum, a steam-powered, sternwheeler towboat, and drive along Grand Avenue, lined with magnificent old homes.

Modern Woodmen Park, Davenport

National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium

Crowd-Pleasing Itineraries The Iowa Group Travel Association has loads of sample tour itineraries that will aid planners in crafting the best trip possible.

Here are just a few of the possibilities: Savor the Flavors Western Iowa – 2 days Corning – Stanton – Elk Horn – Manning Get a taste of Iowa’s ethnic heritage starting with Corning’s French Icarian Village in what remains of a 19th century utopian settlement. After a Frenchstyle picnic and visit to a Corning winery, hop over to the Swedish Heritage & Cultural Center in Stanton to sample history and Swedish delicacies. Then enjoy touring and cheese tasting at the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn, followed by a dinner of authentic Danish cuisine. The next day features the German Hausbarn in Manning, where the church ladies serve a lunch of ethnic favorites, including sandwiches, sauerkraut salad, pickled beets and German chocolate cake or fudge cupcakes with beer frosting. Finally, visit a farmstead with a 100-year-old history.

A Patriotic Tour Western Iowa – 3 days Council Bluffs – Clarinda – Atlantic In Council Bluffs, learn about historic combat aircraft at a national military museum, visit the home of a Civil War general, view a beautiful Civil War monument and tour a nationally renowned railroad museum. The next day swing into Clarinda and sway to the Big Band beat at the Glenn Miller Birthplace Museum. At a museum in Clarinda, experience the WWII prisoner of war camp housing German and Japanese prisoners and enjoy an authentic German dinner with all the trimmings. Spend the third day in Atlantic, home to a Coca-Cola memorabilia exhibit, an old-fashioned five & dime store and a restaurant serving one of Iowa’s top five burgers, farmer fries and national blue-ribbon peanut butter pie.

Experience Historic Northeast Iowa Eastern Iowa – 5 days Dubuque – Dyersville – Balltown – Elkader - Decorah Spend the first day in Dubuque, where highlights include the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, a riverboat lunch and a ride on the world’s shortest, steepest railway. Day 2 features the Field of Dreams Movie Site and National Farm Toy Museum in Dyersville; a buffet meal at Breitbach’s Country Dining in Balltown, Iowa’s oldest bar and restaurant; and Stone Cliff Winery back in Dubuque. Continue on to the delightful town of Elkader and then settle in for two nights in Decorah, home to the nation’s most comprehensive museum dedicated to a single immigrant group – the Norwegians. On the morning of Day 5, stop at a farm that grows 6,200 varieties of tomatoes – it merited a visit from Martha Stewart.

History at its Finest – From Bluffs to Barns Eastern Iowa – 3 days Burlington – Villages of Van Buren This tour is based in the Mississippi River town of Burlington and starts in the downtown historic district, a treasure trove of nearly 160 structures reflecting many architectural styles. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the river from bluff-top Mosquito Park, visit a house museum filled with antiques and amble down the “crookedest street in the world” as designated by Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Stop for dessert, coffee and a tour at one of Burlington’s premier bed and breakfasts, built by a lumber baron in 1877.

Catch a minor league baseball game at night. Day 2 features the Villages of Van Buren, where favorite pastimes include gift and antique shopping. Visit Mennonite-owned businesses, an old-time general store and a cheese factory. Other highlights in the Villages include a winery visit and tour of a historic pottery where guests can make their very own piece. Dine in the home of an Amish family or perhaps in a restored grist mill or woolen mill.

Back in Burlington on Day 3, tour a private garden with dozens of varieties of flowers and its antique tractor display. Then visit an elk farm and sample some of the meat before visiting a river terminal to learn about the unloading of barges and rail cars.

Cuisine in the Corn

Top Events Burlington Steamboat Days June 10-15, 2014 National rock, country, rhythm and blues, and pop stars appear on two outdoor stages. The lineup this year includes Toby Keith. A parade and carnival rides also are part of this celebration of life on the Mississippi. (steamboatdays.com)

Glenn Miller Festival, Clarinda June 12-15, 2014 On the second weekend in June, visitors and entertainers from around the world converge in Clarinda, home of the Glenn Miller Museum and Birthplace Home, to celebrate the music of Alton Glenn Miller, the top bandleader during the Big Band era. Hear bands from around the world and the World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. (glennmiller.org)

National Balloon Classic, Indianola July 25-Aug. 2, 2014 More than 100 hot-air balloons, including special shapes, paint the sky over Indianola, home of the National Balloon Museum.

Visitors enjoy musical entertainment, open-air markets and the Fire in the Sky Nite-Glow Extravaganza at Iowa’s largest ballooning event. (nationalballoonclassic.com)

Iowa State Fair, Des Moines Aug. 7-17, 2014 Considered America’s classic state fair, this ag-extravaganza annually attracts more than a million fun lovers from around the world. Featured are one of the world's largest livestock shows, the country's largest state fair foods department (about 900 classes), the state's largest arts show, hundreds of competitive events and wacky contests, and a carnival midway. Nearly 200 food stands offer more than 60 items on-a-stick, from corndogs to deep-fried butter. Grandstand shows slated this year include Lady Antebellum, Florida Georgia Line, Foreigner and Styx, and the Robertsons from A&E’s Duck Dynasty, not to mention the tractor and truck pull and demolition derby. (iowastatefair.org)

Tulip Time Festival, Pella May 7-9, 2015 Proud of its Dutch heritage and tourist attractions, Pella throws a big party that includes six parades, three of them lighted. The afternoon Grandstand Show features Dutch dancing and singing, Parade of Provinces (Dutch costume style show), cheese market demonstration, presentation of the queen and her court, and the famous street scrubbing. Festival-goers also enjoy brilliant tulip gardens, craft markets, Dutch dancing and musical performances. Groups can arrange a Dutch chocolate demonstration, costume show, tulip tips talk and Dutch meal with costumed servers. Craft demonstrations at Pella Historical Village include yoke carving, wooden shoe-making and Dutch letter baking. (pellatuliptime.org)

Farm to Table, Iowa-Style big juicy bonus of touring farm states like Iowa is the food. From milk to dinner rolls to pork tenderloin sandwiches, everything just seems to taste better, much the way we remember it growing up. Since it wouldn’t be a trip to Iowa without visiting a farm, a farmers’ market or a restaurant that relies on farm-fresh ingredients, we suggest several ways to experience the heartland’s rich bounty: In Kalona, home to Iowa’s largest Amish colony, the tourism folks can arrange a hearty meal for groups of 10 or more. Served family-style in a Conservative Mennonite home, the spread includes Amish staples like chicken or roast beef, dressing or noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, vegetables, tapioca pudding and home-baked bread with apple butter. Save room for angel food cake or peanut butter pie. (kalonaiowa.com) How about dinner in a cornfield?

For a magical evening, consider reserving seats at Cuisine in the Corn, an annual event staged at Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins. Amid the cornstalks on Aug. 23, some 200 guests will be transported by hayrack to one elegantly appointed long table complete with china, white linens, green napkins, flowers and lots of candles.

Free-flowing wine and live music accompany the four-course feast. (bloomsburyfarm.com/cuisine) Groups get an inside look at dairy

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production from cow to table at Hansen’s Farm Fresh Dairy in Hudson, a short drive from Waterloo.

Tours at this family farm dating back to 1864 let you feed a calf, milk a cow or make butter. Top off your visit with a dish of premium ice cream or cheese curds and crackers. A catered meal can be arranged in the new visitor center. (hansendairy.com).

There’s also a taste of the country in the middle of Des Moines, Iowa’s capital and biggest city. Let your group loose at the Downtown Farmers’ Market, held every Saturday morning from May through October.

It spans nine city blocks in the Historic Court District and attracts an average of 20,000 visitors and more than 200 vendors. (desmoinesfarmersmarket.com) Following the national trend in presenting healthy seasonal dishes made mostly with farm-fresh foodstuffs produced just miles away, farmto-fork restaurants have popped up in many Iowa communities. In the historic East Village of Des Moines, the menu at HoQ evolves almost daily and showcases flavors from around the world using the finest of Iowa ingredients—almost 90% of them from local farms. HoQ features grass-fed beef and lamb, and pastureraised chicken and duck, all are raised without the use of hormones, antibiotics, steroids or cages. Its butter and cream come from grass-fed cows. (hoqtble.com)