See the Tulips at Last?
: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/besideBurling042817.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="338" />So, I've decided to further delay the completion of the book review that's due next week for a few more hours in order to visit Pella tomorrow (Saturday) instead of waiting for the festival they're hosting next weekend. This will allow me to see the tulips and avoid the crowds.
The question is: will the weather allow for this? As I head to lunch today, it's cold (RB's thermostat reads 39 degrees) and raining. The picture here shows the rain falling on the patch of tulips and daffodils on the other side of the library's parking lot. The forecast for tomorrow is for more of the same, so I'm hoping I can see plenty without getting out of RB.
Looking at the route to Pella, I also noticed a decent sized lake with a state park nearby that I've also never visited. So, it seems logical to add this to the quickie trip. If this happens, I'll certain take--and will post--lots of pictures from Pella and at the Elk Rock State Park.
Three Days in Dubuque–Day Three
Busy day started with a stop at the : //dubuquearboretum.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. It seems that I missed much of the gardens, but the trees, shrubs and various decorations were enjoyable to view along the way.
[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="588,576,577,578,579,580,581,582,583,584,585,586,587"] Back uptown, I found the Shot Tower a little bit off the beaten path. The building's original purpose was literally to make shot during the 1800's. [gallery size="large" columns="2" type="slideshow" ids="589,593,592,591,590"] Going back across town, I found the Mathias Ham House. It was closed, so I got a few pictures before heading back towards the river. [gallery size="medium" ids="594,601,600,599,598,597,596,595"] I eventually ended up at the Mississippi River Museum. I still didn't go inside, however, but I did take a few pictures of the riverboat paddles that graced the exterior. Then, I walked along the river bank a short distance just because. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="603,604,605,606,608,609,610"] Grabbed some lunch and finally headed back to home base. Traffic was definitely getting heavy and, unfortunately, there was a pretty bad car accident on the other side of the highway outside of Cedar Rapids. Still, the ride was otherwise uneventful, and I am thankful back in town, along with RB and Trek Bear. Now, I've got to get ready for work in the morning.: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-05-15.29.46-1-300x200.jpg" alt="2016-09-05 15.29.46-1" width="482" height="321" />
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Three Days in Dubuque–Day Two
Even though I hadn't asked for a wake-up call, I was highly motivated to check out of the room early. Got some breakfast and did a little shopping before heading to my primary objective for this trip: the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. It was just after noon, but the museum was already full of families. Disappointed but really not in the mood for the crowds, I changed my plans and headed through town past various landmarks, to the dock where the American Lady was docked and prepped for its afternoon river cruise. The boat was not overly crowded, so it made for a nice, leisurely excursion. Beer and soft drinks were served in unlimited quantities as was a light buffet. Hope those who were driving carefully monitored their beer intake. (Don't worry about me, I HATE the taste of beer!) There were a number of other boats, including two other cruise boats, on the water. Along the way, we could see houses (see the "little one" in the picture below) perched on the top of the hills, and we passed a tree with an eagle's nest. I couldn't see it, but I'll take their word for it.
[gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="542,543,544,546,547,548,549,550,551,552,553,554"]There was still plenty of daylight by the time the 1 1/2-hour cruise ended, so I next ventured over to the : //www.fenelonplaceelevator.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fenelon Place Elevator Co. Even as I drove there, I'm again surprised at how hilly Iowa is in general, with some serious hills near the Mississippi. As I climbed aboard the elevator going down, I could easily understand why it was built because walking up and down on a regular basis had to be quite daunting. Had a great seat coming back up. Definitely not an attraction for anyone who has issues with heights.
[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="555,556,557,558,559,560,561,562,564,565,566"] I stuck around until after dark so that I could get some shots of the city scape from that vantage point. [gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="568,569,570,572"] My original plan was to return to Grinnell sometime Sunday; however, I still had things to see and do. I also had some thought about returning to the Mississippi River Museum, this time near enough to its opening time that it would perhaps not be so busy. So, I closed out the evening by going to see Ben-Hur all by myself at the local theater. Very different than the 1950's version, so now I'm curious about which one was closer to the original book.
Three Days in Dubuque–Day One
: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Grin2Dubuq.gif" alt="Grin2Dubuq" width="414" height="265" />On Thursday morning, it suddenly hit me that the Labor Day weekend was approaching, and I REALLY didn't want to spend it in Grinnell. The answer: a one-tank trip. Relatively inexpensive and not too far away.
I decided on Dubuque because my previous visits there had all been for conferences with no time to play tourist and because it was only 2.5 hours away in RB.: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-03-11.40.29-300x225.jpg" alt="2016-09-03 11.40.29" width="329" height="247" />Got up early Saturday (well, early for me, anyway) and took care of some Star Trek party business--including picking up the party guest-of-honor and my new navigator, Trek Bear, before hitting the road around 11 a.m. Unfortunately, I didn't know that Iowa had a football game scheduled for that afternoon and, thus, I got caught up in it. I suspected it would only get worse as we got closer to Iowa City, so I got off in Williamsburg and got a manicure/pedicure. By the time my nails were dry, the traffic was back to Saturday normal, so the rest of my drive was uneventful.
My first stop in Dubuque was : //www.minesofspain.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Mines of Spain--a recreation park with several miles of easy to challenging trails for hiking and waterways for canoeing. A couple had just gotten married in a shelter near the interpretative center. Fortunately, the Julien Dubuque Memorial sets in view of the Mississippi at the end of one of the easy, short trails, so I walked down and got some pics.
I drove through the rest of the park and enjoyed the fields of wild flowers. The park was fairly quiet considering it was a holiday weekend Saturday, but I'd bet it gets far more active over the rest of the 3-day holiday. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="518,522,521,520,519,524,525,526,527,528,529,531"]It was then too late to really spend time in the museums on my list of places to visit, so I next drove to the : //www.cityofdubuque.org/573/Eagle-Point-Park#!" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eagle Point Park. The website describes it as: "one of the most outstanding parks in the midwest. One hundred and sixty-four acres overlook the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam #11, providing a spectacular tri-state view of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin." For once, I didn't think that type of comment was an overstatement. Loads of both outdoor--many with views of the river--and interior space for gatherings, plus an outdoor band shell. Only $1.00 charge to enter with RB. Watching all those folks eat suddenly made me hungry, so I quickly finished my tour and sought out a local eatery.
[gallery size="medium" columns="2" ids="533,536,535,534"]: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-03-19.57.03-e1473124821236-200x300.jpg" alt="2016-09-03 19.57.03" width="276" height="415" />I ended up at Catfish Charlie's, which specializes in,... well, I think it's obvious. And the enormous and wonderfully prepared plate of catfish that was set before me provided more than adequate proof of the restaurateur's skill.
Wish my evening had ended so well. Let me just say that the motel where I settled for the night left much to be desired and let it go with that. Looking forward to seeing more of the city on Sunday.: 2px; text-indent: 20px; width: auto; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; text-align: center; font: bold 11px/20px 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif; color: #ffffff; background: #bd081c no-repeat scroll 3px 50% / 14px 14px; position: absolute; opacity: 1; z-index: 8675309; display: none; cursor: pointer;">Save
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The Bridges of Madison County (Pt. 2)
I’d scheduled my Saturday appointment in Des Moines early enough to spend the afternoon visiting the three covered bridges I’d missed a couple of weeks ago. However, when I had finished the appointment, I stepped outside and discovered that it had just rained. I learned the day’s weather forecast indicated heavy storms were likely to occur occasionally throughout the day. But the weather map showed that the storm patterns were mostly already east of the area, so I took the chance and headed southwest. By the time I reached Winterset, it was approaching 3:30 and, realizing that museums tend to close at 5 p.m., I headed to the John Wayne Birthplace Museum, which included the house where the famous actor was born in 1907. I didn’t tour the house since one of my nieces and I had visited it in 2008 nor the museum since my main intent was to…
The Bridges of Madison County (Pt. 1)
I woke up early Saturday morning with an appointment in Des Moines scheduled in the afternoon, so I decided impulsively to drive an extra 20 miles to Winterset to see the famous covered bridges of Madison County. This would give me a chance to “test drive” my new walking shoes and dash cam–both not yet picked up from the post office–plus the cowboy hat I’d recently received. One of my nieces and I had visited Winterset back in 2008 to see actor John Wayne’s birthplace. I’d been living in Iowa less than three years and was only then beginning to explore the state. I simply didn’t know that the bridges were in the area. So, I’m glad I had another chance to visit them. By the time I got the cam, figured out how to set it up and looked up information about the bridges online, it was already 11…
A Little Effigy Goes a Long Way
I rolled over in the hotel bed this morning and muttered a word inappropriate for this PG-13 blog. They say that payback is a b—-, well my body was demanding payback for all the dancing and late night celebration of the night before. After I finally dragged myself to a seated position, I gave very serious thought to taking the straightest route back to Grinnell. It was a close decision, but I opted to head up to Effigy Mounds National Monument in upstate Iowa as originally planned. Since I didn’t get onto the road until after 10 a.m., I did the drive-through breakfast thing and headed back across the Mississippi into Iowa. The river doesn’t look like all that much size-wise this far north, but it still has it majestic moments. I stopped at a scenic view along the road and got these shots: Effigy Mounds is a bit off…
On the Road to Chicag… Moline
Woke up early Saturday morning but didn’t get on the road until almost 11 a.m. because,… well between procrastination (hadn’t done laundry) and having decided to forgo the library time I’d planned, I took my time leaving. After grabbing drive-through lunch and deciding not to get my nails done in Coralville, I finally made it to the Herbert Hoover Library and Museum in West Bend. Hoover is the only Iowan who has been elected president (as of this date anyway), and I thought the stop would be interesting. Actually, it was interesting–and surprising. Even considering the expectation that the president life and career are going to shown in the best light possible, I found Hoover’s accomplishments to be quite different than I anticipated. Some of the pictures I took are below, but I suggest you take a look at a bio on him. Someone on Facebook asked me why I…
EWF-Chicago Concert or Bust
This weekend’s forecast is for nice weather (for Iowa in April, anyway–sorry, I let my Southern roots show), and I’m feeling a serious need to get out of Grinnell for a couple of days. Plus, I just got a new hat to wear when a-wandering that I need to break in, AND I’m still feeling jealous of two of my brothers who just went to the Earth, Wind and Fire/Chicago concert last night. So,… When I learned that the tour was coming to Moline, Illinois–which is just on the other side of the Mississippi from Iowa (only a two-hour drive away)–this weekend, I couldn’t resist. So, the game plan is to stop by the University of Iowa music library for a couple of hours to do some Spirituals research–can’t be all-play, can I?–finally visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library (maybe), and get into Moline in time for dinner and the…
Up, Up, and Away!!
Two of my brothers visited me from back East, so I wanted to find something for us to do together. Trouble was, I had literally just had surgery on my leg that morning, so we were limited in what I could do. Fortunately, co-workers had told me about the National Balloon Classic being held in Indianola. Unfortunately, that Monday afternoon turned into a nasty, stormy day with occasional flashes of lightning. A dangerous evening for ballooning, but a nice one for dinner at one of the Jethro’s BBQ restaurants in Des Moines. (Note: all of us stayed away from their Carolina pulled pork since there’s only one place where one can get REAL Carolina BBQ.) My brothers had left by Thursday. I wanted to try again, anyway. I was up early enough to go to the sunrise event, but I decided to wait for the sunset program that evening. This…