Unfortunately, the forecast of cold, rainy and windy weather for most of Saturday was absolutely correct. Since Sunday’s forecast was for more of the same, and I really had no interest in dealing with the anticipated crowds of the following weekend’s Tulip Time festival, I decided to just go and hope for the best. Pella,…
Tag: Iowa
See the Tulips at Last?
I’ve lived in Iowa for nearly 12 years and only visited Pella twice, neither time when the town’s famous tulips were in bloom. A library colleague has reminded me that this is tulip season there, and she found on her visit there yesterday, they are, indeed, in glorious bloom. So, I’ve decided to further delay…
Three Days in Dubuque–Day Three
Busy day started with a stop at the 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. Back uptown, I found the Shot Tower a little bit off the beaten path. The building’s original purpose was…
Three Days in Dubuque–Day One
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…
The Singin’ Trekker on the Road!
I did a re-assessment of the trip and decided to delay departure until Tuesday and reverse the direction of my route. This would mean missing Trekfest, but with a four-day convention on the schedule and the possibility of attending another year, I could work with this idea. So,… I spent a relaxed 3-day weekend in…
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…
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…
Day 1: Off to a Quiet Start
Left Grinnell at 10:00 to make a hair appointment in Des Moines before hitting the road. My car, Red Barron (hereafter called RB), was packed and ready for the trip. I reset her trip mileage gauge so that she could keep track of how far we actually travelled. My journey is minimally planned to allow…