The best thing about Iowa (Marion, Ottumwa: rent, squatters, camping)

[nite0wl]

The best thing about Iowa Is Knoxville Raceway and Camping. Knoxville Raceway is a semi-banked 1/2 mile dirt oval raceway located at the Marion County Fairgrounds. In August, the Knoxville Raceway holds The Knoxville Nationals. The event is considered the premier event in sprint car racing. The Nationals is like NASCAR’s Daytona 500 for sprint cars. The Population of Knoxville is 7,731 people but the week of the Nationals over 4 times of people in Knoxville at that time. The Track Facilities: hold 24,172 seats and almost ever seats is sold. Lot of Camping sites in Marion County. Great time to do both : )

[julierob29]

I think the best thing about Iowa is the small town "Days" and celebrations, Centerville's Pancake Day, Moravia's Fall Festival, Ottumwa's Octoberfest, Moulton's Jamboree, Exline's 4th of July celebration....AND County Fair time!!!!

[Mercruiserdr]

I hate pancake day .

[BrenIowaGirl]

Wow, that's...Cheerful, Mercruiser. Anyway...best thing, best thing...Well I think it's the contrast between the cozy small towns and the vibrant bigger cities. Also, there's the family friendly aspect of the state. Iowa just keeps getting better!

[Mercruiserdr]

I lived just off of the Centerville square for several years, in doing so I learned to dread Pancake day weekend.
Plus I also own a snazzy little red convertible, which means every year around Pancake day I suddenly have lots of friends.

While living just off of the square I discovered many basic rights I was accustomed to the rest of the year ceased to exist.

Take for instance , my parking spot.
I was no longer allowed to park my car where I had the rest of the year, however some unknown person from out of town was welcome to use it if they got there quick enough after they opened up the barricades on Pancake Day morning.

The sidewalk in front of my building , yes the very side walk I was responsible by law to keep clean and scoop snow and ice from or be fined.

On pancake day it became an obstacle course barricaded by squatters planting their damn lawnchairs blocking my front door.
Where the hell were thses people when the snow was flying and during the clean up of the trash they left ?

The final straw came when I installed a ramp to the rear of my building and kept my bike inside.
Thinking I now had a way to get around the squatters in front and the parking spot thieves I would ride my bike when I left town on Pancake day morning ( A custom I still perform every damn Pancake Day by the way.)

However when I returned earlier than normal one afternoon due to the rain I found the alleyway which ran behind my building barricaded with an oversized sawhorse.
I parked my bike, moved the sawhorse just enough to allow my bike passage, and was promptly descended upon by two rent a cops from some other town who informed me i would be arrested if I didnt replace their damn sawhorse to its allocated position and cease my attempt to enter the alleyway.

I attempted to inform these two out of towners that I lived just down the alley and was simply going home.
This was apparently way beyond their comprehensive abilities for some reason.

For those who havent noticed I have absolutely no use for so called bullheaded authority figures , especially those dumb enough to enforce some idiotic contrived rule or idea that would deny anyone simple access to their property because of some damn dumb overblown city snob celebration.

Finally Officer Marion Zemo who was then a member of the Cville police force got wind of the ongoing confrontation showed up and advised the two out of town knotheads that I did indeed live just around 100 feet or so down the alley and it would be ok for me to go through.

I now make it a policy to keep a safe distance from Centerville during its damn Pancake Day celebration.
They have made it more than obvious that Pancake Day is not for those who live in the area.

As for my flashy red ragtop it is not so fortunate , It is allowed to go as long as I am not driving it.