DON'T LAUGH.......Considering a vacation to Iowa! (Des Moines, Pella: high school, living in)

[atler8]

You are most welcome educator.
I just checked & there is a nice site for the fields & movie site in Dyersville. Its' called fodmoviesite.com.
A look there might be a good idea as you can coordinate your travels with any special events that they might have scheduled.
And over in Dubuque there is a great park on the north edge of the city called Eagle Point State Park which overlooks the river from a bluff top location that is just above a lock & dam on the river. It's kind of cool to watch ships or barges move in & out of locks & see the water level in the lock change. I could sit & watch the river every day, if only I were there!
Speaking of movement, there's another kind available right in the heart of Dubuque via an incline rail that goes up & down a bluff. It's operated by the Fenelon Place Elevator Company & I believe that Fenelon Place is the name of the street on which it is located.
I should not give short shrift to Des moines by failing to mention that the Iowa State Capitol building is well worth a tour. You'll note that it's somewhat different from your own capitol in style. You can't go to the cupola at the very top anymore but you should get a nice view as high as you are allowed to go up.
The Capitol is truly a grand building as ABC newsman David Brinkley noted in an on-air rave one night. Make sure to take a peek into the Law Library, which a lot of visitors overlook.
Enjoy yourselves & do as Elle wrote here & let us know what happens on your trip. Or even come back to the thread while in Iowa & get more info from the locals if you need it.
I'm sure other Iowans can throw in their own 2 cents worth of suggestions for your itinerary plus you still need to know about July 4th in Ames.

[ElleTea]

I've been up that elevator up the side of the bluff in Dubuque. It's pretty cool!

A friend toured the capital back in November as was able to go all the way up to the top of the cupola. have they stopped allowing that since then? It is a kinda scary trip up spiral stairs, though. I did it years ago, and the stairs freaked me out LOL

The law library is very neat, too.

If your trip is later this summer, the Iowa State Fair might be worth a visit. (Mid August)

[atler8]

Elle
That would be great news if access to the tip top cupola level is available again.
When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my brother & I were climbing up when it was open & I got scared of some very boisterous kids coming down the stairs & ran back on down to the ground level so I never made it all of the way up. I've been kicking myself over that blown opportunity ever since & I've had to be content with just enjoying a climb up for the decent view from probably 2/3 to 3/4 of the way up the big dome..
After that, I inquired about gaining such access every time I visited the Capitol as a young person, young adult & up until the last time I was there back around 5 years ago so things could have changed since then.

[Rail-to-Rail]

When I was in high school we took a road trip and passed through northeast Iowa. I will always remember camping in or near "Walnut Woods State Park" if that's the correct name, it was early spring and the floor of the woodland was wildflowers blooming as far as the eye could see, so very beautiful.

[NLDad]

I'm a little rusty on south west Iowa, i recall that the area around Shenandoah used to produce a lot of seed and nursery stock. Shenandoah was/is? The home if earl may seed company. My sister lived in Red Oak. I remember it had beautiful old homes and a cool Chautauqua pavilion and they had"Li'l Duffer's Burger Barn." Which I'm not particularly recommending, just funny the things that spring back into your memory from your youth.. That's about all I know of southwest Iowa. I recommend the Boone and Scrnic Railway, near er Anes for a stop, definitely ride the train, the high trestle bridge is worth it. If you come down my way (southeastern) Amana is a must see, but don't justeat and sshop, to many people do that and they miss the point entirely. Check out the Amana Society Heritage Museum. You'll appreciate the stop so much more. Stop by Iowa City.if you want to see"the other university" a little sleepy this time year, but Jazz fest going on this week. . Van Buren county, diem far SE, is an interesting area I haven't explored, but need to. Anamosa is Grant Woood territory. And as others have said, is lively. I love Dubuque, Elkade, Macgregor, marquette.....hope you enjoy your stay.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by NLDad

I'm a little rusty on south west Iowa, i recall that the area around Shenandoah used to produce a lot of seed and nursery stock. Shenandoah was/is? The home if earl may seed company. My sister lived in Red Oak. I remember it had beautiful old homes and a cool Chautauqua pavilion and they had"Li'l Duffer's Burger Barn." Which I'm not particularly recommending, just funny the things that spring back into your memory from your youth.. That's about all I know of southwest Iowa. I recommend the Boone and Scrnic Railway, near er Anes for a stop, definitely ride the train, the high trestle bridge is worth it. If you come down my way (southeastern) Amana is a must see, but don't justeat and sshop, to many people do that and they miss the point entirely. Check out the Amana Society Heritage Museum. You'll appreciate the stop so much more. Stop by Iowa City.if you want to see"the other university" a little sleepy this time year, but Jazz fest going on this week. . Van Buren county, diem far SE, is an interesting area I haven't explored, but need to. Anamosa is Grant Woood territory. And as others have said, is lively. I love Dubuque, Elkade, Macgregor, marquette.....hope you enjoy your stay.

Earl May Garden Centers headquarters are still in Shenandoah as is the main office for Brown Shoes. Many years ago other plant and foliage companies were also located there, but are buttoned up. There are abandoned buildings all around town where these companies once did business. Shenandoah is also the hometown of the Everly brothers.

[odessa3]

I'm the original poster and I see this thread is still getting responses 4 years later! My husband & I frequently talk about our Iowa vacation from a few years ago and agree it's one of the best vacations we've ever taken. Iowa truly is a gem!

[plmokn]

Originally Posted by odessa3

Bring on your ideas!!

Fishing
Checking out Future retirement spots
Checking out Universities for kids, grandkids, friends

[MPLS_TC]

I was just telling my buddy the other day about how I want to take the family on a fun filled vacation to Iowa.

[atler8]

MPLS
Are you serious here or posting in jest?
I ask because I personally have encountered some measure of smugness in the Twin Cities/Minnesota towards all things Iowa.