Morgan Creek Park, Cedar Rapids
When several inches of new fallen snow blanket the city and the snowplows and traffic have started churning it into a dingy mess, you can still go to Morgan Creek Park and enjoy the powder a bit longer. Your dog is really supposed to be on a leash, but a backpack does the trick for some.
Morgan Creek Park on a Sunday morning in January
Morgan Creek Park on a Sunday morning in January
Stone City
No doubt there are many things to like and appreciate about Stone City. Artist Grant Wood thought enough of it to paint it and teach art there. Some cyclists thought enough of the painting to have it reproduced on their jerseys. (I own a couple of them myself.)
My favorite thing about Stone City, though, is being at the top of the hill on either side of the valley, on a bicycle. It means I’m either about to go flying downhill at speeds I rarely reach going downhill anywhere else, or that I’ve managed to climb to the top one more time.
Prairiewoods
The other day I described the place where my wife works – Prairiewoods in Hiawatha, Iowa – and someone said it sounded like “a nice place.”
Well, it is.
Saylorville Butterfly Garden
Tell us about some other nice places in Iowa by adding your comments.
OTHER NICE PLACES
From Andrew Blank by email 10/14/08:
my favorite iowa place was dixon beach at lake okobji…went there a couple of times with my friend doug strub…his aunt and ucle had a house there.
I’m from Iowa too & it dawned on me yesterday that I’ve been gone for 20 years! I’ve lived in Ohio, Minnesota & Colorado since leaving Iowa in 1988. We went back to Des Moines for a visit in July & had a great time driving around and reminiscing. My favorite spot was and still is Greenwood Park. I was not surprised at how the city has grown and there is so much to do and see. We also went to the biggest & best farmer’s market ever!
From about iowa nice, 2008/10/03 at 1:10 PM
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I was born in Iowa, but spent most of my youth in Minnesota. I came back to Iowa to attend Drake; never intending to stay. I did go back to the Twin Cities for one year after graduation, but found my way back to Des Moines and have been here ever since – over 20 years now. I used to think that I needed to go “somewhere else” for shopping, theater, entertainment or recreation, but over the years have found that Des Moines and Iowa have all I need. I still like to go “somewhere else,” but now look forward to coming “home” and know that everything I need is right here.
It’s been really fun and exciting to watch Des Moines grow and evolve over the years. I recently attended a high school reunion in the Twin Cities and almost everyone of my classmates I spoke with had very positive things to say about Des Moines. A very nice tribute to this wonderful city.
The Ledges State Park is a nice place to visit. It has some steep hiking trails with scenic views. It’s my favorite place to visit in Iowa.
I liked the Stone City photo so much that I moved it to my desktop background. It will be there for the next few days!!
art3
Teens of the 60s, my wife-to-be and I often biked to beautiful Mosquito Park in Burlington. Follow the link to see what we saw there.
What a great view. Thanks!
One of my fondest memories of Iowa involves the many parks in and around central Iowa. When I was growing up in the 1930’s, my grandfather Aller would organize a picnic each Sunday in October at a park. My grandfather farmed south of Des Moines. My father farmed in Madison County. We would work in the fields all day Saturday (including picking corn by hand). On Sunday we would get together with my cousins who lived in Warren, Madison, and Polk Counties at a nearby park. We would play and eat all day long.