Q & A: Just who is an Iowa traveler?

LuAnn in our office loves research. No, I mean, she loves it. She's passionate about it. Which makes for some really good data in our office. Ever curious about just who travels Iowa, how long they stay and what they do while they're here? LuAnn knows and she's sharing...

Q. Who is an Iowa traveler?
A. The Iowa Tourism Office considers anyone traveling more than 50 miles in one direction a traveler. (So, yes, it is possible to be a traveler in your home state.) Those travelers spent more than $6.1 billion in Iowa during 2009.

Q. Who are the travelers planning a trip to Iowa?
A. Families traveling together are planning visits to Iowa with children under and over eighteen. For adults: adults traveling with other adults, families without children, retired travelers and individuals/friends.

Q. How old are they?
A. The average age of the trip planner is 50.7.

Q. Where do they come from?
A. Iowans account for 19% of the people planning a trip to Iowa. Travelers from our border states of Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin were 34% of the planners.

Q. What are their plans while traveling Iowa?
A. Nearly 80% are planning a vacation/leisure trip (68%) or a weekend getaway (11%). Only about 10% are traveling to visit their friends and family.

Q. Where are they planning to stay?
A. Nearly 70% will stay in a hotel/motel while in Iowa. Camping is also popular. Nearly 30% of the Iowans are planning day trip with no lodging involved.

Q. What are their interest areas?
A. High on their list to visit are historical areas, scenic byways, plus national and state parks. Low on their list is visiting friends and family (16%).

Q. Did they come?
A. Of those we surveyed, 91% took a trip, and averaged 2.6 trips to Iowa, staying an average of two nights.

Q. Bottom line, how much did they spend?
A. They spent an average of $457 per trip per travel party.

Jessica O'Riley, Iowa Tourism Office

To learn more about Iowa's travelers and about the marketing research studies available from the Iowa Tourism Office, visit http://bit.ly/bPcoPp. You'll find summaries and full studies readily available.

Sources: Iowa Trip Planning 2010 Report; 2010 Marketing Follow-up Study and the 2009 Economic Impact of Travel on Iowa Counties.

Waterloo, Iowa: Small Town, BIG Impact

Waterloo, Iowa is a fairly small town with BIG historical impact. Below are three important historical events that took place in Waterloo that would be interesting to everyone in Iowa.

Did you know?

1. The five famous Sullivan Brothers, who were killed in WWII, were born and raised in Waterloo.

2. Lou Henry Hoover, First Lady of the United States, was born in Waterloo. She, along with her husband, Herbert Hoover, are both Iowa natives!

3. Susan B. Anthony, Booker T. Washington, and William Jennings Bryan once spoke at the Chautauqua events held in Waterloo in the early 1900s

Are you aware of any historical events or highlights that took place in YOUR hometown? Tell us all about it in the comments section.


Brandon J. Brockway is the author of the new postcard history book, Waterloo (Arcadia Publishing, 2011), which tells the town’s tales through one-of-a-kind postcards from the late 1800s to the 1960s. For more information visit http://bit.ly/dZNDYR.

Enter code “TourIowa” for 20% off your purchase.

Genuine & Original: The Harrison County Historical Museum/Welcome Center/Loess Hills/Lincoln Highway

With just one stop travelers can now experience the genuine Loess Hills, the original Lincoln Highway, the Harrison County Historical Museum, and make travel plans at an Iowa Welcome Center.

Iowa’s Loess Hills and the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road, intersect at the Harrison County Historical Museum and Welcome Center near Missouri Valley. The intersection has spawned a very creative and fun interpretive center that is now open for visitors.

The journey begins with two short films on the Loess Hills and Lincoln Highway. Upon entering the outdoor exhibit area, travelers will be able to stretch their legs as they learn the stories of transportation and the hills.

Along the handicapped accessible sidewalks are interpretive storyboards about the Loess Hills and the Lincoln Highway. As the sidewalk continues there is a large map of the United States that illustrates the Lincoln Highway route.

Travelers can bring their coolers and enjoy a break in picnic shelters styled after the canopy gas stations and cabin courts routinely built along the Lincoln Highway.

Travelers can tell their kids to “go play in the street,” which is great fun for the kids (and adults!) in the Children’s Transportation Play Space. Everyone can actually run in the street (no cars allowed), play traffic, climb through the culvert, walk the miniature bridge, cruise by the Burma Shave signs and learn how far it is to San Francisco or New York City.

Located on a segment of the ORIGINAL Lincoln Highway is a highway surface demonstration exhibit that has sections of trail, dirt, rock, brick, asphalt and concrete. Each section is walkable and touchable and tells the story of highway development. Also on the grounds is an original Lincoln Highway post in its original location, which was probably installed by the local boy scouts.

Just a few steps up a Loess Hill is an observation deck overlooking multiple transportation corridors and visible from Highway 30. The five railings on the deck are made of pattern-cut reinforced steel with a “Lincoln” copper penny finish.

For walkers and hikers they are carving out a one mile lighted walking trail through 14 acres of re-established Loess Hills prairie. There will be interpretive signs along the way to tell the stories about the native prairie.

Even if you don’t need a break, take time on your next Western Iowa trip to visit this multi-faceted outdoor interpretive center. You’ll be glad you did.

LuAnn Reinders, Iowa Tourism Office

Good food and great antiques in Mt. Vernon, Iowa

Mt. Vernon is a cultural and historic gem just east of Cedar Rapids. I spent a Saturday there in June, and the downtown area is a delightful mix of art studios, antiques shops, an organic food store, bars and restaurants. The town offers not one but three registered national historic districts: the downtown business area, a neighborhood of Victorian homes, and the entire campus of Cornell College.

It’s a thriving community that entices visitors with frequent festivals and events. Recent events have included a “Chalk the Walk” festival and a chocolate stroll. Next up is the annual 4th of July Antiques Extravaganza (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.) featuring the Lincoln Highway Antiques Show and nine local antiques shops.

Polly Ann's Antiques

 I can vouch for two of the antiques shops. Alice’s Wonderland offers great vintage finds as well as unique jewelry-making and scrapbooking supplies – not to mention several friendly cats. Down the street is Polly Ann’s Antiques, a shop filled with one adorable room after another. I could have spent hours in Polly Ann’s. I especially loved the frilly, Victorian-styled bedrooms, the bright vintage kitchen, and the many other themed rooms filled with fun, one-of-a-kind finds.

Mt. Vernon has several unique restaurants, but I recommend the Lincoln Café. The restaurant boasts “honest food” with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients. When I got there at about 1 p.m. every table was full. I nabbed the lone stool at the counter and ordered a salad made with pears, walnuts, and Maytag blue cheese tossed with fresh greens and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It could not have been more perfect. The walnuts were toasted to perfection, and each ingredient came in just the right amount. Everything tasted so fresh…when I was finished, I wanted to lick the plate.

I also ordered dessert, described by the waitress as “sea-salt pecan brownies with buttermilk ice cream, chocolate sauce, and toasted macadamia nuts.” Who could resist such a thing? The fudgy brownies were cut into tiny bite-sized pieces and covered with homemade ice cream. It was so rich that I couldn’t finish it all.

After lunch, I definitely needed a walk, so I spent some time on the campus of Cornell College. Set on a wooded, 129-acre hilltop, it’s a lovely place to stroll. Cornell was the first college campus to be listed entirely on the National Register of Historic Places. Its student population is small – about 1200 – and the college is known for its “one course at a time” approach. The school was founded in 1853, and many of the buildings are from that era.

Brightly painted Victorians and other well-loved historic homes with large trees and flower gardens fill the residential neighborhoods surrounding the campus and downtown area. It’s worth an hour just to drive – or walk – through the neighborhoods.

There’s more to see in Mt. Vernon and neighboring Lisbon, including a museum in each town, parks, art galleries, and specialty shops. Just west of Mt. Vernon is Palisades-Kepler State Park, which offers a stone lodge built in the 1930s, camping, cabins, trails, fishing, and picnic areas. And right next to the park entrance, don’t miss the barn painted with a reproduction of American Gothic (and other scenes). Painted by local artist Mark Benesh, it’s really quite impressive.

Carole Gieseke, Iowa Girl on the Go

Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market

The Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market shouldn’t be written off as somewhere to only buy produce or just a place for locals. Market visitors can indulge in a wide selection of handmade and homegrown items fresh from the Iowa farms while they enjoy music plus the sights and sounds of one of the greatest farmers markets in the country.

For the last ten years I’ve been one of the thousands of regular visitors who stroll around the Historic Court Avenue District munching on delicious pastries and other prepared onsite goodies as I peruse the endless stock of fresh produce, flowers, plants, eggs, Iowa wines, cheeses, meats, baked goods, crafts…I could keep going, but I’ll let you be surprised on your visit.

The market is over 11 blocks and set up laid out like a giant # mark so wear your walking shoes. And you’ll want to visit every corner because no two vendors are alike. A variety of entertainers are set-up around the market to enjoy as well. When you need a rest there are plenty of benches and tables set-up, but they go fast. You can also pop in to one of the local restaurants for breakfast or lunch and enjoy a little people watching while you dine. Plenty of restaurants in the district offer patio seating which is perfect on a warm summer morning.

The market is open from 7 am to Noon every Saturday, rain or shine, from May to October. Get there early if you want to indulge in one of their famous breakfast burritos or breakfast pizza and be prepared for a line, but don’t worry, it moves pretty fast. The Downtown Des Moines Farmers Market is the perfect place to get together with friends, relax and enjoy summer in the city.


Colleen Murphy, Iowa Tourism Office

Wine, beer and spirits of the Amana Colonies

Iowa’s oldest distillery, Iowa’s oldest bonded winery, Iowa’s oldest brewery and a couple of Iowa’s new-style wineries have joined together for one tasty tour of locally made alcoholic beverages and food pairings.
 
The Amana Colonies Convention and Visitors Bureau will be offering this brand new culinary excursion starting this month. They do the driving, you simply sit back and enjoy the lush river valley scenery. Between stops your tour guide will share interesting Amana history and provide background about Iowa’s craft beverages industry. (Did you know that to maximize land usage barns are centrally located in the Amana villages instead of being spread throughout the countryside?)

The Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery near Swisher is a family-owned business featuring estate-grown wines and ClearHEART^® vodka, gin, and rum, along with brandy and whiskey. The tour starts in the processing room and ends in the spacious tasting room. You’ll be able to sample up to three spirits or five wines (they’ll be delighted to explain the combinations). They will also provide a sample from their menu to accompany your tastings.




Wines at Ackerman Winery.

 The tour returns to Amana and Ackerman Winery, Iowa’s oldest bonded winery which has been family owned for 55 years. The self-guided tour offers oversized windows to watch the wine processing first hand. You’ll get a chance to sample traditional Amana fruit wines such as raspberry, apple, rhubarb and more. Learn about their famous Dandelion Wine, produced from plants gathered by the children of the village for $5 gallon. Cheese and crackers are paired with their wines.




Malt at Millstream Brewing.

 Down the street and is Iowa’s oldest brewery, Millstream Brewing Company, in operation for more than 25 years. You’ve probably seen the label in your grocer’s beer coolers, as Millstream distributes throughout Iowa and is beginning to get into some neighboring states. After an explanation of the malts and grains that are the foundation of the beer’s flavor, you might even get to chew on a grain of chocolate malt, a very distinctive taste on the palate. The main floor showcases their bottling operation and hand labeling process. Then it’s down to the basement to see the coolers and huge tanks filled with the brews. Sampling is great fun with tiny beer mugs to toss down the samples and pretzels providing some salty crunch.

White Cross Cellars

Within walking distance is White Cross Cellars, Amana’s newest wine experience. It features European and California-style wines as well as Midwestern varietals. Samples of Amana brats are paired with the wine. White Cross Cellars’ specialty is food pairings, and they have joined with Ox Yoke Restaurant for special five-course dinners of White Cross Cellars wines with menu items such as chilled cucumber and avocado soup, crab cake on mixed greens, garlic-mustard-grill beef skewers with rice pilaf, lemon cheesecake. Definitely a culinary breakaway from the Ox Yoke’s traditional German style meal!


Less than 10 miles away is Fireside Winey near Marengo, a relatively new winery featuring many wines made  with 100% Iowa grapes. Take time to let them guide you through the samples and stories of each wine. Foods may include apple slices, fresh bread and a warm cheese dipping sauce.


For information regarding costs, times, dates and reservations contact:


Amana Colonies Convention & Visitors Bureau
622 46th Ave
Amana, IA 52203
800.579.2294 or 319.622.7622
info@amanacolonies.com

LuAnn Reinders, Iowa Tourism Office