Goose bumps and chills in Villisca

I left the murder scene haunted. The days following my visit, images of the bedrooms, the covered mirrors, the attic and the gravesites kept surfacing in my mind. My perception of the mass murder vaulted from an Iowa legend to the grotesque reality of eight innocent victims that were bashed and slaughtered by an axe during the night, and according to some, left behind paranormal activity.

The scene is the quiet little town of Villisca in the southwest corner of Iowa. The story has been featured on at least two television shows Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel) and Ghost Lab (Discovery Channel). It was because of these shows that my daughter, home on college spring break, wanted to experience The Villisca Ax Murder House first hand. I was game for a daytime visit – only daytime. That is how our adventure began.

But a bit of history first. Nearly one hundred years ago, June 10, 1912, the Josiah & Sarah Moore family, along with two neighbor girls were killed by an ax murderer during the night. The evening prior, while the family and neighbor children attended church activities, young Katherine Moore invited her friends Ina and Lena to spend the night. The next morning Mary Peckham a neighbor, noticed that the curtains were drawn and there was no activity at the house. She found the house locked so she contacted Josiah Moore’s brother. He was able to enter the home and discovered the massacre. Word spread quickly through the town and, before officials could secure the crime scene, dozens of town folks had walked through the house contaminating any clues to solve the crime. The mystery is still unsolved, though many speculations remain.

During the guided tour we drove past the victim’s church, where they had spent the evening prior to the murders, then to the cemetery and visited the grave sites. Our docent, Kristi Peamer, led us to the Stillinger’s first, where Ina (8) and Lena (11) were put to rest. Their mother Edith, pregnant at the time of their murders, was so overcome by grief she lost her pregnancy, a baby boy, a few weeks later; he is buried beside his sisters. Just a few steps away, the Moore family was buried. Laying there were Josiah (43) and Sarah Moore (39), and their four children, Katherine (10), Herman (11), Boyd (7) and Paul (5).

Back at the house, our tour guide, John Houser, was waiting and ready to share stories about the murder and subsequent paranormal activity. Emotionally, I was doing okay, still fairly skeptical when he starting sharing stories in the third person, stories about other people’s experiences in the house. But when he started sharing his own experiences in the house, the voices he has heard and seeing doors that had been slammed shut , John’s first hand stories gave me the goose bumps and triggered the chills down my spine.


Pausing on his stories, John encouraged us to explore the house on our own. Walking through the rooms was a time warp back to 1912. The mirrors were covered and the kerosene lamp chimneys were missing, just how they were found after the murders. While the bodies were long gone, the blood stains scoured clean and gouges from the axe handle hitting the ceiling were covered, I felt like I was back in time, like a family member could walk in at anytime, almost. Thankfully, the other tourists dressed in modern attire kept me tethered to 2012. I don’t think you’ll see me wandering through the house all by myself even in broad daylight.

The curators placed framed documentation about the victims in each room, which causes one to stop and reflect. This is real, very real. Eight people died here, may they rest in peace.


If you believe in the paranormal or not, a visit to The Villisca Axe Murder House is one you will remember and will probably haunt you for days to come. It did me.
 
LuAnn Reinders, Iowa Tourism Office

Alfresco RV Adventure: A Fresh Look at Des Moines

Though the NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Tournament has Iowa hitting headlines as of late, you don’t have to be a sports fan to appreciate this Midwest state’s winning character. Many travelers elect to head to the capital city for its liberal outdoor offerings, from estate gardens and wineries to campgrounds and arboretums. So if you're looking for a fresh place to give your family a bit of alfresco adventure, consider Des Moines. Here are some of the hot spots that help this cool city -- which sits at the heart of the state where Interstates 80 and 35 intersect -- win the vote for one of the country's best RV vacation destinations.

Camping: RV parks and campgrounds are well represented throughout the Des Moines area, so choosing your favorite shouldn't be difficult. The wooded sites at Polk County Conservation's Yellow Banks Park, overlooking the Des Moines River from a high bluff, are top contenders if you want a rural feeling close to the city. For those in need of some family fun, Adventureland Amusement Park (just outside the capital in Altoona) also provides full-service hookups, recreational areas, and swimming seasonally.


Photo courtesy of the Greater Des Moines
Convention and Visitors Bureau.


Arts: Held on the State Capitol steps since 1947, Music Under the Stars has been instrumental in bringing classical, jazz, and chamber music to the masses. Or raise the tempo on Friday nights with hot local bands at Rendezvous on Riverview. Both series are free, family-friendly, and fabulous.

A couple miles west of the Capitol on Grand Avenue, you'll find the John & Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, filled with contemporary works by some of the world's most revered artists. This 4.4-acre urban green space is an ideal space to stretch your legs after a long drive.

Nature: You won't find elephants or donkeys at the Blank Park Zoo, but you will find nearly 104 other types of animals, including red pandas, snow leopards, Magellan penguins, and hissing cockroaches. In the warmer months, you'll also discover plenty of demonstrations and even have the chance to ride a camel and feed the giraffes.

Prefer flora to fauna? Head to the Des Moines Botanical & Environmental Center to dig into 15,000 exotic plants, an interactive display greenhouse, a tropical conservatory, and formal outdoor gardens.

Sports: The nearby city of Indianola hosts the annual National Balloon Classic at the end of each July. This colorful festival is filled with rides, competitions, and plenty of high-flying entertainment.

Looking to go a bit faster than the wind can carry you? Step on the gas and head east on I-80 to Newton, home to the Rusty Wallace-designed Iowa Speedway. (You can also witness live horse racing just outside the capital at Prairie Meadows Racetrack.)

Food: Eating well can be just the ticket to a fulfilling getaway, so be sure to stop into the Downtown Farmers Market, which has a generous platform of fresh fruit, veggies, herbs, flowers, meats, and cheeses from local purveyors. (Ostrich, anyone?)

Then drink in the lush hills and rich flavors of St. Charles, situated slightly south of Des Moines, on the patio at the Madison County Winery and Twisted Vine Brewery.

Joe Laing, El Monte RV Rentals

(Joe is the marketing director for El Monte RV Rentals. You can see more RV vacation ideas in their Monty's Musings RV Travel Blog and check out RV Camping Pictures.)

Feeling lucky? Enter Dinner and Drafts Contest Today

In the last year I have learned a lot about beer. If you think all beer tastes the same, think again. Iowa’s craft beer industry is growing quickly. There are currently 25 breweries serving up a wide variety of lagers and ales. The passionate brewmasters enjoy teaching consumers about the art of beer. They make you excited to try something new, and make you proud of your flavor of choice.

If you haven’t tapped (pun intended) into the craft beer industry yet, the Dinner and Drafts contest could help you try something new for free! In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the Iowa Wine and Beer Promotion Board is giving away a $50 gift card to the Iowa Craft Brewery of your choice. To help you find the breweries, they are are also giving away an iPad2. You can use the Iowa Wine and Beer app for turn by turn directions to Iowa’s breweries (and wineries). And, because everyone needs a bite to eat, the prize package also includes a $50 gift card to the Dine Iowa restaurant of your choice.

Enter by visiting http://www.traveliowa.com/. The winner will be announced on March 17 at 3:17 pm (CST) on www.facebook.com/IAWineandBeer. Will the luck of the Irish be with you?

Colleen Murphy, Iowa Tourism Office