I’m on the lookout for fun playgrounds for our 18-month-old grandson Linus, when he comes to visit Des Moines from Chicago, and I don’t have to look far. We rode our bikes on a gorgeous Easter Sunday along the Neal Smith trail to the new Riverview Playground and Riviera Amphitheater on the northeast side, just north of North High School.
Full of kids having a great time music-playing, climbing, swinging and jumping in an imaginative playground fashioned to resemble an old amusement park — which I believe this long-abandoned area once was. There’s also a very cool new amphitheater with a retro vibe overlooking the river and some ponds where a few people were fishing. Can’t wait to take Linus there!
We have never had much luck finding a good bike trail in Iowa City — especially compared to the many well-laid out trails in Des Moines. But maybe this story will help. (I’m not a huge fan of “sponsored content” stories in the Register but this one may be worth a read.)
Iowa City offers a wide variety of urban and rural bike adventures
Michelle Martin, for Think Iowa City
Biking has grown in popularity over the past year, and that’s expected to continue as the weather warms up this spring. But finding the right cycling route — whether it’s a leisurely countryside trek or a thrilling gravel ride –– can be challenging. Iowa City, however, is a cyclist’s paradise.
Whether it’s in the city or country, on paved or bumpy roads, or along flat or hilly paths, Iowa City has excursions for every biking enthusiast. At BikeIowaCity.com, riders can find maps, points of interest and special alerts for their biking adventures. Cyclists can even easily locate brewery and winery stops along the way of their planned ride!
“The Iowa City area is the perfect destination for cyclists of all styles,” said Jennifer Horn-Frasier, Iowa City resident and cycling enthusiast. “The community is designated as Bike Friendly, and that’s reflected in the hotel and restaurant amenities. Iowa City and Coralville have so much diversity in the biking options available. From mountain biking along the river to cyclocross in the woods to gravel grinding across the country roads to paved routes with conveniently placed taverns, this area really is the hidden gem for cycling destinations.”
In addition to customized excursions, the city will host the granGABLE powered by Scheels cycling event on May 1 in honor of legendary wrestler and coach Dan Gable. Cyclists can choose from the 60-mile gravel grinder, 60-mile road ride, or challenge themselves in the honor of Gable and ride the full 100-mile fondo.
Looking to ride your own adventure in Iowa City? Here are some biking excursions for people of every experience level.
Road Ride and Paved Trail Adventures
Whether it’s a short 10-mile ride along city streets or a 66-mile excursion through Amish communities, Bike Iowa City has identified road and paved trail adventures for beginner, immediate and advanced riders.
The 10-mile Lake and Fields excursion takes beginner bicyclists on streets and paved trails to ride around the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area and a soccer park –– and even makes a recommendation for a taproom stop on the way back. Meanwhile, the Peaceful Roll, also geared toward beginners, is an easy 14-mile spin over gently rolling hills and includes a recommended stop at one of the eateries in downtown Solon.
Intermediate riders will enjoy the 23-mile To the Bridge excursion, which takes them over the historic Sutliff Bridge and provides picturesque views of the Cedar River. Buggy Traffic Jam, also for intermediate riders, offers a 30-mile trek through the local Amish community.
And while Bike Iowa City’s 27-mile The Wall might not sound too taxing for advanced riders, it has 1,305 feet of climbing. For an even higher climb — and to boldly go where no man has gone before — the Everything from Buggies to Starships, a 66-mile, 1,921-foot climb, goes through the Amish communities and past the Star Trek Museum in Riverside.
Gravel Bike Adventures
The 25-mile beginner excursion Pancakes, Anyone? is named for its flat-like-a-pancake roads –– but it also offers three miles of minimally maintained dirt roads that are a lot of fun in good weather (use caution when riding in wet, muddy conditions). Another great beginner gravel excursion is the Octagonal Barn Loop, 25 miles of riding through farm communities –– including riding past the 1883 Secrest Octagonal Barn, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. About 18 miles into the ride, you’ll come to a 1-mile stretch of gravel road.
Intermediate riders will enjoy Westward Ho!, 53 miles and 2,506 feet of climbing through western Johnson County and along the edge of Kent State Park. And Let’s Go to the River, a 47-mile and 2,060-foot climb that begins and ends in downtown Solon, offers plenty of options for after-biking refreshments.
For advanced riders, the Gritty –– 105 miles and 2,430 feet of climbing –– takes riders from the Johnson County Fairgrounds into Riverside, the future home of Star Trek’s Captain James T. Kirk. It continues through Amish farms and into the town of Tiffin before ending with a relaxing descent home. And although October is when gravel riders test themselves with the Iowa City Gravel Event, advanced riders can do it any time along the Iowa City Gravel Imperial Century excursion. The ride goes from River Junction across the Sutliff Bridge, past the Secrest Octagonal Barn and past a few small, but highly recommended, watering holes.
Off-road Adventures
A short six miles, the Woodpecker Single Track is ideal for beginners and intermediate riders. It starts at the Tom Harken Trailhead and travels through a wooded area along Clear Creek in Coralville. (It’s also popular with beginner and intermediate fat tire bike riders.) There are a lot of wooden bridges, sandy soil and families of deer along the way –– and in winter, local riders often enjoy a stop to go snowshoeing.
Another great off-road excursion is Sugar Bottom, appropriate for all experience levels. The Sugar Bottom Recreation Area offers 12 miles and 1,400 feet of climbing along hand-built trails. Camping is also available in the recreation area.
Cyclocross and Fat Bike Adventures
Cyclocross riders of all levels will enjoy Coralville Creekside Cross, a 2.6-mile single track course in the featuring scenic views, wooden bridges and flow features. The path is open July 1 through winter, and again when the spring thaw begins.
And for cyclocross enthusiasts, the Jingle Cross Cyclocross Festival –– scheduled Oct. 15-17, 2021 –– is a must-experience event as it is once again a stop on the UCI World Cup circuit, bringing the best in the world to the Midwest. More information is available at jinglecross.com.
Those who are new to fat bike riding will enjoy visiting the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area at the site of the annual I AM FAT Fat Bike Enduro. The recreation area offers three miles of trails and 12 feet of climbing.
“When visiting cyclists leave Iowa City, they are already planning their next trip back to see what else they can try,” said Nick Pfeiffer, vice president of marketing at Think Iowa City, the local visitors information center. “That’s the beauty of the area. It constantly reinvents itself.”
For over a year (a pandemic year), we grandparents here in Des Moines have been searching for mid-way meeting spots to rendezvous with our 18-month-old Chicago grandson and his parents. Until this week, Iowans were on Chicago’s quarantine list, discouraging visits there. And last I heard, our grandson’s child care center still requires him to NOT attend for two weeks after stepping foot into Iowa. Hence the search, in particular, for meeting spots on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. I had high hopes for the John Deere Pavilion and Tractor & Engine Museum in Moline (Illinois) which has cool combines, tractors and other heavy farm equipment laid out (presumably safely) for kids to explore. But it is still closed. It’s part of the four-building John Deere headquarters. which I’ve long wanted to see for reasons that would not excite a toddler — its architecture (designed in 1964 by Eero Saarinen) and stunning art collection. At one point, I was desperate enough to consider the Quad Cities Airport (also in Moline) as an indoors meeting place during the bitter cold winter . This PR list below offers a few other options although most are in Iowa — which still may be an issue for us. It does mention that the John Deere “family mansions” are open but again, not so much fun for a toddler.
#1. If you have littles, the Family Museum is a great place to explore. Besides interactive exhibits, their newest addition is the Luckey Climber. It’s the first in Iowa, and the Quad Cities. The Luckey Climber reaches two stories high. The custom-designed vertical maze of climbing platforms is both a jungle gym and work of art. The vertical maze is enclosed inside a seamless netting made from handwoven vinyl-coated, steel cable. In addition to the fun of climbing, kids have a great destination once they reach the second floor — The Imagination Studio consisting of the Think Shop along with art and clay studios welcome the climbers. For more information, contact 563-344-4106 or www.familymuseum.org
#2.John Deere is an important part of the Quad Cities legacy and economy, and the Deere-family mansions are a popular stop for visitors. Spend some time in the afternoon on a free tour of the Deere-Wiman and Butterworth Center homes—the first being built in 1872 and the latter in 1892. A special feature of Butterworth Center is the library, built in 1917. The room was designed to hold an 18th century Italian ceiling painting originally found in Venice, Italy. Believed to have been painted by Gaspare Diziani, the painting is one of only six known Venetian ceiling paintings existing in the U.S. today. Tours include both homes and begin at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Preregistration is required on the website at www.butterworthcenter.com or by calling 309-743-2700.
#3. Live Action Games will keep your throwing arm in good shape as you try to hit the bullseye with an axe. Sounds easy enough right? Not really. This adventure is for ages 10 and up. The challenges do not end there. You’re trapped and surrounded by enemies. The clock is ticking on your survival. Can you keep your calm and find your way out? Put your skills against the clock at the Live Action Games’ escape rooms. They have a variety of breakout games for you to try and conquer. Make reservations online at www.lagqc.com or 563-594-1952.
#4. The Quad Cities is known for its many local flavors and ice cream is certainly one of them. Indulge in a culinary ice cream adventure and dip into places like Whitey’s Ice Cream, Here’s the Scoop, Country Style, Lagomarcino’s, and Carnevale Gelato. Find more information at visitquadcities.com.
#5.For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design is a new, world-renowned exhibit at the Figge Art Museum. For America features over 90 works made between 1810 and 2010 by some of the greatest American artists, drawn from the collections of the National Academy of Design in New York. For America presents a unique history of American art and the country as seen through the lens of artists. You can visit in person and purchase tickets in advance or take a virtual 3D tour on www.figgeartmuseum.org. Plan for their March Free Family Day on March 13 featuring an introduction to the For America exhibit. A free registration grants your family 2-weeks of access to a virtual line-up, which means you can choose your day to play.
#6. Explore the role of toys and play in society through Play: The story of Toys at the Putnam Museum, one of three exhibits currently in place at the museum. For all ages, Play takes a look at toys that are educational, creative, and meant for the outdoors. Visitors will be able to reminisce about favorite toy fads and dangerous toys they may have had growing up as well as view new inclusive and technological toys. Faces of the Past explores portraitures around the world and across time. Visitors can expect to see faces representing 20 countries and 35 cultures. Birds and You examines the role we all can play in protecting and preserving the birds we see every day in our backyards and fields. Visitors can expect to see a variety of taxidermy mounts, eggs, and nests from the Putnam’s collection while learning about the issues facing birds today and the simple things they can do to help. For more information, contact 563-324-1933 or www.putnam.org
#7. You can plan a photo scavenger hunt contest with others or do one on your own. How it works: use your phones to take pictures as guided by a list. Upload photos to a Google photos album shared among the others participating. Do a screen share on a Zoom call and look though the photos together while sharing stories. Here’s an example of a QC family scavenger hunt. Or go searching for public art murals in the Quad Cities. It’s a chance to explore and see the murals in the QC up close. It’s fun whether you are a Quad Citizen exploring your own backyard, or you can make it a family event when visiting the QC. Here’s a list of murals in the QC
#8. Try a slice or two of Quad Cities’ style of pizza. There are several hallmarks of “Quad Cities-style” including the hand-tossed malt crust, crumbly sausage with fennel, toppings hiding under the deliciously, gooey layer of mozzarella cheese, and scissor-cut into strips. Locals have their favorite QC-style pizza places whether at the long-time establishments like Harris, Frank’s, Clint’s, Gunchie’s, or newer ones such as Benny’s or Quad City Pizza Co. You can tell we’re into pizza here because over 40 years ago, Happy Joe’s founder Joe Whitty invented the taco pizza here. Yes, it’s just like it sounds with sauce, spiced up meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and crushed taco chips on top.
#9. Immerse yourself in Native American history. Listed as one of the 7 Wonders of Illinois, Black Hawk State Historic Site takes you back through history beginning with the Sauk and Meskwaki Native American Indians and the warrior Black Hawk to woodland trails and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Explore the museum, lodge, amazing history of this site, and miles of wooded hiking trails. For more information, visit www.blackhawkpark.org.
#10. Take in the heat and humidity at the Quad City Botanical Center and explore the tropical plants and trees, feed the Koi fish, enjoy the waterfall and venture outdoors to see the conifer gardens. You can check out their website to see what’s blooming at www.qcgardens.com.
#11. Get outdoors and stroll or bike the trails along the Mississippi River, pull out the Mountain Bike and take a challenging ride on trails at Sylvan Slough and Sunderbruch Park. Green space is abundant in the Quad Cities and Scott County Park, Loud Thunder Forest Preserve, Illinwek Park, and Wildcat Den State Park offer trails to hike and get back in touch with nature through forests, hilly terrain, rocky outcroppings, and amazing views. Start exploring at visitquadcities.com.
I’d heard the Judith Schaechter stained glass art was unlike any stained glass most of us have ever seen but seeing is believing – and marveling at the intricate detail and provocative images in her stained glass artwork, now on display at the Des Moines Art Center. Perfect escape from the isolation of a pandemic + polar freeze. We visited on Sunday (temp: – 8) after booking an appointment online and found the space easy to navigate while 6 feet from other viewers, all wearing masks. Highly recommend visiting.
It’s been about 25 years since I last visited “the Grotto” — a folk art masterpiece (if you choose to look at it that way) in the small northern Iowa town of West Bend.
And it was warm during that long ago visit.
Close up
This time it was winter cold but with stunning blue sky and sharp sunlight so the bazillions of precious stones and crystals and gold leaf mosaics embedded into mounds of sharp rocks to form a strange compound with little caves containing Jesus stuff dazzled even more. The grotto was painstakingly constructed for religious purposes by a priest decades ago. The paths were almost cleared of snow but the ice left behind was treacherous so tred carefully.
We spent a cozy three day holiday weekend in a yellow cottage overlooking frozen West Okoboji Lake, staying with friends. It was cold and snowy, glorious when the sun came out and the sky was blue. Fishing huts on the ice, a patch of snow cleared from the frozen lake for red-cheeked kids to skate, geese alighting, deer in the woods and the occasional cross country skier, snow shoer and ski-doo.
Near gull point state park, okobojiThe Fish House
I’ve been to okoboji (part of the Iowa Great Lakes, a resort since the 1800s for visitors from Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota) in the summer, when it’s packed with partying boaters and swimmers, crowded bars and beaches and amusement rides. But never when it was so cold and quiet.
My friend grew up here so she took me on a great driving tour through various beachside neighborhoods. We only went in one place, the very cool Fish House near Arnold’s park, a rustic shack on a floating barge (that in the summer sets off into the lake.) it was full of families in winter gear, some taking a break from ice skating, eating popcorn and drinking. Some fishing poles rested beside a rectangular fishing hole in the lake’s ice, with murky green water, in the middle of the shack near a wood burning stove. No masks worn except by us, despite a sign requiring them. Oh well.
Ice fishing and ice skating outside the Fish House
Some highlights:
Gulf Point State Park (near our friend’s place) with a cool CCC stone lodge
Abbie Gardner Memorial and cabin; Pillsbury Point, O’Farrell Sisters (old cafe) near the Fish House; Omaha Beach, Pikes Point, bar near Pioneer Beach Resort on east okoboji Lake; hike at Kettleson Hogsback near Big Spirit Lake, consignment store in Spirit Lake.
We counted eight bald eagles at Gray’s Lake on a spectacular day with blue sky and sun beaming down on the water and deep snow. Sometimes winter isn’t all bad in Iowa. This photo, some avid eagle photographers told us, is of an “immature” bald eagle, without the white head. Word has it, it takes five years to get the white. And pssst…the eagles weren’t in their usual spot. They’re a little north of the north entrance to the park in bend in the river heading toward MLK.
Easy drive home from Burwell, Nebraska with a few stops, starting with Fort Hartsuff, an 1880’s U.S. Army calvary outpost fort from 1974 to 1881 on the edge of town. It’s a well-preserved state historical park on the edge of the windswept Sandhills but several buildings were closed due to Covid-19 precautions. Further east in Omaha, we found even more happening in the Blackstone District since we were last there in 2018 including a new attractive food hall, The Switch Beer & Food Hall, (a clean, ultra-modern space on bottom floor of a clean, ultra-modern new high-rise) which has several good dining options (complete with outdoor seating)! We opted for the well-reviewed Ansel’s Pastrami & Bagels where we had the famed pastrami sandwich (delicious but seemed more like brisket than pastrami) and bagel with dill cream cheese and lox. Bagels are good – heavier and chewier than I’m used to but that’s fine. Next time, I’ll try the Vietnamese Street Food option. Over the Iowa line in Council Bluffs, we stopped for some Jonathan apples at Dittmar’s Orchards, which was full of families picking apples and pumpkins. (We were the only ones wearing masks…)
Lovely ride on a crisp fall day on the Des Moines trails from Beaverdale south along the River, through the East Village, past Principal Park. along the now-finished Carl Voss trail to Easter Lake for a picnic and loop ride along the lake. Pretty surprise when we returned to downtown Des Moines and rode through the World Food Prize Headquarters — marvelous mums and overflowing planters, plus other pretty garden bits and bobs.
We’ve cycled along the Des Moines River Trail from downtown at Mullets southeast to the Cownie Soccer fields but yesterday we discovered the trail has recently been extended about six more miles to Easter Lake and it’s a glorious ride that is surprisingly rural in parts (for a city trail). (Turns out this leg of the trail is named after an old friend and now city councilman Carl Voss!)
We passed a lush soybean field and rode through the woods along the river to Easter Park, which we’ve also spent little time at. The Park has a wonderful six-mile trail looping around it and through it with nice playgrounds, cool bridges (including a red covered bridge — shades of the Bridges of Madison County). We found a perfect picnic spot on one bring crossing the late — a stylish high-top circular table with two high-top metal seats, where we ate as a few canoeists paddle below us and some pimply teens goofed around and played Lynyrd Skynrd louder than we’d like but hey, it’s a public park.
Easy drive home from Burwell, Nebraska with a few stops, starting with Fort Hartsuff, an 1880’s U.S. Army calvary outpost fort from 1974 to 1881 on the edge of town. It’s a well-preserved state historical park on the edge of the windswept Sandhills but several buildings were closed due to Covid-19 precautions. Further east in Omaha, we found even more happening in the Blackstone District since we were last there in 2018 including a new attractive food hall, The Switch Beer & Food Hall, (a clean, ultra-modern space on bottom floor of a clean, ultra-modern new high-rise) which has several good dining options (complete with outdoor seating)! We opted for the well-reviewed Ansel’s Pastrami & Bagels where we had the famed pastrami sandwich (delicious but seemed more like brisket than pastrami) and bagel with dill cream cheese and lox. Bagels are good – heavier and chewier than I’m used to but that’s fine. Next time, I’ll try the Vietnamese Street Food option. Over the Iowa line in Council Bluffs, we stopped for some Jonathan apples at Dittmar’s Orchards, which was full of families picking apples and pumpkins. (We were the only ones wearing masks…)
We’ve cycled along the Des Moines River Trail from downtown at Mullets southeast to the Cownie Soccer fields but yesterday we discovered the trail has recently been extended about six more miles to Easter Lake and it’s a glorious ride that is surprisingly rural in parts (for a city trail). (Turns out this leg of the trail is named after an old friend and now city councilman Carl Voss!)
We passed a lush soybean field and rode through the woods along the river to Easter Park, which we’ve also spent little time at. The Park has a wonderful six-mile trail looping around it and through it with nice playgrounds, cool bridges (including a red covered bridge — shades of the Bridges of Madison County). We found a perfect picnic spot on one bring crossing the late — a stylish high-top circular table with two high-top metal seats, where we ate as a few canoeists paddle below us and some pimply teens goofed around and played Lynyrd Skynrd louder than we’d like but hey, it’s a public park.
TakeBetsywithyou 