Midwest Adventures: Lost Mansions Remembered At Cuneo Museum
Escape To The Countryside
Relax In Comfort With Trip To Nearby Silo & Smokestakes, Iowa
The sun sets behind the midway at the 2009 Iowa State Fair. (Photo courtesy of Iowa State Fair)
By TIA BARKLEY Special To The Journal & Topics Newspapers
Escape from the noise, traffic and the crowds of people to a place where enjoying a good glass of wine goes hand in hand with watching a sunset. Rolling hills combine with a slower pace of life, resulting in a once in a lifetime experience.
Thinking California vineyards or Vermont countryside? Luckily, this getaway is much closer. Located in the northeast corner of Iowa, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area is just a short drive away; and best of all visitors can experience the region without "breaking the bank." According to AAA, a family of four can expect to pay $202 per day for lodging and meals when traveling in Iowa, giving it the distinction of being a "bargain destination" for travelers.
Receiving designation from Congress in 1996, Silos & Smokestacks is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas throughout the United States. Affiliates of the National Park Service, each heritage area preserves and tells part of the American story, with Silos & Smokestacks the only heritage area completely dedicated to telling the story of American agriculture.
Silos & Smokestacks tells this story through partnerships with 104 different sites and attractions throughout 37 counties in Northeast Iowa. Each partner site tells its own unique portion of the story; Heartland Acres Agribition Center, Independence, focuses on the connection between the past, present and future of agriculture while Seed Savers Exchange, Decorah, showcases the rare seeds that once filled Iowa's prairies.
Visitors to the Heritage Area can find themselves with a wide array of opportunities to explore. Whether it be immersing themselves in the largest collection of works by Grant Wood at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art or digging for fossils at Fossil & Prairie Park Preserve and Center, Rockford, the Heritage Area offers an experience for everyone.
While Iowa is known for corn production, it has has seen a rapid increase in vineyards. Combining European architecture and Iowa family values, Park Farm Winery, Bankston, is a chateau style winery conceptualized, built, owned and operated by the Cushman family. Hidden in the hills west of Dubuque, a large back deck allows visitors to view the valley while enjoying locally grown wine.
Visitors wanting a more hands on experience can visit one of the numerous farms throughout Silos & Smokestacks. At Hansen's Farm Fresh Dairy, Hudson, visitors are encouraged to get dirty while milking a cow, feeding a calf or making butter from cream.
Going even deeper into Iowa's heritage, Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch, Fredericksburg, offers visitors the chance to interact with the herd of buffalo roaming the 500-acre working ranch. Visitors to the 150- year-old family farm are able to feed the buffalo while learning about the large animals' heritage.
Just a couple of minutes from Hawkeye Buffalo Ranch, Farm House Bed & Breakfast, Fredericksburg, offers visitors a genuine farm experience. Visitors are encouraged to do as much or as little as they please. Children can help do farm chores like feeding a calf or gathering eggs. Along with viewing the farm's vineyard, visitors have access to the five-mile nature trail and nearby fishing pond. Relaxing on the wraparound porch, visitors can enjoy the country atmosphere after experiencing a day on the farm.
Vacationing in the Heritage Area also offers visitors numerous cultural opportunities, including a large variety of museums. Waterloo Center for the Arts houses a permanent collection of Midwest art, as well as the largest collection of Haitian artwork in the United States. At Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum, Burr Oak, visitors can explore the only childhood home remaining on its original site of the internationally known author of the "Little House" books.
Families can experience the "Mighty Mississippi," at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Dubuque. Looking at the past, present and future of the Mississippi River, the museum includes living history demonstrations that literally bring history to life. One of the features of the museum is the Barge Theatre, an immersive theatre experience following Midwestern corn as it's harvested, transported to the Mississippi River then shipped around the world.
Further down the river, the Family Museum, Davenport, focuses entirely on educating children 12 and younger on the significance of the arts and science. Families with young children can enjoy the "Amazing Acres" exhibit, teaching children the importance of agriculture, food production and the impact of weather on growing crops.
Visitors during the summer months can always find a festival or event to attend. Considered one of America's premier ethnic festivals, Nordic Fest, Decorah, celebrates the Norwegian culture that has been passed down through generations including Scandinavian food, music and traditional crafts. Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum hosts a variety of activities during the festival, such as the Viking encampment. This year's festival will take place July 24-25 and has no admission fee, making it a great event for families.
Northeast Iowa is the ideal destination for families, couples or groups of friends seeking an escape from the everyday stress to a place where simplicity brings joy. Relaxing and enjoying time with loved ones does not have to mean spending time and money on trips across the country; it can mean a long weekend learning where your food is grown and relaxing with a good glass of wine. For more information about Silos & Smokestacks, visit www.silosandsmokestacks.org or call 319-234-4567.