A Little Slice Of Iowa To Whet Your Wistle
From Itineraries MidwestSpring Issue 2009
Best April thru December
DAY ONE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Check in at the Baymont Inn and Suites, offering exceptional service with a wide range of popular amenities. They will host a complimentary cookie & punch welcome upon arrival, as well as a bus sweep-out!
4 – 5:00 pm
Arrive at the African American Museum. Recently rebuilt after the devastating 2008 flood. See its new layout: the Education wing, the Nikee Gift Shop and view the exhibits; currently “All Roads Lead to Buxton”. Reservations for special times.
5 – 6:30 pm
With a vast array of restaurants to choose from, there’s surely something to please every palate, and dinner is just not complete without a ‘show’
6:30 – 9:00 pm
See a play at Theatre Cedar Rapids, a community theatre with a long and successful history dating back to 1929! As one of the larger community theatres in the country, its home is in an elegant 500-seat theatre in downtown Cedar Rapids. Pick from an enticing list of upcoming productions. Relax and enjoy the performance! (Due to 2008 flood – the Temporary Performance Location is: TCR Lindale, 4444 First Avenue NE)
DAY TWO
Amana Colonies 18 miles
9 – 9:45 am
Take the short drive to the Amana Colonies, an historic German Communal settlement filled with great food, great atmosphere and best yet, great people. An art lovers paradise; plan to spend the day exploring all there is to see and do. The seven historic villages of the Amana Colonies are one of Iowa’s most famous travel attractions. They preserve their crafts and culture while offering a variety of experiences. The arts community is thriving as local artisans and artists create baskets, candles, furniture, clocks, toys, iron, brass and copper goods, pottery, glass, jewelry, knives, brooms and quilts, along with paintings, prints and fine art work of every description.
9:45 – 11:45 am
Visit the Heritage Society for an unusual group tour of the Amana Colonies. Choose from a few unique history tours. All tours can be customized to your groups needs, interests and itinerary.
The Amana Colonies Barn Tour
Experience the unique history of agriculture through the architecture of barns. On this bus tour, the Heritage Society guide will take you to six to ten different communal barns. Visitors will not only learn about Amana’s communal agricultural history this way, but they will also see the largest modern continual farm in the state of Iowa and even have the opportunity to speak with the modern day farm manager.
11:45 – 1:00 pm
AJ’s Copper Garden Art Gallery. Amazing metal sculptures will bring out the smiles, as you stroll through a beautiful water garden and gallery filled with “one-of-a-kind” garden frogs, dragonflies and much more.
1 – 2:00 pm
Your group can experience lunch on their own at one of the local bakeries or eateries. So much delicious food, so little time!
2 – 3:30 pm
Pay a visit to the Ackerman Winery/ Heritage Wine and Cheese Haus. They have the distinct honor of being the oldest winery owned and operated by one family in the state of Iowa. Take a walk through tour of their cellar, and observe where the wines are produced, aged and bottled. Step up to the sample bar and choose from over 24 varieties of wines. The Heritage Wine and Cheese Haus offers a large variety of gourmet food items including cheeses, jellies, mustards, dressings, and more.
3:30 – 5:15 pm
Spend some time browsing around this unique town, and be sure to include visits to the Amana Woolen Mill, (Iowa’s only operating woolen mill), and see how famous Amana® wool and cotton blankets are made, and the Amana Furniture and Clock Shop. This original furniture shop features handcrafted solid walnut, oak and cherry furniture and clocks in traditional and custom designs.
5:15 – 7:00 pm
Tonight’s dinner will be at the Ronnenburg Restaurant. Serving authentic German food from their original communal kitchen. Be their guests and experience family-style dining, homemade soups and salads, and delicious desserts.
7 – 9:00 pm
Take in a performance by the Old Creamery Theatre Company, live professional theater at its finest! Comedies, musicals and more, your group will absolutely love this company and their spacious 300-seat theatre. They’ll even step on your tour bus and shake hands to say ‘hello’ before they bid you farewell!
9:00 pm
Return to the Baymont Inn & Suites for a restful nights sleep.
DAY THREE
Anamosa 30 miles
8 – 9:00 am
After a delicious breakfast, board the bus for the trip to Anamosa.
9 – 10:30 am
You enjoyed yourselves so much yesterday that they have you headed for prison! Just Kidding! Actually you are indeed headed to prison – but just to tour the magnificent architecture of the Anamosa State Penitentiary. Now 130+ years old, it was built almost entirely by the prisoners within its walls, this Romanesque Revival style building has been a tourist attraction from the very beginning. Known as the “White Palace of the West” due to the architecture and color of the limestone. Tours are of the exterior only and include the Penitentiary Museum.
10:30 – 12:30 pm
On to lighter things like wine and food, your next stop in Anamosa is the Daly Creek Winery and Bistro. Enjoy wine samples and browse the extensive gift shop of this charming winery. And once you’ve worked up a little appetite, be seated indoors or out, and dine on Chef-prepared gourmet dishes of pasta, chicken, fish and Iowa corn-fed beef, as well as delicious appetizers and scrumptious desserts. Of course a glass of Daly Creek’s own wine will complement any menu item.
12:30 – 2:30 pm
Your eyes will be amazed as you cruise along Iowa’s Scenic Hwy 64, along rounded hills and colorful woodlands. A picture-perfect place with adventurous caves, canyon like cliffs and barges navigating the mightiest river of them all, the Mississippi, offering breathtaking views. Turn off Hwy 64 at Baldwin for a tour of the Tabor Home Vineyards and Winery; an award winning family owned estate winery.
2:30 – 3:00 pm
Maquoketa
As you get off the bus in Maquoketa, check into your rooms at the Maquoketa Comfort Inn or the Super 8, offering a place to freshen up, comfortable lodging, free continental breakfast and plenty of motorcoach parking.
3 – 4:00 pm
You’ll be delighted as you enter the old City Hall of 1901, now called the Old City Hall Gallery. Now housing a fine art gallery, showcasing original oil paintings by Rose Frantzen, drawings and paintings by her husband, Chuck Morris, photography by Wayne Frantzen, and pottery by Sylvia March. It is a winner of the Tourism and Arts Award, presented by the Travel Federation of Iowa and the Iowa Division of Tourism.
4 – 6:15 pm
Enjoy a tour of the Jackson County Historical and the newly refurbished Clinton Engines Museums. End the afternoon at the Hurtsville Interpretive Center, exploring natural resources, colorful wildflowers and butterflies. The 18-acre wetland provides wildlife viewing opportunities from the trails, bird blind and observation deck, and a perfect way to wind down the day.
6:15 – 10:00 pm
Enjoy dinner at the Decker Hotel, an elegant dining room in an historic hotel. This evenings performance is at the Ohnward Fine Arts Center. Check schedule for events in the Art Gallery, live performances, concerts, plays and even magic shows. You’ll see why Maquoketa is so excited about having this exceptional venue in their community.
DAY FOUR
Clinton 40 miles
8 – 9:00 am
Drive along scenic Hwy 61 to Hwy 136 to Clinton, where your group can enjoy a variety of tour possibilities. Stay overnight; enjoy dinner, theatre, or casino gaming at the new Wild Rose Casino & Resort. Or explore the history, nature, beauty and special events of this Mississippi River area.
9 – 10:30 am
Arrive at Lock and Dam 13 to view barges and boats locking through on the widest pool in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, see the impressive way the locks use gravity to raise or lower the water. Special group tours may be arranged by calling the park rangers.
10:30 – 12:00 pm
Visit the River Arts Center showcasing new exhibits hung every six weeks. The gift shop contains unique items on consignment, created by artists from the Clinton area and all over the United States.
12 – 2:00 pm
40 miles
Enjoy lunch at the George M. Curtis Mansion before catching the Great River Road heading north via US 67 and US 52 for a short stop in Bellevue.
2 – 4:00 pm
Bellevue
Bellevue, meaning “beautiful view”; a representative from Bellevue’s Chamber will step on to welcome you and introduce you to Bellevue’s spectacular views up and down the Mississippi River. Nestled between towering wooded bluffs and bordered by the mighty Mississippi, this town offers an assortment of venues to relax with nature, enjoy shopping and dining, and participate in festivities throughout the year. Let their experts be your guide.
4 – 4:45 pm
25 miles
Continue north to Dubuque along the Great River Road.
4:45 – 5:30 pm
Check into the Hampton Inn Dubuque. Relax a bit before dinner.
5:30 pm
Enjoy dinner at the beautiful historic Redstone Mansion or spend the evening with Dubuque River Rides on one of their fabulous boats. The SPIRIT of Dubuque is an authentic dual paddle wheeler with an open-air deck for optimum viewing. A unique cruise full of special events, including dining in a Victorian styled salon on a Prime Rib and Chicken dinner, while witnessing a “murder” in their Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre.
DAY FIVE
Dubuque
8 – 10:00 am
A must see is the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Six large aquariums, giant catfish, turtles, otters, ducks, frogs, reptiles and the history of America’s most famous river; the Mississippi. Interactive exhibits and living history demonstrations bring this exciting riverfront campus to life. Each visit is a truly interactive experience where visitors can get “up close and personal” with native river animals and become barge pilots. Tour the William M. Black steamboat and watch as a boat is launched into the Mississippi River.
10 – 2:00 pm
Tour the Exciting Port of Dubuque on board their vintage Trolleys. See historic downtown with its elegant Victorian architecture, Eagle Point Park’s spectacular views of the Mississippi. Also along this mighty river, tour the Stone Cliff Winery, located in historic Dubuque’s Star Brewery. Visitors are able to sample the wines and browse through the gift shop while enjoying these breathtaking views of the Mississippi. The winery hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including concerts in their outdoor amphitheatre.
2 – 4:00 pm
Dyersville 27 miles
Travel west a half hour, with a stop in Dyersville (the home of the movie “Field of Dreams”). Rich in history, its beauty can be seen in the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier. This Catholic Church has gothic architecture that will take your breath away as one of only 52 in the United States. Dyersville loves groups and will make your job really easy by not only ‘stepping on’ but also ‘stepping in’ and laying out their red carpet for you!
4 – 6:00 pm
Independence 42 miles
A little further west, call it a day in Independence, Iowa. Check into the cozy Country Inn & Suites and relax before dinner.
6:00 pm
Dinner tonight is at the Homestead Restaurant, built on the banks of Swan Lake, with both a front and a back porch, complete with a screen door! Enjoy a drink in the Cider House Lounge before indulging in a delicious dinner. Don’t miss the gift shop either – you’re sure to find a precious keepsake to take home.
DAY SIX
9:00 am
Spend the morning at Heartland Acres Agribition Center; an exhibition of agriculture’s past, present, and future in the National Heritage Area of Northeast Iowa. Sitting on over eighty acres of land, this premiere location teaches visitors the importance of agriculture and the overall impact it has on everyone. Equipped with a theatre and various interactive displays and exhibits, including animals, a machine shed and a one room school house.
Head west on US20 to Waterloo, Iowa for two fun-filled days.
To customize this sample itinerary for you group, please contact the tour operators or the advertisers directly.
