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The Iowan's 2009 Destination Trails

Guide to Recreational Trails and Attractions in Iowa

Destinations – East

To download a PDF of this special section CLICK HERE

Numbered trails and destinations are mapped HERE.

1 – Barons & Buttons Trail
Learn more about Iowa’s enduring pioneer spirit when you follow Muscatine County’s Barons & Buttons Trail. First, be sure to visit the Pine Creek Grist Mill, built in 1848 by Ben Nye, Muscatine County’s first official resident. Next, stop by Laura Musser’s Mansion, now part of the Muscatine Art Center, to see how wealthy lumber barons lived and entertained in grand style at the turn of the century. Then venture to the Muscatine History & Industry Center to view exhibits relating to the pearl button industry and this unusual facet of Mississippi River history.
Historic Downtown Muscatine welcomes visitors with a variety of shopping and dining experiences.
800.25.PEARL
www.meetmuscatine.com

2 – Bily Clocks Museum / Antonin Dvorák Exhibit
Come explore Spillville, the oldest Czech village in Iowa. Must-sees in Spillville include the Big Stones Water Mill, built in 1866, and St. Wenceslaus Church, built in 1860 and the oldest Czech Catholic Church in America.
Visit the Bily Clocks Museum to see beautiful hand-carved clocks and learn about the brothers who created them, then venture upstairs to see the Antonin Dvorák Exhibit.
The world-famous musician and composer spent the summer of 1893 in Spillville. On display are historical artifacts and harmoniums (pump organs) like the ones Dvorák played and composed on.
Museum hours: May-Oct, Mon-Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sun 12-4 p.m. April & November, weekends only.
563.562.3569
www.bilyclocks.org

3 – Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
Visit the extraordinary world of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art! Experience exciting and thought-provoking temporary exhibitions and an ever-changing selection from the Museum’s permanent collection. There’s something for everyone at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art!
Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m.-4 p.m.
Free admission every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
410 Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids
319.366.7503
www.crma.org

4 – Frontier Motel
The Frontier Motel is located in Marquette, on the banks of the Mississippi River. Nestled in the beautiful bluffs of northeast Iowa, The Frontier Motel is located in the center of a vacation paradise.
The Effigy Mounds National Monument and Pikes Peak State Park are only a short distance away, and the famous Lady Luck Casino is within walking distance. A fisherman’s dreams will come true with seven stocked trout streams nearby and the mighty Mississippi River at the front door!
We offer spacious, clean and comfortable, exceptionally well-kept rooms with all of the latest amenities, including wireless internet, and a large heated outdoor swimming pool.
101 S. 1st Street, Marquette
888.681.0144
www.thefrontiermotel.com

5 – Iowa Children’s Museum
Looking for a special way to spend time with your kids this summer? Come visit The Iowa Children’s Museum in Coralville! Whether it’s building race cars in Notion of Motion, reporting the news in KICM Broadcast Center, or creating a masterpiece in the Art & Design Studio, your family will have plenty of opportunities to create lasting memories together while discovering the power of play.
Whether it’s your first visit, or your 51st, there’s always something new to experience at The Iowa Children’s Museum! Check out our website for our new Take Flight! aviation exhibit opening July 2009!
1451 Coral Ridge Avenue, Coralville
319.625.6255
www.theicm.org

6 – Kalona Days
Kalona, located 15 miles south of Iowa City, is the largest Amish and Mennonite settlement west of the Mississippi. This quaint historic town known for shopping and browsing is also the “Quilt Capital of Iowa.”
On June 19-20, during the town’s Kalona Days festival, a new quilt will be fashioned. Not one of fabric and thread, but of cake and icing! Sheet cakes decorated by families, groups, and businesses will be assembled as a quilt. Sponsors expect over 100 cakes in what might be the world’s largest cake of its kind.
Kalona Chamber of Commerce
319.656.2660

7 – Little Brown Church in the Vale
The Little Brown Church in the Vale is world famous through the hymn “The Church in the Wildwood,” by Dr. William S. Pitts. When Dr. Pitts wrote the hymn in 1857, there was no church building on the spot of his inspiration. At the time of the painting of the church in 1864, the congregation did not even know of the hymn.
Worship Service is every Sunday morning at 10:30, preceded by an old-fashioned hymn sing at 10:15. The Annual Marriage Reunion is the first Sunday in August. The church is located one mile east of the town of Nashua on Highway 346.
641.435.2027
Email info@littlebrownchurch.org
www.littlebrownchurch.org

8 – Marion Area
Come to historic Marion for a day or weekend you won’t forget! Visit charming Uptown Marion for a tour of unique boutiques and antiques shops.
Step back in time at the Granger House Museum for a look at a home restored to the late 1870s. Tour the Marion Heritage Center and learn about Marion’s past and view one of the few restored fresco paintings in Iowa. Take a self-guided tour of historic homes just northwest of Uptown Marion.
See the Marion Arts Festival in May, Swamp Fox Festival in September. Enjoy live music concerts each Thursday during the summer.
Marion Chamber of Commerce
319.377.6316
www.marioncc.org

9 – Mississippi Explorer Cruises
Explore More. See More.
Come explore the wild and scenic backwaters of one of the world’s greatest ecosystems, the Mighty Mississippi. Our unique cruises venture into the beautiful and protected backwaters of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge and include our famous Wildlife Eco-Tours, Music on the River, Bald Eagle, Lotus & Lily, and Fall Foliage cruises.
Our specially designed, 98-passenger enclosed riverboats have restrooms, heat, and AC. Affordable rates and family friendly. Ports include Galena, IL; Prairie du Chien, WI; Lansing, IA; and La Crosse, WI. Weekends May thru Oct. Private charters available.
877.647.7397
www.MississippiExplorer.com

10 – Mount Vernon/Lisbon Area
Close to you, far from ordinary! Experience the charm of this historic, cultural stroll-zone that includes distinctive, nationally recognized cuisine, art studios, antiques, specialty shops, and bed-and-breakfast inns.
Visit three registered national historic districts, including the Cornell College campus, the downtown shopping district, and a neighborhood of Victorian homes, or tour the History Center in neighboring Lisbon. Enjoy hiking and camping at nearby Palisades-Kepler State Park.
To request a Visitors Guide, contact:
Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group
P.O. Box 31 , Mount Vernon IA 52314
319.210.9935
Email kristy@visitmvl.com
www.visitmvl.com

11 – Quad City Area Trails
Discover beautiful riverfront trails in the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River. Walk or bike a wonderful array of trails along the riverfront, through parks, forest preserves, and scattered throughout our city. While you take in the area’s trail systems, be sure to enjoy the great attractions and festivals we offer.
The Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau also provides BIKE RENTALS from Memorial Day through October.
800.747.7800
www.visitquadcities.com

12 – Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area
One of 40 federally designated National Heritage Areas, Silos and Smokestacks brings the story of American agriculture to life at more than 100 sites and attractions in this National Park Service affiliate. Spanning 37 counties in northeast Iowa, the region is bordered by Interstate 80 to the south, Interstate 35 to the west, and the majestic Mississippi River to the east.
From dairy farms and museums to vineyards and tractor assembly tours, Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area offers an agricultural experience for everyone.
319.234.4567
www.silosandsmokestacks.org

13 – UNI Museums
Discover. Learn. Be inspired . . . with UNI Museums. Explore exhibits of natural history and immerse yourself in the cultural history of the world at the University Museum.
In 2009, experience Death Perception, an exhibit that investigates forensic anthropology, through May 16; Slow Food to Fast Food explores Iowans’ changing food consumption, preparation, and production habits from 1870-1970, Jun 8-Aug 15; and Fragile Nature, which features the nature photography of Joel Sartore, Aug 29-Oct 24. Experience the wonder of days gone by at Marshall Center School, an authentic one-room schoolhouse museum.
319.273.2188
www.uni.edu/museum

14 – Waterloo – Cedar Valley Trails
Waterloo is proud to be home of the Cedar Valley Trails, comprised of nearly 90 miles of paved recreational trails. The trail system links Waterloo with Cedar Falls and takes users through the community and through natural and manmade attractions. Follow the trails along the Cedar River and Riverfront Renaissance in downtown Waterloo’s cultural district to museums, hotels, restaurants, nightlife, and parks.
Trails pass attractions like the Waterloo Center for the Arts/Phelps Youth Pavilion, Galleria de Paco, and Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum. Waterloo is also home to the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, Lost Island Waterpark, and John Deere.
800.728.8431
www.travelwaterloo.com

15 – Waterloo Center for the Arts
Something creative for the entire family! Tour our galleries to see the colorful paintings and metal sculptures from our Haitian collection, plus works by Grant Wood. Use this as inspiration to take a class and then enjoy lunch at the ArtHouse Café (kids menu, too!).
After lunch, kids enjoy HOURS of hands-on fun at the Phelps Youth Pavilion, an interactive children’s museum with over 40 exhibits. Milk a life-size cow, digitally draw your self-portrait, perform on the FUNstage, and explore different cultures!
Before you leave, stop by the Gift Store to indulge in unique jewelry, pottery, and kids’ merchandise!
www.waterloocenterforthearts.org

We want to hear about your Iowa adventures.
Send feedback and suggestions for 2010 to
pclark@pioneermagazines.com or write to:
The Iowan, ATTN: Destination Trails
218 6th Avenue, Suite 610
Des Moines, IA 50309