If you would have told me a few months ago that one of the world’s most incredible handmade clock collections is located in a small northeast Iowa town, I’m not sure I would have believed you. But after stumbling upon Spillville’s Bily Clock Museum I was blown away.
Megan Bannister
Northeast Iowa is full of hidden gems, but Decorah’s Seed Savers Exchange is an easy favorite. If you have even half an interest in horticulture, this heritage farm is a necessary stop if you happen to be in the area.
Growing up, we spent most summers on the banks of Lake Michigan, sun kissed and sand covered as we wandered our small summer town. Stepping out of the car in Clear Lake, Iowa, I was immediately transported back to those sprawling summer days, and a visit to the Surf Ballroom and Museum seemed like the ultimate necessity.
One of the things I love most about Iowa is its unique neighborhoods and unexpected heritage sites located within larger cities. In Cedar Rapids, one of those cultural influences happens to be Czech.
Today the area just across the river from the thriving New Bohemia neighborhood is known as the Czech Village. Once home to many Czech and Slovak immigrants, this part of Cedar Rapids is filled with interesting architecture, cultural symbols, and restaurants and bakeries serving traditional delicacies.
If you’re not from Iowa, you might not know about the different pockets of European immigrants who have settled all across the state. There are the Danes in Elk Horn and the Swedes in Swedesburg, but did you know that Cedar Rapids is home to a large number of Czech and Slovak immigrants?
Earlier this summer we embarked on an adventure to explore the eclectic Czech Village starting with the neighborhood’s National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.
It’s no secret that Iowa is full of offbeat attractions and over the years, I’ve visited quite a few. But somehow I’d always missed out on Matchstick Marvels in Gladbrook, Iowa.
As a kid, I loved going to the botanic gardens in Chicago. Wandering the different gardens and learning about all the exotic plant varieties was always a favorite activity. So a few weeks ago when we made plans to visit Reiman Gardens in Ames, I knew I would be in for a treat.
As the snow melts and the trees begin to bloom, there’s a certain energy that returns to the air, especially in a place with harsh winters like Iowa. But no more so than in the early days of summer. As a kid, that meant never wearing shoes, devouring endless books for summer reading, picking raspberries in the backyard, and escaping to the lake for a long weekend.
Even though I no longer have summers off, I try to approach summer with the same sense of excitement. And while I’m not a big fan of the oppressive humidity or buzzing mosquitos that accompany the season, there are a lot of things I absolutely adore about Des Moines in the summer.
For the last few years, anytime I would drive north to Minneapolis to visit friends I would find myself chuckling at the SPAM Museum’s billboards. “Visit the Guggenham” one read. “Find Salivation” another joked. But when I finally Googled the museum, I was bummed to learn that the Austin, Minnesota attraction was closed for renovations.
So a few weeks ago when numerous friends reached out to let me know the SPAM Museum had reopened (on a related note, I’m lucky to have people who get me), I knew I needed to plan a trip…
I’m never one to pass up a winery tour so I was extra excited when I learned we’d be making a stop at Northern Vineyards Winery during our visit to historic Stillwater.