Some sights of Iowa

Covered Bridges of Madison County

 Birthplace of John Wayne

In Iowa City visitors can find what is claimed to be the world's largest wooden nickel.  The nickel measures 16 ft in diameter and weighs 2 tons.

Riverside, Iowa is the self-proclaimed future birthplace of James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise and Star Trek fame

Great music to eat lunch by - and a great lunch.  Foods from my childhood including kielbasa, sauerkraut, creamed spinach, potato pancakes and pumpkin pie.  YUM.

Wilton original candy store

World's largest frying pan

That's a real cadi up there!

More of Iowa (Another Day) ....


Des Moines, IA 


Salisbury House & Gardens

This 42-room Tudor Gothic-style mansion was built between 1923 and 1928 for Carl Weeks, who made a fortune in the early cosmetics (especially face powder) and over-the-counter medicine industries. Through the years, he and his wife, Edith, acquired an impressive collection of musical instruments, fine art, and rare books and documents. Some of the latter are originals signed by Abraham Lincoln, James Joyce, Charles Dickens, Queen Elizabeth I, and other notables.

Annie and Eric 


A giant cow and calf sculpture is located on the front lawn of Anderson Erickson Dairy at the corner of East University Avenue and Hubbell Avenue. The giant cow is known as Annie and the giant calf is known as Eric. Annie is 14 feet tall and weighs 2,500 pounds. Erica is five feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds. These statues are a famous landmark in Des Moines, Iowa.


Prairie City, IA

Bison Statue

This bison sculpture can be found near Casey’s General Store in Prairie City. Made entirely out of metal, this giant brown bison spectacularly re-creates the majestic qualities of the real thing.

Pella, IA

Vermeer Mill is the tallest working windmill in the United States. The 124-foot windmill grinds wheat into flour using only wind power.

Burlington, IA

Snake Alley

Snake Alley, which was constructed in 1894, was inspired by the physical limitations and steep elevation of Heritage Hill. The alley originally provided a short cut from Heritage Hill to the business district. The alley is comprised of five half curves and two quarter curves over a 275-foot distance. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! claimed the alley to be the “Crookedest Street in the World.” 

 I ate bacon AND ham today WITH maple syrup on my pancakes! For dinner. .


Susi McLane Wow. You are becoming a Midwesterner!!! Are you feeling OK?

Jane Turner I also ate two bratwurst the other day . I think it's sitting in all those bars. lol
  
Susi McLane That will do it for sure. Wait till you start with the pickled eggs and pretzels. 

More of Iowa ... (with a touch of Omaha, Nebraska)

In my new Jeep I love my GPS... And the heated steering wheel. Lol

Audubon, Iowa -

- is the home of Albert the Bull, who just happens to be the world’s largest. The bull was erected as a tribute to the nation's beef industry, which has a notable presence in the area. He stands 30 feet tall and features horns that measure 15 feet across. It is said that it took 65 gallons of paint to cover the beast, which weighs an astonishing 45 tons.

Joleen Cornelius-Beland It's the 30 foot bull! I'm so excited...lol

Exira, Iowa -

- In Exira, Iowa, legend has it that a farmer went off to the Civil War leaving his plow leaning against a tree sapling. The plow became part of the tree as it grew. Today , although only certain pieces of the plow are visible, it's still a curious sight.




Elk Horn, Iowa -

- The Danish Windmill was built in 1848 and is America’s only working Danish windmill. The mill is used to grind grain into flour.




Kimballton, Iowa -

- An exact replica of the Little Mermaid located in Copenhagen, Denmark is located in Kimballton, Iowa.

 

 

Council Bluffs, Iowa -

- Golden Spike Monument was built in 1939 with the premiere of the film "Union Pacific." The monument consists of a 56 foot tall golden concrete spike and honors the junction of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific rail lines at Promontory Summit in Utah.











Omaha, NE -

- Lauritzen Gardens is an arboretum and Omaha’s botanical center. The gardens feature four-season plant displays


- Henry Doorly Zoo - The zoo exhibits close to 15,000 specimens and more than 980 species of animals in natural, outdoor settings. It has a large, open-air aviary and a 900,000-gallon tropical reef system in the Scott Kingdoms of the Seas Aquarium with sharks, sting rays, and Antarctic penguins.

Pat Olson What a surprise! Never have seen a yellow frog! Does he still change into a prince with a kiss???ha

Avoca, Iowa -

- This sculpture makes use of an old Volkswagen Beetle car in a most unusual way: the car makes up the body of a giant spider. The car is held up around 10 feet in the air by the "spider's" long metal legs.

Adair, Iowa -

- A monument marks the site of the first train robbery in the west. On July 21, 1873 Jesse James and his gang of outlaws committed this train robbery. The monument consists of a wheel with a plaque mounted on it and a section of train track.

 
 


- a yellow water tower with two smiley faces painted on it, one on the west side and one on the east side.







Winterset, Iowa -

- Hogback Covered Bridge was constructed in 1884 by Benton Jones. The bridge remains in its original location, stretches 97 feet, and gets its name from a limestone ridge which forms the west end of the valley.

Starting to see Iowa ...

While staying in Iowa awaiting my coach, I took the opportunity to see some of the state.  This is where I went and some of what I saw ....

Story City, Iowa -

- is home to a 1913 Herschell-Spillman antique carousel. The carousel consists of hand carved wooden animals and 1936 Wurlitzer Military Band organ music.



Ames, Iowa -

- Constructed in 2003 by Clarence Martin, this giant 41-foot pitchfork is claimed to be the world's largest. Even if it proves not to be, it's still an impressive sight and quite colorful as well.

- Built in 1897, the Marston Water Tower holds the distinction of being the first steel water tower west of the Mississippi River. Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the water tower is notable for being designed by the Anson Marston, the first dean of the College of Engineering at Iowa State University where the tower stands. Compared to other water towers, the Marston Water Tower is quite unusual as its supporting legs bow outwards.

- Reiman Gardens is one of the largest public gardens in Iowa. It is home to the world’s largest concrete gnome, which stands 15 feet tall and weighs around 3,500 pounds. Reiman Gardens also consists of the Christian Reiman Butterfly Wing, a conservatory, Dunlap Courtyard, Hillside Garden, Joey and Jesse’s Herb Garden, Lake Helen, Margaret E. Penkhus Campanile Garden, the Missing Buck Roses, the Patty Jischke Children’s Garden, Rose Gardens, South Field, Stafford Garden, and Town and Country Garden.

Kelley, Iowa -

- For whatever reason, the town of Kelley has managed to turn this phone booth (a sole survivor) into a local landmark. The phone booth, which still functions at a cost of 25 cents, is now a popular place to take photographs and even has its own Facebook page. It is reportedly one of the most popular sites in the entire town.

 

Boone, Iowa -

- The Kate Shelley High Bridge is the world’s longest, highest double-track railroad bridge. Standing 2,685 feet across and nearly 190 feet above the Des Moines River, the bridge was designed by George S. Morrison for the Chicago and North Western Railway.



Ogen, Iowa -

- Boasting some noticeable flair, Ogden's water tower stands over the town like a blue-striped peppermint candy.