Super 8 Dubuque/Galena

We stayed here September 16, 2004. Older motel, hallways smelled

strongly of smoke. I%26#39;m a smoker and even I could smell the odor.

The room was clean if a little frayed around the edges. The free

breakfast wasn%26#39;t much... cold cereal and a small selection of breads

with coffee and juice. The bathroom commode required hands on

operating due to the fact the flushing device kept hanging and we had

to take the tank lid off and raise the water level lever to keep it

from sounding like Niagra Falls was in our room.

Super 8 Dubuque/Galena

Spencer Iowa also has an older SUPER8

BUT

in FORT DODGE IOWA there is a brand new one and even tho it opened

in feb this year 2004, on the 29th it still had a new hotel smell

kinda like that of new cars.

sorry about your experience

mine was awesome.

grew up in Onawa

I grew up in Onawa and go back up there every summer.Things have changes a lot since i moved from there in 1960.The down town area has not changed much.I am glad to see that Onawa is getting a few things for the teen agers to do.

Pat

grew up in Onawa

Hi Pat;

I grew up in Onawa, Ia too!! And I%26#39;m still here after 49 years. Got married, had 3 kids and now 8 grandchildren. The schools have changed alot. Have more places to eat too. Old bowling alley was toren down, but now we have a new one. Not as good as old one. All 3 of my kids stayed here in Onawa. We only have 1 groc store, But Ihear another one wants to come to town. Nice talking to ya

Sue

Rock Clubs

Can anybody tell me where the best rock clubs are in Des Moines.

Rock Clubs

Hi, Cazzy. You should check out the Des Moines Register%26#39;s web page. There is a DateBook which should direct you to rock shows. Blues on Grand is good for, obviously, the Blues. House of Bricks, Hairy Mary%26#39;s and Keysters all have live music as well. That should be a start. Hope this helps!

Pikes Peak

In McGregor, Ia there not only is Spook Cave, but there is Pikes Peak State Park. Located at Pikes Peak is an amazing overlook of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers. There is also 13 (+) miles of hiking. You can also stay in the park at the State run campgrounds! People come from all over the state and country for that matter, and end up coming to this area and commenting on the beauty of this place. I am sad that whoever it is that writes about places to visit in this area, omitted Pikes Peak! So, if you are planning a trip to McGregor, don%26#39;t miss the Peak!!!

Pikes Peak

Hi, I%26#39;ve camped at Pike%26#39;s Peak (Iowa) a few times. Great place. It is the first, and less famous Peaks...founded by the same man. The camp was well maintained. The bathrooms were better than most I%26#39;ve seen. Kept very well. Real close to the gambling boat..I don%26#39;t indulge, but the luncheon bar was great. There are many great places in northeastern Iowa.

Pikes Peak

As a person who lives only about 20 miles from Pikes Peak in Iowa, I will agree that the view is fantastic of the Mississippi river valley. I have lived in this area all my life and we stop at Pikes Peak about once a year just to enjoy the view. It still impresses me.

Northeast Iowa is completely different than the rest of Iowa. It is very hilly and a beautiful area.

visiting nurse, traveller

I need to know the points of interest in Mason City. Do you have a Walmart? Where is it? What is the best route to take to come to Iowa from Arkansas. (West Helena, Ar)?

visiting nurse, traveller

Mason city is pretty good sized. I know they have a super Target, so I am sure they have a Walmart. Mason city has a community college and is located on a major interstate. MN is about one half hr. away. I am not sure what your best route would be, I guess I would try mapping it online.

visiting nurse, traveller

Mason City is a town of around 30,000

for a town its size it has a pretty decent retail base as it pulls from the neighboring rural counties. It has your basics like Walmart, Target, Kmart. Most of the chain type restraurants (as well as everything else) is on Highway 18. Clear Lake is a nice little community (with a small lake) about 8 miles to the West of Mason City.

Minneapolis/St Paul is about two hours north on I-35and Des Moines is about 2 hours South on I-35.

zits

programming

Grinnell and Sullivan; Ohio too

I%26#39;m driving back from the west through Iowa. I am dying to see some of Louis Sullivan%26#39;s architecture, especially his banks or other buildings in Grinnell or Algona (or in Newark or Sidney OH).

Does anyone know anything about these banks, if they are open during working hours, if they are worth a visit, and if there are any good places to stay nearby?

Additionally, are they any fun things to see on route 80 on our way back? It would be great to take an occasional break to see something fun on the way home.

Grinnell and Sullivan; Ohio too

Merchants Bank in Grinnell is open during banking hours. Beautiful architecture. Many old stately mansions around the Grinnell College campus and Broad Street north. Pella, Iowa is about 30 miles south and west of Grinnell. Dutch community with a unique main street district. Their annual Tulip Festival is the first week of May. Thousands of tulips. There is a large dutch windmill in the park. The Amana Colonies ( 7 small villages) are home to the Amana/Maytag appliance factory and have many shops --from lace creations, year round Christmas store-and over 5 great restaurants serving German/ Bavarian family style meals.The Amana are north of I-80 and east of Grinnell about 40 miles. There are several furniture factories, meat markets, and the Amana Woolen Mills here, plus wineries and historic homes that were originally built with out kitchens. The original people of Amana ate at large kitchen dining halls in each town. The settlements were set up as pure communist style communities. Each person had a duty and the community provided everything. Enjoy Iowa!

Grinnell and Sullivan; Ohio too

The Louis Sullivan bank in Grinnell is a working bank and open regular hours. There were two griffins that used to sit either side of the door. Years ago one was destroyed by vandals. The other was moved inside and I believe they put a couple replicas outside in their place.

There are several hotels in Grinnell. While in Grinnell you could tour the campus of Grinnell College. There are other houses in the town that are architecturally interesting including one designed by Water Burley Griffin - an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright. On the Grinnell campus is Goodnow Hall which is on the national historic registry and is the only building that survived a cyclone in the late 1800%26#39;s.

Further east is the Amana Colonies. There is a nice hotel just off I-80 and the other villages are worth visiting.

Thank you for your information. You have been most helpful.

Grinnell has many great architectual buildings to be see and most are open daily from 9-5. There are other items of interest as well such as Farmers Markets and music in the park on Thursdays if you time it right it%26#39;s a great time. The Chamber of Commerce could give you more detailed info.

Tug Fest

Where can I find detailed information about the annual tug fest?

Tug Fest

www.tugfest.org

Visiting Walnut

Can anyone tell me about Walnut. Is it worth driving 5 hours??

Visiting Walnut

The best time to go to Walnut is Father%26#39;s Day weekend each year (Friday through Sunday). Hundreds of antiques dealers set up all along the streets of town for a huge festival the AmVets put on. Lots of food stands and a really nice day. I thikn they do a smaller one in the fall, Thanksgiving weekend I believe. Other times of the year, Walnut is a cute little town full of many antiques shops. I%26#39;d drive 5 hours for the big Antiques Walk in the Spring, but not any other time unless I had other plans along the way.

Has anyone ever been to Brownville, Nebraska?

Hello! Brownville is right on the border of Iowa and I was wondering what this town was like. Is it safe? How is the B%26amp;B? Thanks!

Has anyone ever been to Brownville, Nebraska?

Browville is a tiny town (more like a village) literally on the banks of the Missouri River. I%26#39;m not familiar with the bed and breakfast except to know that it exists. We use the river access boat ramp there once in awhile to go fishing. There are also riverboat tours during some parts of the year and I believe there%26#39;s a museum there. It%26#39;s a quiet town and I would imagine safe. Here is a link to the town website that should explain the happenings and the attractions there.

http://www.brownvillemills-ne.com/village/

Has anyone ever been to Brownville, Nebraska?

I grew up near Brownsville %26amp; remember when many of the houses there were in disrepair. During the 1960s %26amp; %26#39;70s many of them were bought for a song at tax sales ($1 or a bit more). The people who bought them, repaired them %26amp; many of them are true showcases. I have read that they offer tours for special events/fund raisers, but I have not attended. The townspeople are a private lot for the most part. There is a grist mill in town were you used to be able to get freshly ground flour. It was quite interesting.

Down the road 1/2 hour is Nebraska City. There you can dine at the Lied Conference Center %26amp; enjoy the views. Nebraska City also offers great outlet shopping at the mall on the south end of town %26amp; the Pendleton Store located downtown. We ALWAYS stop there.

I%26#39;ve been to Brownville a few times on Memorial Day weekend as they have a big antiques sale/flea market there each year. Cute town on the banks of the river and a nice day trip during that event. There is a winery there now which is nice to stop into. I%26#39;ve never stayed there.

Osceola, Iowa

Does anyone here in Osceola, Iowa, know Duane Deemer???

Osceola, Iowa

Yes, how do you know him

nails painted right

Great Main Streets

I am looking for Cities like Galena, Illinois that have a great main street w/antiques and gift shops.

Great Main Streets

Try the Amana Colonies or Kalona

Great Main Streets

Decorah, Iowa has a great main street (actually called Water Street) with lots of little Scandinavian places...

www.decorah-iowa.com/contentDisplay.asp?id=

I spent several days in Decorah last year and really loved it. It%26#39;s a nice main street, has a radio station in store front, guy waved to us, and announced on radio (you could hear outside) that tourists were passing!

Try Bonaparte, Bentonsport and Keosauqua--some of the oldest small towns in IA--brick buildings from the 1800s DesMoines river steamboat era. Lots of shops also. Check the web for villages of van buren

zits

Good Place To Stay Near Wells Fargo Arena

My wife and I will be attending a concert in Des Moines next weekend and would like to stay at a nice hotel either within walking distance or a short drive to the Wells Fargo Arena.

Thanks for your help!!

Good Place To Stay Near Wells Fargo Arena

The nicest place to stay downtown is probably the Suites on Locust. Marriott is near here.

The nearest nice hotel is probably the Holiday Inn (but you have to cross I-235.

1050 Sixth Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50314

515-283-0151

1-800-465-4329

Quality Inn is the absolute nearest hotel:

929 3rd Street

Des Moines, IA 50309

515-282-5251

1-800-424-6423

The Savory is within walking distance as well and I find rather nice.

Renaissance Savery Hotel

401 Locust Street

Des Moines, IA 50309

515-244-2151

1-800-798-2151

Most historic but farthest away is the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

1000 Walnut (10th and Walnut)

Des Moines, IA 50309

515-243-1161

1-800-532-1466

Actually check out this website:

desmoinesia.com/asp/鈥?/a>

flea markets

please help me need to know if flea market is going on in july?we normally come for the flea market in may.. but need some info for july?? thanks

flea markets

If you will email me what city or what flea market you want to know about, I will check on the information you want. Visit my site at www.fleamarketlistings.com or email at jerry@jerrystokes.com

Thanks, Jerry

xxxxxxxxxxxx

des moines farmers market

is your farmers market happening on sunday as well as saturday?

des moines farmers market

No, only on Saturdays.

Taste of Thailand is not to my taste

This place is a very well known local establishment that is quite popular. It is often busy and has a loyal following. One item of note is the extensive selection of imported and domestic beers.

I have eaten here only three times. Each time, I sampled two dishes. I%26#39;m sorry to say that of those six dishes, I have found nothing that I would ever order again. This place is simply not for me. It%26#39;s loyal following would suggest that the problem is with me, not them, but that is my tastes.

I%26#39;ll go to Thai Palace at East 14th and University for my Thai food, thank you. This is just my opinion, as with all reviews, your milage will vary.

Taste of Thailand is not to my taste

i think you mean Thai Flavors on East 14th, as there is no Thai Palace on that street. I agree, it%26#39;s far better food.

uk hosting

Looking for the best places to photograph fall foliage and...

Though I grew up in Iowa, my knowledge of lovely sights througout the state is sadly lacking. I%26#39;m in Omaha, and traveling solo for a long weekend. I%26#39;d like to set off on a trip that will provide great photo opportunities and cute places to stay along the way. Maybe a little fall festival or antiques shopping also. Any ideas?

Looking for the best places to photograph fall foliage and...

I%26#39;d suggest Decorah, very quaint town with good restaurants and beautiful scenery in NE corner of state. Hotel Winnesiek (might not have spelling 100%) was very nice, older hotel right downtown.

Looking for the best places to photograph fall foliage and...

I am not that familiar with Western Iowa, but have lived in Eastern Iowa all my life. You can%26#39;t beat the fall foliage/scenery along the Mississippi - Guttenberg, Pikes Peak, McGregor, etc.

I recommend driving the Great River Road from Bellevue to Lansing. There are quaint towns and places to stay. I recommend The Claytonian Inn in Clayton for lodging and Breitbach%26#39;s in Balltown for dining. Also Decorah and Elkader are picturesque communities.

McGregor does have a fall festival the first week in October. This includes antique shopping.

You might try the Villages of Van Buren Co. in So. Iowa--may be closer to you. I%26#39;ve not been there in the fall but there are lots of wooded areas along the Des Moines river and charming small towns. You won%26#39;t have the hills of NE Iowa tho. There is Lacey-Keosaqua state park. There%26#39;s an old early 1900s bridge across the DM river in Bentonsport, and across the river is an old ghost town (can%26#39;t remember name) with a unique 2 story old brick school from 1800s. It was the studio of an artist some years back, maybe still is. Some charming 1800s hotels to stay in Bentonsport and Keosaqua. These old towns on the river with 1800s brick buildings are reminants of steam boat days when the DM river was navigatable. Bonaparte is a neat old town also. Check the web for Villages of Van Buren

The covered bridges in Madison County (Winterset area) would be beautiful with the fall leaves. Also be much closer to Omaha. I believe there is a fall festival, too.

A great place would be Waubonsie State Park in Fremont County. It would be easy to get to from Omaha, just take I29 south until you see the exit for State highway 2. I accidentally drove though there when I was down there for an interview, it was very beautiful. I also went there for a picnic in early spring. It was gorgeous! The hills and the trees! It would be neat this time of year. Right now, the Clay County fair is going on and it is the worlds largest? county fair. A lot to see. It is in Spencer, Iowa. For more info of what%26#39;s going on in Iowa, visit the iowa tourism site: www.traveliowa.com

Good luck!

Studio Tour Weekend 10-01-05

How do I get a map and costs?

Studio Tour Weekend 10-01-05

Uh.... what is it???

ee

Studio Tour Weekend 10-01-05

Oh, I see. 30 seconds on the internet led me to this...

http://www.iowaarttour.com/info.html

have fun...

be sure to eat at Mabes!

ee

cream tones

Scottish Traveller

Just want to say thanks to everyone I met in Des Moines, I was travelling on my own a long way from home and I would never have found my way around if it hadn%26#39;t been for the kindness of total strangers. Thanks again Des Moines and I hope to see you all again next year.

Cazzy

Scottish Traveller

Iowa, is a friendly state:)

Scottish Traveller

what happened to minnesota

the twin cities are full of snobs esp st Paul.

Well Alice, you just happened on a few snops.

So, what %26#39;s new in the world today?

I%26#39;m a nice Minnesotan~!!~:P

Early January visit/Tutankhamun exhibition

Hi there,

I will be flying from South America to Europe via Miami early in January 2006, and have just realised that the Tutankhamun exhibition will be in Fort Lauderdale at this time. I would very much like to attend this exhibition and so have two questions:

1. Is there any transport from Miami airport to Fort Lauderdale, such as an airport bus etc.? If so, how long would this take roughly?

2. Could you recommend any reasonably priced accommodation anywhere near (within reasonable walking distance of) the Museum of Art on One East Las Oblas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale?

I would much appreciate any feedback (I am due to leave Australia on 2 December).

Early January visit/Tutankhamun exhibition

You have this question posted on the Fort Madison, Iowa forum - you need to post it in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida forum.

Comfort Inn-Muscatine, IA.

I am looking for information about a hotel located at 115 Cleveland St in Muscatine, IA. It previously operated as a Comfort Inn and was renovated earlier this year. I have been unsuccessful in finding anything about this hotel lately. It is no longer listed on the Choice Hotels website, which makes me think it is called something else now. If you know what the hotel is called now or know any other helpful information about this hotel, please let me know. Thanks.

Comfort Inn-Muscatine, IA.

Hi yes indeed it does still exist and in full operation (I know that cause we have very close connections with the people who run it)

you can ring the hotel on 15632631500

Comfort Inn-Muscatine, IA.

Thanks for the info. I just checked the Choice Hotel website and the Comfort Inn in Muscatine is once again on there. I think what happened is that they temporarily took the hotel off of the website while it (the hotel) was being renovated. I have noticed this with some of their other properties and I assume that this was the case here. Thanks again!

extension to sqltableprovider

Dubuque hotels

We are looking for weekend accommodatons in Dubuque. We usually have cocktails while gambling and we will not drive so preferably something close enough to one of the casinos that we could walk or somewhere that has shuttle service to the casinos. Thanks in advance for your help!

Dubuque hotels

The dog track / casino built a new hotel last year. I think it is called the Hilton Garden Inn. The phone number to the casino is 800-373-3647. Maybe they could help you! Good Luck!

Dubuque hotels

Try visiting the Hilton Garden Inn%26#39;s webpage at

…hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml…

Yes, I think that you are the same person that keeps getting on my nerves and saying that every brand of hotel that I mention is upscale. Please stop it, inline6, 03e46, tims42, and whatever your user name is now.

May I add another question here regarding Dubuque hotels? I was wondering if the BW Dubuque Inn, located at 3434 Dodge Street still exists. I can%26#39;t seem to find any recent information about this hotel. Perhaps it has changed names or closed. Any info regarding this hotel will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks for everyone%26#39;s help. The Hilton Garden Inn is exactly what I%26#39;m looking for so I booked it!

Scott Doo - The BW Dubuque Inn is no longer there. It was torn down earlier this year.

Thanks for the info. I kind of assumed it was either closed or no longer in existence, since I couldn%26#39;t seem to find any recent information regarding the hotel.

Downtown Des Moines Hotels

We%26#39;ll be in DM over Thanksgiving weekend to visit family and we%26#39;re planning to leave the kids with Grandma and Grandpa one night so we can go out among the grownups. Can anybody recommend a nice hotel probably downtown that%26#39;s within walking distance of fun bars and/or restaurants? We%26#39;ve stayed at the Marriott there before and it was okay, but I don%26#39;t remember if it%26#39;s close to anything. Please help!

Downtown Des Moines Hotels

You might want to consider staying at the Embassy Suites. The hotel is conveniently located in downtown Des Moines along the river and I believe it was just renovated this year. There are many restaurants nearby (within walking distance) and I really think that you would enjoy staying at the Embassy Suites. The manager%26#39;s reception at night and cooked to order breakfast in the morning are always an added bonus to staying at an Embassy Suites!

Downtown Des Moines Hotels

ScottyDoo,

Thanks for the recommendation. We did stay at the Embassy Suites and it was really nice. They even called us a couple of days in advance to confirm our reservation and to let us know that there would be 800 high-school kids staying there at the same time, in case we wanted to cancel. We decided to tough it out since the hotel is so close to Court Avenue and yes, we do love the breakfast they serve.

Did I see a post by you on the Las Vegas forum too?

You%26#39;re very welcome! I am glad that you enjoyed staying at the Embassy Suites. I thought that the Embassy Suites would be the perfect place for you to stay, and it looks like I was right.

I do occasionally post on the Las Vegas forum, but I don%26#39;t like the fact that people can get a little nasty on that particular forum sometimes and treat it as a chat room. I have found that many posts on the LV forum contain unhelpful, non-travel related information that is often inappropriate and in some cases, offensive.

I forgot to mention that if you haven%26#39;t already done so, please feel free to submit a review regarding your recent stay at the Embassy Suites in Des Moines.

Please cut it out! Would you be kind enough to leave me alone for once and stop saying that every brand/type of hotel that I recommend is upscale! This is getting very annoying and it better stop ASAP! I DO NOT appreciate your smart remarks and unhelpful comments and I am sick and tired of you following me around the different forums of this website.

Unfortunately this person is one of those that I was talking about earlier. They have been kicked out of the Trip Advisor forums several times, but keep finding a way to come back using a different user name. They used to just make these unhelpful and inappropriate comments/posts on the Las Vegas forum, but now they keep following me around and keep posting the same thing (about hotels being upscale) to topics in different forums that I have responded to.

It looks like they%26#39;ve been kicked out again, hopefully for good this time!

Terrible's Casino

There is a Terrible%26#39;s Casino in Osceola, IA. Has anyone visited this casino? Is any good? What about the buffets?

Terrible's Casino

nothing special. Typical riverboat casino on par with any of the other ones. Praire meadows or meswaki are better choices in my mind, with better poker rooms. I have not eaten at Osceola since the change from Lakeside.

Terrible's Casino

i work a terribles lakeside casino and while i cannot play(you have to be 21) the buffets are good, priced at 4.50 for breakfast, 6.50 for lunch and between 9.50 and 11.50 for dinner. we also have a steak house, and a lounge, both with excellent menus. the buffet also has a good menu. the hotel has 60 rooms. we have delux honeymoon accomaditons. the hotel is close enough to the lake that if you are lucky enough to get a walk out room you can go fishing, watch the birds, deer or other wildlife that make the wooded areas by the lake their home. come to osceola ia and visit our casino.

the rooms are some of the best i,ve stayed in if you are talking bang for your buck ,food is above average . but they make you feel like family, clean and friendly ........ no i don,t work there

cream tones

Yellow River State Forest

I also want to add, that not only is there Pikes Peak in Iowa, but there is also Yellow State Forest. There is about 30 miles of hiking there, plus camping, not only for ';regular'; folks, but there are 2 campgrounds for people and their horses.

So, I would like to know who it is that makes these travel things up, because they are missing the true travel places in NE Iowa.....don%26#39;t let Pikes Peak pass you by!!!!

Yellow River State Forest

Northeast Iowa has the most beautiful scenery you will ever experience! Yellow River Forest is the gateway to travel as you go east to the Great River Road to view the wonderful Mississippi River.

Downtown Dubuque

Coming to downtown Dubuque in February with friends to celebrate a birthday. Looking for a place to stay within walking distance to downtown bars, especially the Irish bar, and suggestions for other bars/restaurants.

Downtown Dubuque

There is a Holiday Inn on Main Street downtown Dubuque that would be walking distance to some places. Bricktown is a very nice restaurant and also has a separate bar and pizza joint.

Downtown Dubuque

I agree with Iowagymmom.

xp

event in Amana

I attended a Cajun Fest in Amana (yes, Cajun in Iowa!) and it was Awesome!! It was like stepping into Cajun Country - total immersion with Cajun food, dance, music, activities for kids, Cajun cooking lessons, everything!

It%26#39;s held each year over Memorial Day weekend - and I think you can go to www.cajunfest.net for more info.

event in Amana

I would agree. I had never heard Cajun and Zydeco music until I first went to the festival. I%26#39;ve gone back every year since - this will be my 9th year and once again I can%26#39;t wait. The music is contagious and makes you want to stand up and dance. The food is spectacular. I had never had and probably would never have had alligator, crawfish, etc., if I hadn%26#39;t tried it at the festival. It is a weekend that you don%26#39;t want to miss. Every Memorial Day in the Amana Colonies.

Theme Suites

This is such a great facility near the Grotto of the Redemption. The theme suites are awesome! They are different than a regular motel room. The Safari Suite has animals painted on the walls. The kids love it! The facility is also very clean, has an indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna and fitness room. The conference room is great for a family reunion. I would recommend this facility to anyone traveling in the area!

Theme Suites

when I was a kid we went to Iowa several summers to see my grandmother who had married an Iowa farmer late in life. This was in %26#39;40s. They lived not far from West Bend so we visited the grotto several times.

About 5 years ago we drove by the old farm and made sure we stopped by West Bend to see if grotto was still there.

phil in Oreg

Living near the Quad Cities

Good Afternoon all!!! I am a recent college graduate from Michigan State University and thinking of moving near the QUAD CITIES for a job. I will be there for 1-2 years and I was wondering if someone could provide some feedback about the area. I%26#39;m used to the city and like to go out occassionally are there things to do there???

Living near the Quad Cities

What kinds of things are you looking for? There is Riverboat Gambling, several malls, the Annual Bix Fest, the Quad City Mallards Hockey, minor league baseball team, Chicag is also less than a two hour drive.

Living near the Quad Cities

Well lets seee....

1) I%26#39;m single are there any nice places to meet girls. Bars, poetry/jazz clubs, exciting events.....

2) Is it a very diverse town or is it mainly the same race all around??

3) What types of college atmosphere is it there?? Not really expecting it to be like my school,(Michigan State University:#1 Party School) but how does it compare?

Two places I would suggest looking at things to do, is the Quad City Times Website (www.qctimes.net) and the Rock Island Argus (wwww.qconline.com). Both are the local newspapers. Another website that has a lot of information on arts events is Quad City Arts (www.quadcityarts.com). It is one of those places, that if you look hard enough, there is always something to do. I also want to pass along that they have a great symphony orchestra, a brand new art museum (The Figge), and there is always something going on at the Mark of the Quad Cities.

Also you are a hour drive from Iowa City/ Cedar Rapids, and three hours from Chicago that always has something going on.

Good luck with your move!!!

Court Avenue Area

If you are in the downtown area and looking for some good food/bars head down to the Court Avenue Area.

Judge Roy Beans (love the club sandwhich) , Johnnys All American (the frisco burger is my fav) and the Spaghetti Works are all on Court Avenue. You can also find the Court Avenue Brewery (which has some great food and nice beer - I like the jumbalya and the Pointer Brown Ale).

For my money he best places in the Court Avenue Area are:

The Royal Mile - English pub atmosphere (0n 4th street just off Court Ave).

- over 30 beers on tap (mostly imports), a lot of imports available in bottles and cans.

- excellent pub grub - try the stew or the fish and chips

- reasonable prices

- interesting crowd

- if you really like your beer try the Red Monk upstairs!

The High Life Lounge:

- just opened groundhog day 2005!

- the bar is supposed to look and feel like it is stuck in a time warp from 1964. By and large they hit it! wood paneling, carpet, the beer signs and most importantly the menu takes you back to the wonder years! As a small town Iowa boy born and raised the menu took me back to the small town cafes/bars I frequented as a child.

- if you want to fit in the with regulars order a TANG and jaeger! It is surprisingly good.

- The bar is at 200 2nd Street (near Sec Taylor)

Buzzard Billy%26#39;s

- Cajun food done Iowa style (ie not as spicey).

- decent selection of beer (try crappy beer night on Thursdays if you love your low end American beers).

- nice courtyard for outdoors dining and drinking when the weather permits.

- I love the armadillo eggg appetizers

- the place is decorated with a movie/tv show feel. Movie posters are all over along.

Hessen Hauz

- German style beer hall on 4th Street near the railroad tracks.

- On the inside the place looks like I imagine a small beer hall to look like. they have all your German beer needs covered here.

- The place really rocks when they have a polka band in action

- try a boot of beer with your friends

- not a place for lunch but like the Bavarian nachos and the Hunters pizza!

Court Avenue Area

Let me guess, you own those bars don%26#39;t you. I think it is interesting that you list the 4 bars all owned by the same group as the 4 best.

Court Avenue Area

I wish I did just happen to like their bars - think I also mentioned Court Ave Brew pub, Johnnys and Judge Roy Beans to start.

cream tones

Lake Okoboji recommendations?

Hi,

We%26#39;re thinking of spending a week at Lake Okoboji-- 3 generations. Any recommendations of resorts or hotels? I think I would like to get a cabin at a resort with water access, possibly some boating or other activities, and near to restaurants, etc., but I am really open to any suggestion :-)

Thanks,

Julie

Lake Okoboji recommendations?

Hi Julie,

My name is Darci Farnum and I live about 18 mi from the Lakes. I would be happy to help you with info

and let you know about what%26#39;s available in the area.

My family stayed at Fillenwarth Beach which has a website when Googled. It has cabins, an indoor pool and beach and have several boats. We took an afternoon cruise with the whole family, which was LOTS of fun!

It%26#39;s within walking distance of Arnold%26#39;s Park and the Emporium (a little shopping area) and one of my favorite restaurants (Gepettos sp?). Their website is fillenwarthbeach.com

You may also want to try The Inn, which I am not as familiar with.

The Arrow Wood Resort is right next to a very nice golf course and has an indoor pool and fitness center and restaurant I also like (Minervas).

The Arnolds Park area has a little shopping and boat/jet ski rental area. There is a State park (Gull Point) that has a very nice lodge, camping etc. on the West edge of the lake.

If anyone likes wine, my friends Scott and Diane Benjamin own a winery about 12 miles from the Lakes. They will host events for your group or they have events scheduled on most weekends through October.

Please let me know if you need more information, phone numbers, etc. I am happy to help.

I was online looking for spots to hold my 25th Class ReU when I ran across your post.

:) Have a nice evening!

Darci

my email is darci@farnum.org

Lake Okoboji recommendations?

Hi Julie,

My name is Darci Farnum and I live about 18 mi from the Lakes. I would be happy to help you with info

and let you know about what%26#39;s available in the area.

My family stayed at Fillenwarth Beach which has a website when Googled. It has cabins, an indoor pool and beach and have several boats. We took an afternoon cruise with the whole family, which was LOTS of fun!

It%26#39;s within walking distance of Arnold%26#39;s Park and the Emporium (a little shopping area) and one of my favorite restaurants (Gepettos sp?). Their website is fillenwarthbeach.com

You may also want to try The Inn, which I am not as familiar with.

The Arrow Wood Resort is right next to a very nice golf course and has an indoor pool and fitness center and restaurant I also like (Minervas).

The Arnolds Park area has a little shopping and boat/jet ski rental area. There is a State park (Gull Point) that has a very nice lodge, camping etc. on the West edge of the lake.

If anyone likes wine, my friends Scott and Diane Benjamin own a winery about 12 miles from the Lakes. They will host events for your group or they have events scheduled on most weekends through October.

Please let me know if you need more information, phone numbers, etc. I am happy to help.

I was online looking for spots to hold my 25th Class ReU when I ran across your post.

:) Have a nice evening!

Darci

my email is darci@farnum.org

Hii Julie.

Lake Okoboji is a great spot. It is unpretentious but fun. We stay at West Oaks. It is a condo complex. There are units overlooking the water, and units across the street overlooking two swimming pools. It is a block west of the Fillenwarth which someone else told you about, and a block east of an historic amusement park with a vintage wooden roller coaster. West Oaks is a complex of 2 bedroom, 2 bath condos that sleep 6 (with a pull out sofa in the living room.) We have a time-share with a lakeside balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows. The sunsets are amazing. West Oaks has boat hoists and docks. We have a boat but you can rent one at any of the many marinas. Although West Oaks is a timeshare facility, it also rents by the night or week. http://www.westoaksresort.com/ There are many restaurants and bars within walking distance. I also understand that many families rent a townhouse or cabin at Village West. http://www.villagewestresort.com/index.html

Julie

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