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Chamber Convention & Visitors Bureau Report @..O...OO.U.QUEAREACHAM.BEROfCOMMERCE .~ CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU February 6, 2004 Memo To: Mayor Terry Duggan City Council Members Mike Van Milligen, City Manager Jim Waller, Chair Dubuque County Supervisors Jan Hess, Administrative Assistant Fr: John Tallent, Chair Sue Czeshinski, Director Re: Convention and Visitors Bureau Quarterly Report Enclosed is the Quarterly Report of the Dubuque Convention & Visitors Bureau. The report highlights the past six months of the CVB accomplishments. 300 MAIN STREET SUtrE 200 P.O. Box 705 DUBUQUE, IA 52004-0705 (563)557-9200 (563)557-1591 E-MAIL: INFO@TRAVELDuBUQUE.COM WEB SITE: WWW.TRAVELDuBUQUE.COM ,- . Dubuque Convention and Visitors Bureau 6 Month Program Update 1/12/04 The Convention and Visitors Bureau is pleased to report that the first 6 months of the FY03-04 saw dramatic increases in visitation to the Dubuque area. Marketing efforts included a significant radio campaign, point of purchase campaign, print advertising to attract consumers, and the hiring of an additional staff person to step up the convention promotions effort prior to the opening of the Grand River Center. Brendan Houlihan was hired as our new Sales and Services Manager and will work on handling the Hometown Hero Campaign and servicing all incoming groups for the Bureau. The Consumer Marketing effort was extremely successful this summer. Over 180,000 people visited the America's River project in its first six months of operation and hotel/motel tax collections increased by over $200,000. The radio campaign ran in nine markets surrounding Dubuque and focused on promoting all of the offerings in the Port of Dubuque as well as in the area. The Point of Purchase Campaign was ajoint promotion with Galena that encorn-aged visitors to register to win a weekend in Dubuque or Galena. Over 3,500 travelers' names were collected. This will be pmi of an ongoing database that will be used for tracking and for future promotional offers. Print advertising continues to run in the Chicago Magazine and Oprah Magazine encouraging visitors to go to our website for travel planning details. The site is averaging over 20,000 visits each month. Over 12,000 requests for infom1ation were received from our print and radio campaign through paper, intemet, and phone requests. Brochures continue to be distributed in surrounding cities and all the Visitor Guides have been used this year. A larger number of Visitor Guides have been ordered for 2004 to accommodate the number of increased requests we can expect. Convention Marketing and Group Sales continues to produce results. A munber of groups have been requesting bids from the CVB to host conferences in Dubuque. Meeting planners continue to be very impressed with the new facilities that we have to offer. Some have offered to write testimonials for us to use in our marketing effort! We will be sending a three piece direct mail campaign that has been created to invite planners to come tour the facilities. Since September we have worked with twenty-one additional meetings and conferences that have selected Dubuque, sent another eighteen proposals, and are actively working with fomieen outstanding bids. Another two events rebooked their 2004 events in Dubuque as their 2003 events here were successfi.ll. The sales staff is actively receiving phone calls from meeting plarmers from Bureau promotions and sales calls. On average, at least one unique planner a week calls into the Bureau for additional information on a possible conference to be held in Dubuque. Therefore, we have over two-hundred active conference leads that we are continuously working. The CVB sales staff has worked with area lodging and meeting facilities during 2003 to secure meetings, conferences and athletic events that will represent over 61,000 attendees between 2004 and 2008. Some of the more recent incoming bookings that the CVB has worked with include: American Milking Shorthoms - 300 delegates, National Walnut Coill1cil- 700 delegates, Wisconsin Agri-Services - 400 delegates, National Mississippi River Parkway Commission - 125 delegates, Managing Waste Resources Wisely - 300 delegates, Iowa Medical Mar1agement - 150 delegates, Iowa Society of Radiological Technologists - 200 delegates, Iowa Auto Dealers, Iowa Roofing Contractors, Commrn1Ìty College Faculty, and Illinois Primary Healthcare, etc. We continue working with the airport to register for' several new national shows that are now part of our expanding marketing effort. Some of these shows include the Destination Showcase in Chicago, the Affordable Meetings Showcase in Washington, D.C. and Califomia, and Holiday Showcase in Chicago. The CVB has serviced a lar'ge number of conventions, meetings and athletic groups representing over 30,000 attendees in 2003 with the majority of these groups coming since June 2003. Many of these groups are considering re-booking or have re-booked Dubuque because of the great experience they had. The Bureau staffhas followed up with all of these groups. The CVB continues to work with travel writers doing upcoming features on Dubuque. In the last 6 months Dubuque and America's River have been featured in 248 print articles ar1d over 50 broadcast news features. The CVB coordinated an aerial photo shoot in September to capture the project site now that the buildings are complete. There are over 700 new pictures of the Port of Dubuque from air and grOlmd for us to use in future promotions. We were also able to get the Spirit of Dubuque and Miss Dubuque as well as the Mississippi Queen in these photos. In October the Iowa Department of Economic Development Office of Tourism released the 2002 tourism spending data for all 99 Iowa coill1ties. Dubuque moved from 8th to 7th out of the 99 Iowa counties and increased visitor spending by $1 million at a time when many Iowa commrn1Ìties saw drastic decreases in visitor traffic ar1d spending. The Iowa Welcome Center in Dubuque also saw record increases this SUiTImer in visitation. The l1lID1ber of travelers and travel parties visiting the Dubuque Center increased by over 29%, according to the IDED Tourism Department. The Department of Economic Development also announced in October that the National Mississippi River MuseUill and AquariUll1 and the Grand Excursion would be the cover feature on the 2004 Iowa Visitors Guide. travel resource .Iowa 1 Retracing History Lewis and Çlark's daring trek comes alive for groups venturing along Interstate 29 and beyond m western Iowa. DAY DNE Bird's-Eye Vievvs Learn about the Corps of D;,;cov- ery'sdays in the Hawkeye State with a stop at Council Bluffs' Western Historic 'Irails Center (712-366-4900). Get a bird's-eye view of terraID along the Mssouri River at the Lewis and Claik . Monument Overlook, which sits lùgh atop a bluff north of the city. Contmue north to the .DeSoto . National WJ!d]jfe Refuge (712'642- 4121), an area where the explorers once camped. Today, thousands of nrigratmg geese and ducks use the refuge as a stop""'"', and bald ea- gles reside m the park durmg the winter months. DAY TWO FaDen Comrade Follow the :Missouri River north to the Lewis and Clark State Park DESTINATIONS. DECEMBER 2003 (712-423-2829) near Onawa to see life-size replicas of the explor- ers' vessels. The newly opened Sioux City Lewis & Claik Inter- pretÏve Center .focuses on what happened to the expedition be- tween Council Bluffs and Yank- ton, S.D. with the death and bur- ial of Sgt Charles Floyd as the focal pomt VJsit the nearby Sgt Floyd Monument and Park to see the 1O0-foot obelisk that memori- alizes Floyd, and enjoy mcredible vistas of the Missouri River and .the tri-state area. FIDjgh the day at Sioux City's Southern Hills Mall. (7)2-274-0109) to see 3.8 origmal murals detailing the expedition. TRIP EXTENDER Just north of Sioux City, off Interstate 29, the Loess HiUsScenic Byway (800-429.9291) weaves througil a land of windblown silt deposits along the eastern edge of the Missouri River Va~ lay; the natural features found here exist only in weStern Iowa and China's Yellpw River Vaney. Be sure to sttJp ,at the Loess Hills Visitors Center (112-886- 5441) in Moorhead and take ahoat cruise on the Missouri River.to see Dis- covel)l. aful~size reproduction of Lewis and Clark's keelboat BetweenPisgah_. and Moorhead, the Loess Hills State Forest (515-281-5966) boasts a new wheelchair-accessible observation deck that offers panoramic views of the majestic hüls and valleys. For more infonnation on this itinerary, contact the Iowa Tourism Office at (515) 242-4110. 2 'Mississippi Masterpiece Mfssjssippi River history and cul- turalattractions weléome visitors to Dubuque, a thrMng city on limestone bluffs above the river. DAY ONE Ròlling on ø.e River fuperience the Mississippi River aboard.Iowa's only authentic pad- dle-wheeler, operated by Spirit of Dubuque River Cruises (563-583- 8093) before checking out the fag- cinatmg lifebelo", the surface at DUbuque's newest attraction, the National Mississippi River MuSe- um andAqu;muin (563-583- 2812): 'Thke a narrated SightseeÜ1g tour on the Trolleys of Dubuque (563-552-2896), which depart from Fourth and Bluff streets, then hop on the 1882 Fenelon Place Elevator (563-582-6496), the world's shortest, steepest sce- nic railway. It lifts passengers to Fenelon Place, 296 feet above Fourth Street, for magnificent views of the river. DAY TWO A-Plus Architecture Award-winning All-American Rose gardens and the nation's largest hosta glade malœ the Dubuque Arboretum and Botani- cal Gardens (563-556-2100) a must-see. Enjoy the 1856 Italianate splen- dor of the Mathias Ham House - . ' . Steep and short, the Fenelon Place Elevator carries passengers in restored cable cars. evening' entertaIDment while savoring the build- IDgs' architectural magnif- icence. TRIP EXTENDER Historic Site (563-557-9545) that ref1ects the grandeur of 19th-œo- tury life along the river before checkIDg out the Dubuque Muse- um of Art (563-557-1851) for lo- cal and regional artwork Two turn-of-the-Iast -century theater venues-the 1910 Five Flags The- ater (563-589-4254), modeled af- ter the Moulin Ronge m Paris, and the 1889 Grand Opera House (563-588-1305)--.affurd groups opportunities to enjoy Iowa's many smaR towns, such as DyersviRe, offer visi- tors chances to tour local attractions that reflect the state's ÖlVE!rsity. Travel west to Dyersville for a stop at the National Farm Toy Museum (563-875-2727), which dis- plays more than 30,000 scale model farm toys, before head- ing over to the Dyer-Botsford Doll Museum (563- 875- 2414), the restored Victorian home of Dyersvllle's founder, which houses a coRection of more than 1.000 dolls. Thft Basilica of St. Francis Xavier (563- . 875-7325) meritS a stop for Its Gothic design, including 212-foot twin spires. Groups can get a behind-the-scenes tour of modem factory-buitt housing at AU American Homes (563-875-2421). For more information on this itinerary, contact the Iowa Tourism Office at (515)2424770. ".""""""""""""'.'-""'."""""'.""""""""".,.. Pella Tulip TIme (A 2004 ABA Top 100 Event) May 6-8-Visiting PaRa Tulip Time is almost like making a quick trip to Holland. Enjoy a valks parade, community tours, stage perfonnano- , es, Dutch dancers, tulip gardens, the Pella Historical Villaga & Venneer ' Windmill, and the Molengracht, a $15 million re!ai plaza wtth a Dutch .' canal and working drawbridge. 1641) 628-2626 Grand Excursion 2004 (A 2004 ABA Top 100 Event) June 2~uly 5--1Jrand Excurnion 2004 commemorates the original 1854 Grand Excursion, a historic journey that brought wortdwide attention to America's then wid, westem frontier. Involving 54 river communities in Illinois, Iowa, MiMeSota, and WISconsin, the 2004 ';:,:.' event celebrates the renaissance of the upper Mississippi River with "";~ . Its signature event, the Grand Rotilla:' ao annada of commercial and, ", pleasure craft, authentic steam locomotives, and thousands of oppor- ':f':, tunities for people to enjoy excursions. (651) ~98-O444'.>.. Lewis & Clark White CatiishEncampment Living . ,'" ,',-, . History Weekend,_:: j July 23-25--Visft Discovery Corpsre-enactors at their camp near the:,'. .".~ . Missouli River, watch and listëi1 as Native Americans teR their story ':.:;,::,;' through dance, and enjoy live music from the era at an event that "':::"'. ',;~ combines education with entertainmentthrou,gh lecturesJ interpretive ..'.<' ;"'" activities, storytelling. music, and dance. (712) 366-4900 ' ¡ '," ", ,,""" "A Young Man of Much Merit": SOl Charles Floyd and the Corps of Disoovery ',' AugUSt-This two-act play depicts the eve"nts that led up tòthe expo- ::.: dition and provides details about the joumeyofthe Corps of Discovery ,:;.,,:.,:' as ft made its way to the Sioux City vicinity where Sot Chartes Floyd ,:.; passed away. He was the only member of the expedition to die during:.!,>; the journey. (712) 279.6286 '"C" ..~........."'.....~"'.....,. Destinations: What are the Amana Colonies? Robin Hennes, executive director of the Amana Colonies CVB (319- 622-7622) in Amana: The Amana Colonies represent one of the longest lasting, most successful communal societies in the wood. Seeking religious freedom, the earty settlers of the Amanas left Ger- many in 1842, settled first near Buffalo, N.Y., and then in 1855 in Iowa. They estabfished a communal lifestyle that remained essentially unchanged for 89 years. Four sites---the Museum of Amana History, Amana Community Church Museum, the Communal Agricultural Museum, and the Communal Kitchen Museum-tell Amana's commu- nal history, while our new Homestead Store Museum focuses on the entrepreneurial side of the Amana Colonies. 0: How can groups learn more about the Colonies? We recently releasad a brand new Group Excursion Manual and upgraded our highly trafficked Web site, www.AmanaColonies.com. The manual and the Web site include sample itineraries, planning serv- ices, and escort notes, and feature infonnation on some of our most popular attractions. -"~------ --,. . e.~""t\ 61øhe ROBERT BYRNEYeýÞ4- Sleepy river town awakens to better rimes DUBUQUE,I""a Las1o"'tol""""- outthe_,That ""thegrim;okem Dubaque""ye'" ago.-""""'ma. jo,mdwtriescloædordown. ,¡zo<l,I_,oJdasttown,stuffod withVictorlanarclrltectore""d bl",0<1 withsplondidviowsof theM;ss;,,;ppifromitolime- sto",bluffs,""inadownwaro spirnl,Homesweresellingfo,a so.. ""d so "" Iowa' fam1. land. .' Notsotoday.'I1œtownbas rehw",todi"oIf, Unemploy- m""lsarock-bottom3pereont, and""lsabout_that are oœuning almost too fast to follow, Downtown, especiaJIy I=M""3tteetinthetñstoric _1s-,apsWo<Iand ,boutiqoed, and a $188 million wa_ut""",,",pm""æ1Iod Am"""', Rive< bas - "'- ingmdisbolief;o¡,_Du- b_?" Key components are a --_and ""'" mus"",, that dreW 150,000 patrons m its""'three months of operation, an 56.00o-square- foutconventionœnterthat -=_the...enodgo liketh.",owofa,,"'ulûp, and ahotoI andlndoorwaterpark. Botbbuildingsweredobt-freo , wh",th",openodlast_. After ðeœñes of - Du- buquebasa_od_a .- To<!ayyouoanlistento< snr¡nIsiDgJygoodsympbonyor- ""__as_now,,,ma. "om, and attond p]a;, that wouId_themootjodod ooastaIsopbistkate."'-res- _havofired"","'and blredeb"'- Nol.....-dDesthetownd.. peadon<fowmojor",""","" like the Dubaqne!'&:king Com. pany(long",ne)and the John DoereDubuque-_ks (nowon..fourtbitsfnrnær,¡ze). Nowthore Is 'a_od mix of -_..me.., _n production'and assem- bl~pa_andp- bælth...... and tourism. Three smalIcoIIeges-Lo",-Clarl<e, ""dtheU"""","tyofDubuqae - are -- 'I1œ recent reœs- sioa possed - bacdJy' twinge ofdisoomfort. l"atOWnwhereallthe nelgbbmb_aresafeandall thegœdescboolsandlrlgh scl1oo1s=good,Ho""dDn' bonktheffimntredligh"- andb""" DemocratThmHu- kin. Dubuque, """use ofi" blae-coJm and wûon book- groond"",tessotidlyDemocrat. k, os d...lowa City, home of the steteuniversity, In 19S8,registeredDemo- """ml....oatnumberedRe- ..""",,",597.oo0to51O.000, 'IbdsŸ. Republicans are ahead iSa9;000to5S7,ooo, Th..""y part,thepartthat_nation. """""""""","""""""""""", alclectionsm. creasingly b""topredict ml....,lsth" thenamberof _"who area' m either party bas grown from SSO,OOOm 1988to 679,000 now, What are the ""'es that win move Du- baque in the 2()()4,pre~d",. tial"",¡Gh.n thenamo"of Catholiosm the "ecto,ate, oandi",-""wiJ] ha""totiptoe =:::-"'-- :;U:":o'; abo",oncigh" and gay mani- Beœuse un- empioymentlslow,jobs are sel. dam dis<=ed. But \her, Is ",owmgcooœrnov"the""tm money and lives of the "",,"pa. _of Afghanistan and """ wbicl1 seems neverendi... Anyooe who returns to Du. buque_b"""awa,fo,fi,. ,..,.,o'morewillh~dIy""",. n;zeit 1bboITOWaUnefrom Enna Bombeck. it's no loa.., a p!aœ where gravy Is considered a!>eve_, green. Therelshardiyany!Jtter, "",m bsck alleyS, and_Is anonknownartfonn, Crime is solowthat",po_fo<the ,Teligrnph.Hera1d """a bud timefin_uewsfmthepaper's "PoliœRepml." InDo. buque,mcon. """tohig cities, you dDn'ha""to payforgasm adVance, and < pernon weac- ingatànnim. plement"", mightactna1ly ownatànnim- plement ' Onething thetowniaoks Is_. 0nJy3.8 _oftbe pO¡>wationls- nonwhite,ap fromanane- mle I pereent 10,..,., ago. Morethanha1f the ,"""os are Catholic. When"" frish C&holk weds a " German Catholi~ it's coosid,,'" amixedmartiage,Dubaqueland boasts'" conven" and <mon- """,_withthepos,¡J,!eex. ceptinn ofVatiœn City. may ha,. mo"'""'" and pne." per capita thananycitymtheworld. 10wals"""'Yplacetonm fo,ofIice,'IYP""""thegovernm IsBepubUoanalong_the L<gislature. Yet, since 1988 the stateh..votodfo<theDemo- cratiep<esidentia1oandi- four_times. Thm V>1=k, thè """""governor. Is the- Democrat to haid that ofIiœ m :¡Oyearn.Thestate'stwoSenate """"esplitbetween"""e"",. tive Republiean Chack""""" .. """""",""",,~"AAm' Dubuque _0057.686 96.2%- U..- 1.6% ""..""latmo BirthpIace_Doo- Medianhome"""e S86.400 ¡US SJ19,600) , .....-1in9"",iptsSll53 ..- Chu"""'71t",",I3""""'" to.........,.,...dO"""," (J989)-"'" c.Itu,,""""'oNa'ioœ' -""""""'."" ^'","'" """'snowf;dl62""'" P,wL -1 ~ ~ ;d; )¡£}-:& ~ ~ M ~ ~ ~ RobertByrnegrwup;n _"""1<""_0'0/23 boo", WluÆnga ",""""n q[ """"bw,<alkd'7'hß2,54S&st Thrn.,AnybodyEvecSa;d." .......,. WI-D170 DAILY N£WSPAPER WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL Madison. WI Sunday Circulation - 154,700 DaUy DECEMBER 14, 2003 ~ ¡Ulm\\\\\1 ::.:Bacons QCD Dubuque. a tourist town? Believe it ",..,. .'; ~\-\\ 1 . J j L New attractions turn .this otièe-ignored Iowa .city . .inti> a real destination. By Beth Gauper St. Paul Pioneer Pless . DUBUQUE, Iowa-For much of its existence, Dubu~ .que has been a little short on charisma- . It started out well, with a lead-mining boom and eight breweries and Victorian man- sions filled with millionaires. . But it faded into obscurity. .Its last brewery sits empty next to the 1856 Shot ToWer, . where laborers once turned molten lead into bullets and . cannonballs by droppingit .. through screens into cooL river water. .. , Dubuque does have Iowa's three .oldes1: churches, its three oldest colleges and its only courthouse with a gold- leaf dome. Itstillhas its his- toric mansions andspectacu- lar .cltyscape views. from the , .world's shortest and steepest !_~"!"-.J...~.j._.......:~ . ---¡¡uno !Uany1õüñSfs,-OO' . " .'.." . buqpe;saPeoria,asynonym.: . for stodgy middle Amerilia....,: . They'd rather drive across the river to shop in Galena, or see the famous "Field of Dreams" Site in nearby DyersyiJle. . . But Dubuque jg a backwa- ter no longer. These days, it's calling itself "Masterpiece on the MissjgsippL" Just as in Minnesota's port city of Duluth, people were raring to get at the water: In Dubuque, there was aJxeady a riverboat casino'moored in . the Ice Harbor, and a rlvei- . boat museum. But there Was no pJ,ace for people t.o hang . out on the riverfront, strolling along and watching the tow- boats and padd1ewheelers go by. '. They got that this year, and more' . Borrowing the mo.st famous line from "Field of Dreams" - "If you build it. they will . come" - a city-sponsored partnership has spent $188. ' million on a riverfront resort and water park, a,natlonal. river rnuseumand.aquarium,.". ' and a handsome glass-and- stone events center. . A quarter-mile RiverwaIk, paved in pink and cream stone, .connects them all. From the Ice Harbor and a plaza where the Mississippi Queen and her smers dock, the path follows the river- edge <like to a new amphithe- aterin front of the ornate 189.9. Dubuque Star Brewing Co., which the city owns and plans to have developed into . a restaurant,. brewpub and shops. Next suinmer, it hopes to contmue the Riverwa1k through the city to connect, with the 26-mile Heritage State Trail, which winds through the Little Maquoketa River valley to DyèrSVille. Suddenly, Dubuque isn't So stodgy anymore. And sure . ep.ough, people are coming. Dubuque always has been Please see DUBUQUE; Page H3 . fI\ f\-\ S . :\ .L I , ~ J I f1tO-'c--r' , ; " ' D 1.: classy, and not "just for Dubu- ,'. . uuuqúe , que. It's particularly blessed with a mature and competent . Continued, from Page H1 staff, includIDg twO friendly , concierge/porters. When 'we blessed geographically. R~- asked about trolley tours, one ,centl}'.,.'Whenmyll~y~:~ld' 'gaveusthecell-phonenumber son, Peter, and I were driving , of the operator and told us to to the top of the Fenelon Place call for a pick-up at the hotel ' Elevator, he looked around and :I'bat's what we did the next said, "Gèez, I feel like we,'re in'. day, touring the city in the drlz- San .Francisco." zle with driver Gène Heeren, On the side of a wooded who filled us in on the tawil'S bluff, two little cable cars run fortunes since the 1788 arriva1 'up and down: the legacy?f a of Quebecois fill-trader Julien . banker who, ill 1882.. -deCIded' Du Buque. Du Buque mined, he needed a faster way to get lead with the permission of the ' home for his noontime meal Mesqualde, under the aegjg of ' and nap. Today, the little cars Spain, until his ,death in 1810. pull tourls(s uP,a 65-percent, ,Settlers came to the ,area in ' 'grade toward a magrrlficent' 1833, in the aftermath of the view of WISconsin, lllinois, the 'ugly Black Hawk War, and MiS- river valley and the steepled Souri farm'boy Mathias Ham downtown, surrounded by hills began pulling millions pf dol- thick with Victorian manses. lars in lead ore from the earth. "They call this little Rome, After the Civil War;mining because it's built on seven sloWed and the big fortunes , hills, like Rome, Italy," said 'were made by lumber barons cable-car operator Bruce, . ' "'" Hei1ry Stout, king of the Wis-, Oeschger, who said he used the consin pmeries - and such en- cars himself to deliver newspa- ' trepreneurs as AA Cooper, pers when he was a boy. whose covered wagons carried Far below, we could see the pioneers over the Oregon Trail. Spirit of Dubuque paddle-' Today, four of the palatial wheeler pulling out of the"Ice houses they built can be seen, Harbor for its dinner crujge. on the'11Ïstorical society's Vic- Speedboats carved white wakes torian House Tour & Progres. on the river, and cars streamed' give Droner. across the elegant Julien Dubu-' que Bridge. ' We watched. mesmerized, as the last rays of surilight lit up the gold dome of the 1891 courthouse and the white spires and turrets of churches; the heavily Catholic town of 58,000 is famed for its many churches andgven greater pro- portion of taverns. Riverfront revival Dubuque's neighborhoods, lined with sturdy brick store- fronts, have an uricanny 1950s q].1ality.Change is slow to come - except on the riverfront, where it has arrived at warp speed. ", When Peter and I got to the seven-story Grand Harbor Re- sort, guests were arriving loaded with coolers and bags of snacks, as if for a slumber ' party. The2.5,OOO~square-foot indoor water park draws fami- lies in droves. The new resort is pretty" If you go , ' . Lodging: Grand Harbor Resort +. A~r!lct!o,!s::rb.e National and Waterpark isattráctive, _JJhSslSSlppl River Museum & well-run ,and dose to everything. Äquanu~ IS open dally, $8.75, $ 9. I d. $6.75 children 7-17, $3.75 'Rooms start at .9., ,~C U Ing ,children 3-6. 1-800-226-3369, waterpark, admISsion, wwW.rivermuseum.com. The 1-866,690-4006, " Victorian House Tour and www.grand~arborresort.com. Progressive Dinner offers a look Four ~ttra~lVe B&Bs occupy at Dubuque historic sites and mansions In town: the Hancock mansions"combined with a House, 563-557-8989,' five-course dinner. It is available www.thehancockhouse.com;the to groups of 20 to 48. people all Richards House, 563.551-1492, year anil to individuals "nd , www.therichardshouse.com;the smaller groups on the second and Mandolin Inn, 1-BOO-?24-7996, fourth Saturday of the month, ww'w.mandolininn.com; and June through October. A ' RedStone Inn & Suites, Christmas Progressive Dinner is 563-582-18!j4, available during the holiday www.theredstoneinn.com. sea:;on. Cost IS $48; reserve at .. ' " 1-BOO-22~,3369., . Dining: BricRtown Brewery and. Information: Call ' Blackwater Grill at Third and . 1-800-798-8844 or check . Main is a good place for dinner. www.traveldubuque.com. Still more to see (Y\ , As it turns out, an afternoon is not long enough to see ev- erything at the National River Museum.' We had to make a quick tour of the older riverboat museum, which had a nifty model of the third Dubuque steamboljt and a 1ifesize Mo'q"pttp onilJDliet in ,a canoe 1!IICI a d""w.",in a johnboat filled with mussels. Out back, we walkeà past the otter tank to the wetland, filled with duc1cs, and past a wigwam to the 1934 William Black, a steam-powered dredge. That evenmg we spent a few more hours in the hotel's water parle. I took a few rides down , , the dark indoor-outdoor tube slide aÌ1d bumped along the lazy river;. Peter mostly \urked . on the fqur'story treehous~, dumping troughs of water on =uspecting passersby. Every ~~. minutes or so, people gath- eredunder the giant bucket atop the tree house, so they could be doused by hundreds of gallons of water. The next morning, the sun had returned. Looking out 'our wIndow, I saw the Robin B. In- gram pushing its -cargo -lipriver through the railroad swing bridge, followed by the penny Ec1cstein. Soon the Riverwalk filled with boat -watchers, dog~ walkers and Sunday strollers. It's odd that most cities along working rivers have ignored their waterfronts for so long. Because when they can, the ' people come.' " rain fall and rivers flow faster. Kids especially love the waist- high table, on which tiny fanns and houses sit atop, sand pla- teaus. "They watch to see what's on the edge," says environmental educator Annette Wittrock, "and then they'll think, 'I'm gomg to stay right here Until that house falls in.' " " In the bayOu aquarium, an alligator draped itself over the Mighty museum prow of a wrecked rowhoat, and a giant snapping turtle We got off the trollèy at the waved its fleshy yellow legs, ' new National Mississippi River. skin'as thick andwrinkled as Museum & Aquariurrl¡ on the an alligator'S. MaÌJ.y river den- Ice Harbor. ft's on the site of ízens, are amazingly' the Dubuque Boat & Boller prehistoric-looking; in another Works, founded in 1852. as the aquarium, beady-eyed paddlef- Iowa Iron Works and ,once the ish swam alongside shoveinose 'nation's largest shipbuilder on .' sturgeon and 10ngnose gar. Wand waters; La Crosse's ex-, Our faVorite spot was the CÛtsion steamboat Julia Belle.. River Wetiab;which made me Swain and a towboat were the ' feellilœ a kid again, fooling last to be built before it closed around in a creek. We held in 1971.' mussels, watched crayfish poke The museum is quite a place. themselves in the eye and ' In its movie theaters, we touched hard pink, clumps watched towboats push barges midway up the stalk of a cattail, through 10c1cs and Ojibwe bend drawing back our hands when ,stalks of wild rice into canoes. Wittrock'told US they were real . We listened to delta blues and ' snail eggs, laid the very night zydeco and felt vibrations from after staff planted the cattail~ at the, New Madrid earthquake of water's edge. ' 1811. In the virtual pilothouse We had no idea snaTIs were of a towboat, we watched tel- sO moblle; holding up an apple ," low toumts smack their barges snail, Wittrock showed us how into a bridge pier. a snail's bottom shell folds We stood'atthe erosion table back when it moves, so it can and pushed buttons to make sit on its "feet." , ;¿ , IL-D870 DAILY NEWSPAPER MOUNT PROSPECT/PROSPECT HEIGHTS DAILY HERALD MounlProlpeCI, IL Morning Circulation - 8,066 DECEMBER 3, 2003 11111111~11""I"I""IIIIIII"llIIlIliI"llIll~ Þ Îp~~:ìoW'a water' s f.iî~ . Hm:~~ort and: inanrfai!JilY:ó, ilented'aquatic', tendo ate available. S~!ect ' wallJ'" the home OI1ôWa's. åcUVIties. The WateiSqttJø¡ Kids rooms have ,bigh-spe¡¡d inter-, . 'firSt ,indoor watetpark. CluJ:¡, is en):ertairiIi1\mt for all net access. There is a gift shop. ",The' an integral pa¡;t ,;J.Qds1Ì!ges3 anc!up; :' ,':, 'jjtness roonJ.,and free parking. "Of" , . ,River at the POrt ~,' .AlI;registered guests reœlye a , 'The River Walk Restaurant, :. of 'D' " featuring ,the' "oräçélet for tlie WaterparJ.<...The and 10W1ge has 200 seats.o"et- . :'NlitIona1'Mississippi River, cqnve1).ient. Wateqllirk Cafe. looking the Mississippi'River , ' Muse).In1,.anq. Aquarium. ~e ','serves be1ierageli'and snacks. , , and the WatetparJc; , ... G:rail,d,R.lv.àr Center, NatioJ;Î\Ù: ", 'Hie resort, offers' 193 guest" A huge interacUve, arcade and :Rivers Ra]JiJfFaine. MississiPPi, ",rj}omS Witli ,31 spacious suites', redemption center With all the ' , RiVerwaJk,A1Jiai:¡tAri1Phitheatei:With~.centviewS.ofeither:'hottestgameS,is available, along and the Amerlcan 1tust Riyers . ,the<;ity od:he Mississippi ,River with stateCof-the-art meeting ~dge P!a'Z<1.." ,. ' : and select 1Uxuii01;lsfirep1ac:e ,facilities for business or social It,,is' an,incredib1e 25.000,)I,ridw.Qir1poo1suit\'S. ,', ", .-gatherings.Aspectacularsev- " ' square-fòôtùl<'/onr waterpark,..', ," ~ery room incluqes a minlc enth floor, ,meeting croom' ' featuring,the Huck. Finn with' reñigerator.microWave. coffee' overlooks the bluffs of historic' 'Wl\terslid.e"::watet cannons, maker;,'håir d.fyer, iro:(l ån,d "Dubuque and accommodates '$qUirtgun~;alazyriver.two. Ír9iJ.ing'!\oard., dual"'l.ine'1ipt060peop1e." , 'gian Qo1~; II giant bucketspeillq';¡; phone with dati¡port. ' For additio,nal information. ',' that ;ÍiearlyBOO gallons'"and ä¡27.incli còlór, television.': call (866) 690-4006 or vlsi.! ' , tOfwat~, . nine ir!h1utes and PJl.~~pet~\lie~~~'\Iie andNin~, www.grandharborresort.com. /'õ, Editorial Information Slibmitted Update January 6, 2004 Amy Link, Marketinll Manager Information $ent / Article Publication Publication Date Description Date Sent Notes Circulation I Clipping Addison Daily Herald December 3, 2003 JUmp in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,700 AlgonquinILake in the Hills Clipping Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 2,179 Arlington Heights Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 13,575 Clipping BarTington Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 3,085 Clipping Batavia Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,634 Clipping Buffalo Grove Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 4,717 Clipping Carol Stream Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 4,030 CarpentersvillelDundee Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 2,711 Clipping Carr Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,622 . Clipping Des Plaines Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 5,158 Clipping Elgin Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 6,088 Clipping Elk Grove Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 5,318 Editorial Illformation Submitted Update January 6, ,2004 Amy Link, Marketing Manager Information Sent / Article Publication Publication Date Description Date Sent Notes Circulation Geneva Daily Herald Clipping Geneva, Illinois December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,439 Clipping Glen Ellyn Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 2,344 Glendale Heights Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,614 Graylake/Gumee Daily Herald Clipping Grayslake, Illinois December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 4,901 Clipping Hanover Park Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 8,581 Hoffman Estates/Schaumburg Clipping Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 14,855 ItascaiWood Dale Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 2,589 Lake ZurichlWauconda Daily Herald Clipping Lake Zurich, Illinois December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 5,246 Libertyville/MundeleinIV emo Clipping n Hills Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 5,914 Lisle Daily Herald Clipping Lisle, Illinois December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,437 Clipping Lombard Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,834 Editorial Information ~ubmitted Update January 6,12004 Amy Link, Marketing Manager Information Sent / Article Publication Publication Date Description Date Sent Notes Circulation Mount Prospect/Prospect Clipping Heights Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 8,066 Clipping Naperville Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 6,029 Clipping Palatine Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 10,169 Rolling Meadows Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 3,293 Roselle/Medinah Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 3,899 Round Lake Daily Herald Clipping Round Lake, Illinois December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 2,193 -- Clipping St. Charles Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in; the Iowa wàter's fine Service 3,945 Villa Park/Oak Brook Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 1,205 West Chicago/Winfield Daily Clipping Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 2,387 Clipping Wheaton Daily Herald December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 4,234 Wheeling Daily Herald Clipping Wheeling, Illinois December 3, 2003 Jump in, the Iowa water's fine Service 3,002 Hancock House 5{igh above the Mississippi Valley, Hancock House planta Queen Anne splendor on a sheer rock cliff. The origi1aal Hancocks made such a fortune as wholesale grocers and cigar rollers that build- mg a dream mansion halfway up a mountain was possible. Chuck (below) and Susan Huntley's B&B took two full years to restore, and the appointments dazzle and charm: a tete-a-tete where Susan's mother stole good- night kisses and on-which honeymooners usu- ally reqùest photo ops; anorigmal--staircase lamp, sctilpted by J. Causse; one fireplace-that - won the blue n'bbon at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893; an oak dinIDg table that has 12 leaves and can seat 18-people; an entire dining room, even-the ceiling, that is quarter-sawn oak; all mattresses made of feather ticks. The inn's backyard is, of course, the moun- tain. A Celtic cross and a gnome have been carved into niches in the rock cliff and are lit magically at night. The Chœtmas décor is lavishly detailed. Chuck collects antique Victorian Santas and places many over fire- places. Elves frolic on one wall, strumming . dulcimers. The south parlor's Queen Anne turret holds a tree decorated with candles in glass, burgundy bow bulbs, pewter bulbs, plus 12 doves-"a-doving." The tree sits next to a four-foot St. Nick who wears an antique velvet . and fur-lined robe. A Dickens family of tin rocking figures greets visitors in the entryway. The north parlor, decorated with Dickens family dolls and chandelier wreaths, presents a spectacular view of St. Mary's, the Gothic Revival church that has been lit for every . - christmas since 1867. The Hunt1eys keep .a telescope accessible. Guest rooms host minia- ture lighted- trees and those with fireplaces have cherubs. Others have boys' choirs of papier-mâché. -The gift shop indudes some specialty items, like a humidor to commemo- rate theori~nal owners' profession, plus sealing wax and sterling silver sealing sets. Breakfast treats include stollen' (a fruity coffee cake), orange-filled French toast, fresh fruit, meats, scratch-made muffins, honey puffed pan<:akes, and caramel French toast. Hancock House 1105 Grove Terrace, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Phone 563/557-8989, Fax 563/583-0813 www.thehancockhouse.com Nine rooms, $80-$175, each with queen-size feather bed and private bath, some with marble mosaic tiles, clawfoot tubs, marbie sinks, and restored puli.chain toi- lets. Some with whirlpools. Smoking in specific areas is permitted. ""E IOWAN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003 33 Mandolin Inn ~he Mandolin Inn was built in 1908 as the family home of Nicholas J. Schrupp. The banker founded the American Trust and Savings Bank, served two terms as state senator, and was knighted by the king of Belgium during World W8I r. He raised two sons plus two daughters who never married, nor left the house. Amiable innkeeper Amy Boynton (right) says that an unusual spirit of gaiety pervades the inn. She invited two psychics to stay and they both confirmed this. Since ne8I- by Jackson P8Ik became a p8Ik only after a flood caused several caskets to rise in the cemete:ry that previously occupied the ground, and since the inn is on Loras Street, where Irish and German locals used to meet and fight,it is a blessing to know that such happy spirits frolic here.- The inn gets its name from the unusuaUeaded and- painted glass window on the first landing of its grand oak staircase in which St. Cecelia, patron saint of musicians, holds a mandolin. This TIffany commission includes an eye-puzzling panel that is hung upside down and called a "Blessed Error" m remembrance of the saint's humility. Boynton spent most of her career working for McDonalds in Asia, and coconut Christinas trees 8Ie a lovely memento from those days, cute as an exotic nut within a house famous for its tum-of-the-previous~centu- :ry décor. Amy garlands her staircase in fruit and ribbon, a theme begun by the marvelous fantasy forest oil painting on the dining room wall. Painted 96 years ago in Belgium, Amy Böynton's Country Apple Sausage Ring Serves 12-16 2 Ibs. sage-flavored sausage 1 1/2 cups herbed or Italian bread crumbs 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1/4 cup minced onions 1/2 cup milk 1 cup finely chopped apples In a large bowl combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Press lightly into a greased six-cup ring mold or bundt pan. Bake at 350. for I hour, drain, and serve. (This may be baked for 30 minutes and refrigerat- ed overnight, then baked for 35-45 minutes to finish.) THE IOWAN NOVEMBERIDECEMBER ZO03 it was then sent to Dubuque, where the carved wood trap- pings of the room were built around it. For Christmas, eucalyptus and evergreens are garlanded with oak leaves and walnuts 8Ie gilded. Italian tiles detail the superb rlIe- place, where a musical theme dictates that one 1a¡ge tree be decorated in mandolins, harps, and guitars, while guest rooms feature antique horns. Chandeliers match the dining room table. Nooks have lit trees with winterberries. A rune-foot tree in the parlor holds-copper balls, at least as much as Goldilocks the c,at allows. St. Francis, Frosty the Snowman,.. ~nd copper Victorian skates share tilpe here. Breakfasts include some of Boynton's Asian expertise. Curried sausage with julienne peppers, red and green, is a Christmas season special. Crustless. asp8Iagus quiche is festive at a holiday but served all year, as are Amy's apple sausage rings and apple~cinnamon baked French toast, with homemade apple cider syrup. Hot chocolate with peppermint stick stirers and scones with red cinnamon hearts also dress up for the holidays. Mandolin Inn 1991oras Boulevard, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Phone 563/556-0069, Toll-free 800/524-7996 Fax 563/556-o5B7 www.mandolininn.com Eight rooms, $85-$150, all with queen- or king.sized beds and period furniture, some with private decks. Handicap accessibility is exceptional. No smoking. .'" " ' 1:a~tè ôfi~wã".~ The Redstone é) ne of A.A. Cooper's three mansions, this one built . . for the wagon master's daughter, is now an ele- gant hotel, the Redstone Inn and Suites. The inn's Queen Anne splendor is merry as a Christmas rose during the holidays. Victorian hearta, buibs, and fans are wrapped in pink chiffon, and pink poinsettias grace £!Very room. Byer's carolers decorate the bird's-eye maple fireplace and set off the original chandeliers. Individually made stars, sousaphones, and angels cover the large parlor tree. Evergreen garlands the staircases and each room has a stocking hung on the door. The large tree outside is lit, as are all the window boxes and flower pots. This charming 14-room mn is Jerry and Kelly Lazore's per- sonal romance. Jerry is a lifelong hotelier who.hadopened the Dubuque Clarion 15 years ago. Kelly. (right) worked for him then, but they connected many years later, by chance, m upstate New York. After marrying, the opportunity to buy the Redstone brought them back to the site of the first meeting. Romance ;,; rife here. 'Since cockatiels were a craze in Victorian England, the Lazores' bird ]uies, named for Julien Dubuque, greets guests - in the parlor. Portraits of the Coopers look approvingly over the marvelous original stained glass windows. The dominant theme of the glass is deep red grapes, the symbol of wealth because deep red requires gold in the glass-making process. Another window shows a spider web, the dream catcher of Victorian times, designed to symbolically let good luck in and keep bad out. Almost all the furniture is comprised of period pieces. Romance is so obvious that Jerry says they host a dozen weddings a year without even trying for that business. Breakfasts are famous, with scratch-baked pastries, Victorian mimer Tours , From,November 15' to January 6, Victorian House 1burs ànd Progressive Dinner offers a' five-course meal in four of Dubuque's graatVictorian homes, plus a Dickensian entertain- ment. The tours begin with appetizers and coffee at the home of lead baron Mathias Ham, hosted in the basement where the eccentric Ham liked to entertain riverboat captains who were considered too crude for the upper floors of nineteenth-century Dubuque. The home also contains an actual battiefield sword of Napoleon's. The Redstone then hosts a second course m their dining room and parlor. At Ryan House, the mansion of the first great meatpacker of Dubuque, actor Vince Williams plays organic eggs, fanners market produce, and legendaxy Trappistine chocolates made by Cistercian nuns at Our Lady of Mississippi Abbey monastery. Each candy is flow- ered with an inseneed prayer. The Redstone Inn & Suites 504 Bluff 5treet, Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Phone 563/582-1894, Fax 563/582-1893 www.theredstoneinn.com Fourteen rooms, $75-$195, all with private baths, some with 'whiripools, and totally smoke-lree.The inn is completely serviced with high-speed wireless. connections. . , , '" Scrooge as Carolyn., McCoy, plays j;everàl charactersfro~,.A' Christmas Carol in the fonner master bedroom, butoIÙY aft;er a., main course has been served in the extraordinary dining room. Dessert at the Ma,ndolin Inn cons;,;ts of coffee and a legendary bûche de Noel, from La Gastronornie, the kitchens of Anita Kopp and Rosemary Bucher, a pair of Swiss legends. Rosemary learned the pastry art at Singapore's Raffles hotel. Cost is $48; call 563/556-5000 or email donnahefel@mwci.net.f -Jim Duncan writes about food in each issue of The Iowan. THE IOWAN NoVEMaERiOECEM""" 2003 35 IL~D63D DAILY NEWSPAPER THE DISPATCH Rock IllaRd, IL SURdav Ciroul811oR - 33,125 Dlllv NOVEMBER 16, 2003 1IIIIjlllllllllllll/l/II/lllImlllllll/lllllllli :.. '°o:.:ßacon's , "0 . , , "'" ,rYl"~" [,.east, west: ¡here' s plen~ of fun aroUnd Ùle'Q-t ',\ West: ÀÌii~n'¡i:iôføiji¡¡$'" "," , ,.,',.,,¡, """ "":"";"",,,,,. A 9O'mmqte,drive.westQnJiiterstate 80 brings ýôú tò the AIDana Côlonies, a nationall:!.i~t9r!Ç~!t~9k §l'v~!1;~J:I\~ viJ -0' sh wi meats; han¡¡;~ra{t~dfurni;t\ire, Chrishnas ornimlenj:$,quä!ity cloth- ing, micro-brewed beers and several restaurants òffermg German cuisine. Tha Amana'ßoloniés;Whichinélude the villages of Amana, East.Am8ria., High Amana, Homestead; East" Aman,a, MiddlaAn.1Bnà and South Aroana, haveevqivèd ÙltO a year. round tourist attraction"butthe win. ter season a!l¡o,brings ho)idaYfestivi. ties, suchasthe Tannebaum Forest and the colonies' ,"Prelud~,to , ChristmaS.";',; " :.", , Located,ihthé.'l'illagé:ofAnianà's ' Fe'sthalle Barn, Tannabàum Forest will display 50 live trecs,\a'mïnature Amana village. holiday crafts and a 17. :.."v{'",."", ' '..... foot "Chrishnas Pyramld", a cen- turies-old German custom which fea- tures a pyramid-shaped Chrishnas tree ilisplaying holiday decorations arid f¡gurines. The Tannebaum Forest 'will be open Nov. 28-30, Dec. 5.7 and 13. 14. " Friday and Saturday hours will be noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ' , The AmanasColouies"'A. Prelude tö , Chrishnas,",a nostalgic celebration of the holidays, featuring candlelit , streéts, craft demollStrations, a season. al bazaar, a Cookie Walk and of course, visits from Santa, Claus, will occur Dec. 5'7. Also during the , "Prelude," the Museum of Aroana History will be offering performances of '~Glimpse of Amana Chrishnas Past," whiJeThe Old Creamery Theatre, in the Colonies' Visitor Center, will present the play "Holiday Hijinks." . Most shops throughöut the colonies will be open until 8 p.m. during the Prelude,to Christmas. ' For more information, contact the Aroana Colonies Visitors Bureau at , (800) 579-2294. , On the way: Stop by the 'Herbert Hoover Museum and Library off 1.80 at exit 254 in West Branch, Iowa. From Nov. 22 through Jan. 4, the'Hoover museum will ba displaying The EastPeorla Festìv~lof LIghts will begin Nov. 29. Illinois Department ofTourtsm "Chrlshnas Trees from hound the World", an ~ibitof 24 trees featUr- ing Polish I!:1assware, Swe<lish straw ornamenlS¡ handinade decorations from Russih,imd other representative Christmà8 cUstoms from various natiollS. ' , West Branch will host '~ Chrishnas Past" - an¡outdoor celebration of t\1e holiday fellroring'a craft market snd horse.draWn carriage rtdes - Dec. 5-8. For more details, call (319) 643.5361 or visit www.nps.gov/hOOo/. East:'Brookfiefd Zoo "Holiday Magic F~stival" - an eveningtour,of theBroold'ieldZoo ' decorated with a haJf.millioli holiday lights and dozens of Christinas trees - is offered each FrIday, Saturday and. Sunday from Nov. 28 through Dee. 21. Outdoor exhibits specially decorat. , ed for the event Include reirtdeèr, polar' and brown bears, waJruses and snOW ~., . i/-p d¡I-::-.- ~I Holiday 'rom Page J1 ,eopards. Many indoor Jxhibits also will be available 'or evening viewing, and "Iditional activities include :elebrity storyteners, ice- :arving and choral groups. The Festival will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. each day, and gift shops and restaurants will be open. Zoo admission is $8 for adults, $4 for seniors and $4 for children 3 and over. Parking is $8. This year's fes' tival will feature a "Breakfast with Santa" Dec. 6-7,13-14 and 20.21- - Should you wish to explore more of the holidav and win- ter charm of Chicågo's sub- urbs. several Brookfield Zoo- area hotels offer packages. For more information: can the zoo at (709) 415-0263, ex!. 207. On the way: Starved Rock State Park, located off Interstate. 80 at exit 81 (Utica, IlL), features over 13 miles of trails and 18 canyons. The 72.room Starved Rock Lodge will be adorned with - all the Christmas trimmings, and the facility is an ideal location for a holiday visit or ' winter overnight stãY.Among the seasonal highlights are Trolley Tollrs of the park and neighboring light -displays from Dec. 13-23; a Flutes by - the Fireplace program Dec. 17 : and Cookies and Cocoa with Santa Dec. 21. . - The 2,700-acre park will , offer a Wmter Wilderness - Weekend experience Jan. 17- 18 and a Cross-Country Ski Weekend Feb. 7-8. For more information and reservations, call (800) 868- . 7625. - North: Dubuque Recent renovations to the . - :port of Dubuque make the and features wildlife art, including paintings by owner Patrick Costello. The gallery, open 10 a.m. t05p:m. Thursdays through Saturdavs. is located 1 mile east of .' Maquoketa -on Iowa 64. (309) 652-3351 - - trip very worthwhile. Grand Harbour Resort and wãtërpark, featuring 25,000 square feet of watery fun, offers easy access to these Dubuque attractions: the National Mississippi River Museum-and Aquarium; the National Rivers Han 'of Fame, ~~~~~rboat casino and a tour Sol!th: East Peoria Grand Harbour is Iowa's Festival of lights first themed-indoor water- One of the United States' park, offering two giant largest displays of holiday whirlpools, .water cannons lights, the East Peoria and a "giant bucket dump" - Festival of Lights, begins its which fills and releases 800 19th season at 6 p.m. Nov. 29 gallons of water every nine with the Parade of Lights. minutes. The parade begins and ends The resort is offering holi- with a fireworks display and day-themed events for week- features more than 40 floats end guests now through . Christmas, with two seasonal mcluding a replica- of the packages for guests. The Starship Enterprise, mumi. Holiday Package for Four nated by 48,000 miniature - ($134),-includes room, break- lights. ' fast and admission for up to A wooden soldier named four guests to the waterpark; "Folepi" is the mascot of the the Grand Discovery Package festival ("Folepi" is an ($164.50) also includes admis- ancronym of "Festival of sion for four to the Lights, East Peoria, Mississippi River Museum Illinois"), which features and Aquarium, - "Folepi's Winter For reservations can (563) Wonderland," a 2-mile..drive 690-4000. through animated displays, Other Dubuque seasonal illuminated floats and ani. attractions include: mated displays. The '. "Reflections in the Park", "Wonderland" is located in a drive:through tour of 50 I illuminated displays in . - - :- Murphy Park; Nov. 27 through Jan 4. (877) 437-6333.. . A Victorian Christmas Progressive House Tour com- . bines gourmet meals with vis- its to four seasonaJ1y decorat- , ed historic Dubllque homes, ' NoVo 28-Jan. 3. (800) 226-3369 . Old Fashioned Art & . Craft Show, Dee. 6-7, features more than 100 Midwestern - exhibitors at Dubuque's new "Grand River Center," 500 Bell St. On the way: "Costeno's Old Mill," an art gallery converted from a former grist mill near Maquoketa, is decorated throughout the holiday season W"I VFW Post 2078 Park, just off , East Peoria's Springfield Road. Cost is $5 for personal vehicles Mondays through Thursdays, and $10 Fridays through Sundays. "Folepi's Marketplace," located in the community's Festival Building at 2200 E. Washington St., has over 100 professional exhibitors offer- ing holiday-themed dolls, dec. orations, stuffed animals, fur- niture and more. "Folepi Holiday Sensations" in the Folepi Building displays ginger. bread houses, decorated cook. ies and other creations. For more information on the East Peoria Festival of Lights. call (800) 365.3743. On the way: Galesburg's Festival of Trees will be held Nov. 28-Dec. 7 at the Sandburg Man. Also on display between Nov. 15 and Dec. 24 is a Holiday Showcase of crafts,at the Galesburg Civic Art Center. For more information, can the Galesburg Convention and Visitors Bureau at (309) 343-2485. //' r/ð F'ÉATURE:S ., l " '~.,.. \It1J t é'f, te r eve r y.w her e ~ " ~.. The Octo Ð<plore, at Noah's Ark is tmlored to fit kids' water fun need~ W ater, whether ocean, the largest indoor waterpark in the , '. ' . '~:.:~'~: ~:~o:~::~í: a ::~i::;~:~:~o;:'miI~ i::::nd Bay prerequisite for a of Dreams at Treasure Island Waterpark . successful reunion, Resort. And those are only the biggest , especially for ones. Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort's , familie~. Families' indoor and outdoor waterpark space used to be content with an on-site pool combined equals six football fields. that had (maybe) a diving board at the .- Great Wolf offers 70,000 sq. ft. of deep end or at the very least, some kind waterpark plus a 20,000 sq. ft. indoor of hole in the ground with water. The dry interactive play area. With the Wisconsin Dells area super-sized the addition and expansion of many indoor hotel pool and transformed it into a waterpark facilities, visitors keep ~oming waterpark - more of a theme park than a even in off-peak months (September to mere swim and the Dells isn't about to April) as well as summer. Wisconsin hand over its cr9wn as the nation's Dells snags the title for most indoor waterpark capital. waterparks on the planet with 17. The 18-square mile Midwest vacation With close to 8,000 guest rooms, the hot spot boasts Noah's Ark, America's Wisconsin Dells Visitors & Convention largest waterpark, spanning 70 acres; Bureau offers much to reunion groups. _Kalah¡u:iResOtt and S:o!,v.~n~l1_Ç,e.nter, . The Kalahari Resort and Convention 36 REUNIONS -:- OCTOBER I NOVEMBER 2003 by Jacky Runice '... Center has it all: the nation's largest indoorwaterpark, fitness center, huge arcade for kids, a ten-screen cinemà, restaurants, day spa and 12 room styles plus three Royal Presidential Suites. All 378 African-inspired guest rooms and. suites feature a sizeable list of complimentary.amenities such as microwave, refrigerator, tables and chairs and coffeemakers. The Kalahari's' Convention Center accommodates large and small meetings, parties and bimquets in its more than 4S,000sq. ft. offlexib1e meeting space. The indoor waterpark can entertain up to 4,000 guests year-round with America's longest indoor lazy river, family raft rides, an uphill wateiroller coaster, a kid's play area, five. whirlpool spas, wave pool and an adult only current channel and lap pool. Kevin Shanley, Kalah8.rl's Director of Sales, says the resort's Sales and Catering staff make a'pomt to personally assist reunion planners with full service catering options for a special breakfast, lunch or dinner inside, outside, poo1side or theme options. They coordinate block of rooms so everyone will be near each other and coordinate off-site attractions such as the Famous Wisconsin Ducks and Boat tours, golf, nùrii-golf and more. "Our activities personnel can arrange anything from karaoke arid arts and crafts, to hula-hoop contests for kids and adults," . Shanley said. Contact Kalahari at . . 877-253-5466; www.kalahariresort.com. If your group prefers a more pastoral .experience, consider a traffic secluded resort. Then, purcháse day passes to waterparks at Kalahari, Bay of DÚ:ams, Family Land, Riverview Park and Waterworld or the big daddy of waterparks - N~ah's Ark. "America's Largest Waterpark" celebrated 25 years of water fun in 2003. The World Waterpark Association crowns Noah's Ark the lsrgest because or the number of water activities it offers. Noah'sArk, open 100 days a year, adds a new ride a year or so to maintain its title. Contact 608-254-6351 or swim over to www.noahsarkwaterpark.com. Noah's Ark is owned by, believe it, the Watermao family! Mauy families gather at Baker's Sunset Bay Resort and sample Dells' waterparks and other attractions. Located on five wooded acres overlooking gentle Lake Delton, the family-owned resort features the largest beach on the lake, free rowboats for an afternoon of fishing, volleyball, . horseshoes, ping pong and more. Spend some time poolside or rent a pontoón boat for cruising Lake Delton. Cottages, suites and spacious family rooms come with air conditioning, heat and cable- color TV. Most have fully equipped kitchens and private balconies. A meeting room with a full kitchen is also available for reunions. Jack and Dona Albee, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, spent quite a bìt of time on the internet visiting the Dells to look for the best place to spend their we~kend reunion. "We finally arrived at Sunset Resort and found it met all our desires. It was a nice, family oriented place away from the Dells' usual glitter with a beach that has seashells in the very early morning before they are scooped up, a good size indoor pool for inclement weather, barbecue grills everywhere, lots of sand and green areas as well," Mr. Alhee explained. For a special evening of brats and beverages, the 3S of us had a large grassy area with a couple picnic tables and grills. The brats, potato salad and condiments were ordered from a local market Sunset Resort recommended." Albee family members traveled from California, Arizona, continued .. , ¡ , MorewtltelfJl1r/(g Just south of Traverse City, Michigan, Great Wolf Lodge, a sister of the Dells property, boasts Michigan's largest indoor ':"at~;:p;;;'k at 38,000 ' square feet. There are e4!;ht waterslides, five pools, two whirlpools and a .. $1 million interactive Treehouse Water Fort. The kids can cWorinate to [heir heart's content and the whole family will have the beaches, cherries, lighthouses and golf of northern Michigan. Call 866-478-9653 or slide over to www.greatwolflodge.com. .~ Paradise Landing, smack dab in th~.Milw!'~kee çi!~nter, offers seven waterslides, a Sharkless Lagoon and a Kiddy Pool that's ide'ã1for toddlers. Guests of the Hilton Milwaukee City Center also enjoy special discounts at Milwaukee area attractions such as Discovery World Museum, IMAX, Betty Brinn Children's Museum and more. Mihvaukee has incredible summer festivals, a first-rate art museum and professional basebalI and basketball. Call 877 -S43- 7785 or take a virtual tour of the indoor park at WVlw.paradise1anding.com. ~ Stay at Th_~.Gr.alld,Harþ<:>.r Re§ort.'",d Waterpark on the Mississippi River at The Port ofD~~,!j!!~,home of Iowa's first themed indoorwaterpark. The resort is an integral part of "America's river" featuring ,the Mississippi River Discovery Center and Aquarium, National Rivers Hall of Fame, Mississippi Riverwa1k, Star Brewery Amphitheater and the River's Edge Plaza. There are 194 guest rooms with 31 spacious suiles with magnificent views of either the city or the Mississippi River. Every room includes a mini-refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, hair dryer, aud more convenient amenities for families. The Waterpark, 25,000 square feet indoors, features the Huck Finn II withwaters1ide, water cannons, squirt guns, a lazy river, pools, two gianí whirlpools, a giant bucket that dumps nearly 800 gallons of water every 15 minutes, and many family- oriented aquatic activities. Call 866-690-4006 for more information. ~ Combine se!ia1 shopping at the Mall of America with a visit to The Wild Mountain Water Park, Alpine Slides & Go-Karts near Tay1ors Falls, Minnesota, (www.wildmountain.com). Less than an hour's drive from the Twin Cities, the outdoor park offers Big Country, an inner tube adventure floating you from pond to pond through nine connecting chutes; the Black Hole, a speed slide sending, you hurtling under-ground and spitting you out with a splash; a fully enclosed. hydro tube for a tunnel of wet and wild fuu; an open flume waterslide with plenty of speed and curves; a lazy river ride and a kiddie park. Particularly beneficiaI' to families, tickets are available for unlimited access to everything in the park or for singl~ !ides and you are welcome to bring in a picnic lunch. In addition, ride the German-made Alpine Slides stretching 1,700 feet from the top of the mountain, with a gorgeous view of the St. Croix River Valley, to the bottom of the hill. Call 800-447-4958 for more information. ¡.' or- With 32 miles ofTexos Gull Coosi beach." t.mpè,at. weath., ~ear-round, and a rich militan¡ and cultural histon¡, Galveston Island is th. perlect moo!!n!! d.s!!na!!on, Galveston f.atur., over GO maanific.nt attraclions aDd an abundance of am.ni!i.~ accommoda!!ons, ,.stauranis, Victorian homes, m"".urn~ shoppin¡! and much more! 1-866-505-4456 . www.¿jalvestoncvb.com FEATURES Montana, Colorado and Texas to meet in the Dells. "In the evening after the sun went down,. Sunset Resort lit its bonfire," Albee said. "It is actually a pit where they put dry logs surrounded by a deck' and benches all around - a great place to relax, tell a few stories and have a Dells' good time." Some members did some rock climbing at nearby Devils Lake while others went to the Circus Museum at Baraboo. Nearly everyone took in a tour of Wisconsin Dells Glacial Park imd the Lower Dells region of the Wisconsin River ahoard the Dells Army Ducks- those amphibious vehicles that tour via land and water. Contact Baker's Sunset Bay Resort at 800-435-6515; www.sunsetbayresort.com. Secluded on 12 scenic, wooded acres, only eight blocks from the center of tbe Dells downtown area, Meadowbrook Resort hosts over 100 family reunions every year. It offers two and three- bedroom cabins with kitchens and fireplaces, a meeting room with full kitchen and seating for up to 100 people (with the option of ,expanding to accommodate 200), an outdoor patio, perfect for a barbecue and sing-a-10ng and a covered grand gazebo ideal for an outdoor function. The resort bas an indoor swimming pool and lhemed slides, a zero-depth pool with an attached parent whirlpool and water play and spray features. One large family, with children, parents, and grandparents scattered across the country and overseas, had been unable to spend Christmas together for some years. They found Meadowbrook's peaceful setting an ideal place to bring their gifts, decorate ¡he tree and celebrate Christmas - in July. Call for special Group Rates at 877-993-3557. For help with your reunion in Wisconsin Dells, call the Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-223-3SS7 or visit to www.wisdells.com. About the author Journalistlacky Runice pens the "Family Travel" column for Chicago's Daily Herald as well as hotel/spa and restaurant reviews for AOL. She is a member of the Midwest Travel Writers Association and mother of three young adventurers who love travel as much as she does. Stoi')' Printer I ,"", I'rlntthis I ~; article Published Sunday November 23, 2003 Riverfront revival BY BETH GAUPER KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS DUBUQUE. Iowa - For much of its existence, Dubuque has been a little short on charisma. Page I 00 It started out well, with a lead-mining boom. eight breweries and Victorian mansions filled with millionaires. But i!faded into obscurity. Its last brewery sits empty next to the 1856 ShotT ower, where laborers once turned mo~en lead into bullets and cannonballs by dropping it through screens into cool river water. Dubuque does have Iowa's three oldest churches, its three oldest colleges and its only courthouse WITh a gold-leaf dome. it still has historic mansions and spectacular cityscape views from the world's shortest and steepest railway. But to many tourists, Dubuque is a Peoria. a synonym for stodgy middle America. They'd rather drive across the river to shop in Galena. or see the famous "Field of Dreams" site in nearby Dyersville. But Dubuque is a backwater no longer. These days, ifs calling itself the "Masterpiece on the Mississippi." Just as in Minnesota's port city of Duluth, people were raring to get at the water. In Dubuque, there was already a riverboat casino moored in the Ice Harbor and a riverboat museum. But there was no piace for people to hang out on the riverfront, strolling along and watching the towboats and paddle-wheelers go by. This year. they have that - and more. Borrowing the most famous line from "Field of Dreams" - "If you build it, they will come'" a city- sponsored partnership has spent $188 million on a riverfront resort and water p"rk, a natioMI river museum and aquarium and a handsome gl"ss-"nd-stone events center. A quarter-mile Riverwalk, paved in pink and ere"m stone, connects them all. From the Ice Harbor "nd a plaza where the Mississippi Queen and her sisters dock, the path follows the river- edge dike to a new "mphitheater in front of the orn"te 1899 Dubuque Star Brewing Co., which the city owns and plans to have developed into a restaurant, brewpub and shops. Next summer, it hopes to continue the Riverwalk through the city to connect with the 26-mile Heritage St"te Trail, which winds through the Little Maquoketa River valley to Dyersville. Suddenly, Dubuque isn't so stodgy anymore. And sure enough, the people "re coming. Dubuque always has been blessed geogmphically. L"st month, when my 11-year-old son, Peter, and i were driving to the top ofthe Fenelon Place Elevator, he looked around "nd said, "Geez, I feel like we're in San Francisco." If you go Getting there: Dubuque is 330 miles east of Omaha. Take Interstate 80 east to iowa Highway 151, then go northeast through Cedar Rapids to Dubuque. Accommodations: Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark is attractive. wetl- run and close to everything. Rooms start at $gg, including waterpark admission. (866) 690-4006, www.9randharborresort.com. The resort's coupon book contains a coupon worth $40 off a two-ni9ht stay through November and other deals around town. The water park is open to anyone; admission is $10, $8 for children 3 to 12. Four attIactive B&Bs occupy mansions in town: the HancOCk House. (563) 557- 8989, www.thehancockhouse.com; the Richards House. (563) 557.1492. www.lherichardshouse.com; the Mandolin .Inn, (800) 524- 7996, www.mandolininn.com; and Redstone Inn & Suites, (563) 582-1894. www.theredstoneirin.com. On the side of a wooded bluff, two little cable cars run up and down, the legacy of " banker who, Dining: Bricktown Brewery in 1882, decided he needed a faster way to get home for his noontime me,,1 and n"p. Today, the and Blackwater Grill atThird little cars pull tourists up a 65 percent grade toward a magnificent view of Wisconsin, Illinois, the ~~n~~ain is a good place for river valley and the steepled downtown, surrounded by hills thick with Victorian manors. "They call this little Rome, because ifs built on seven hills, like Rome, Italy," said cable car National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium: Irs open daily, $8.75, $6.75 http://www.omaha.comltoolboxistorv printer.php?u id=923680&u brow=Intemet+ExDl... 11/24/2003 StcJty Printer Page 2 on operator Bruce Oeschger,who said he used the cars himself to deliver newspapers when he was children 7-17. $3.75 children a boy. 3 to 6. (800) 226-3369. www.rivermuseum.com. Far below, we could see the Spirit of Dubuque paddle-wheeler pulling out of the Ice Harbor for its dinner cruise. Speedboats carved white wakes on the river, and cars streamed across the elegant Julien Dubuque Bridge. We watched, mesmerized, as the last rays of sunlIght lit up the gold dome of the 1891 courthouse and the white spires and turrets of churches. The heavily Catholic town of 58,000 is famed for its large numbers of churches and even greater proportion of taverns. Dubuque's neighborhoods, lined with sturdy brick storefronts, have an uncanny 1950s quality and often are used in movies, such as filling in for blue-collar Boston in "Field of Dreams." Change is slow to come - except on the riverfront, where it's arrived at warp speed. Fenelon Place Elevator Co.: The ceble car. off Bluff and Fourth Streets, Is open daily throu9h November, $1.50 round-trip, 50 cents for children 5 and older. (563) 582-6496. www.dbq.com/fenpico. Nearby atirnctions: "The Field of Dreams" movie site in DyelSville, 25 miles west of Dubuque, is open daily throu9h November, (888) 875-8404, www.fodmoviesite.com. When Peter and I got to the seven-story Grand Harbor Resort, families were arriving loaded with coolers and bags of snacks, as If for a slumber party. In the 25,000-square-foot indoor water Information: (800) 798-8844. park, children were flocking to a disk jockey who was conducting hula-hoop competitions and www.traveldubuque.com. trivia contests, complete with microphones for contestants and neon digital scores. In the arcade, children competed in free tournaments; Peter beat 17 other kids in air hockey, winning the grand prize of 500 tickets. In the hallway, hotel staff presided over an ice cream sundae buffet, complete with big bowls of sprinkles, chopped peanuts and cherries. The new resort is pretty classy, and not just for Dubuque. Irs particularly blessed with a mature and competent staff, including two friendly concierge/porters. When we asked about trolley tours, one gave us the cell phone number of the operator and told us to call to be picked up right in front of the hotel. That's what we did the next day, touring the city in the drizzle with driver Gene Heeren, who filled us in on the town's fortunes since the 1788 arrival of Quebecois fur-trader JulienDu Buque. Du Buque mined lead with the permission of the Meskwaki Indians, under the sponsorship of Spain, until his death in 1810. Settlers came to the area in 1833, in the aftermath of the ugly Black Hawk War, and Missouri farm boy Mathias Ham began pulling millions of dollars in lead ore from the earth. After the Civil War, mining siowed and the big fortunes were made by iumber barons - Henry Stout, king of the Wisconsin pineries - and such entrepreneurs as AA Cooper, whose covered wagons carried pioneers over the Oregon Trail. Today, four of the palatial houses they built can be seen on the historical society's Victorian House Tour & Progressive Dinner. We got off the trolley at the new National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, on the Ice Harbor. It's on the site of the Dubuque Boat & BoilerWorks,founded in 1852 as the Iowa Iron Works and once the nation's largest shipbuilder on inland waters. The La Crosse, Wis., excursion steamboat Julia Belle Swain and a towboat were the last to be built there before It closed in 1971. The museum is quite a place. In its movie theaters, we watched towboats push barges through iocks and Ojibwe bend stalks of wild rice into canoes. We listened to delta blues and zydeco and felt vibrations from the New Madrid earthquake of 1811. In the virtual pilothouse of a towboat, we watched fellow tourists smack their barges into a bridge pier, despite having been warned it takes a tow a mile and a half to stop even at 9 mph. We stood at the erosion table and pushed buttons to make rain fall and rivers flow faster. Kids especially love the waist-high table, on which tiny farms and houses sit atop sand plateaus: "They watch to see whafs on the edge," says environmental educator Annette Wittrock, "and then they'll think, 'I'm going to stay right here until that house falls in.'" In the bayou aquarium, an alligator draped itself over the prow of a wrecked rowboat, and a giant snapping turtle waved its fieshy yellow legs, skin as thick and wrinkled as an alligato~s. Many river denizens are amazingly prehistoric-looking; in another aquarium, beady-eyed paddlefish swam alongside shovelnose sturgeon and lon9nose gar. Our favorite spot was the River Wetlab, which made me feel like a kid again, fooling around in a creek. We held mussels, watched crayfish poke themselves in the eye and touched hard pink clumps midway up the stalk of a cattail, drawing back our hands when Wittrock told us they were real snail eggs, laid the very night after staff planted the cattails at water's edge. We'd had no idea snails were so mobile; holding up an apple snail, Wittrock showed us how a snail's bottom shell folds back when it moves. so it can sit on its "feet" As it turns out, an afternoon is not long enough to see everything at the National River Museum. We had to make a quick tour httu://www.omaha.comltoolbox/storv printer.php?u id=923680&u brow=Internet+ExpL. 11/2412003 Story Printer Page 3 on of the older riverboat museum, which had a nifty one,eighth-scale model of the third Dubuque steamboat and a life-size Marquette and Joliet in a canoe and a clammer in a johnboat filled with mussels. Out back, we walked past the otter tank to the wetland, filled with ducks, and past a wigwam to the 1934 William Black, a steam-powered dredge. That evening we spent a few more hours in the hotel's water parle I took a few rides down the dark indoor-outdoor tube slide and bumped along the lazy river; Peter mostly lurked on the four-story treehouse, dumpin9 troughs of water on unsuspecting passers-by. The next morning, the sun had returned. Looking out our window at the hotel, I saw the Robin 8. Ingram pushing its cargo upriver through the railroad swing bridge, followed by the Penny Eckstein. Soon the Rlverwalk filled with boat-watchers, dog- walkers and Sunday strollers. It's odd that most cities along working rivers have ignored their waterfronts for so long. Because when they can, the people 'come. Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom httD://www.omaha.comltoolbox/storv minter.uhu?u id=923680&u bTow=IntemeHExul... 11124/2003 Wi-D12Q DAILY NEWSPAPER GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZEtTE Green Bay, WI Saturday Cireul1tlon - 69,336 Dally NOVEMBER 1, 2003 tÆIIII~lmm~III~~III~nll : :.: ßaconls . 'CliO. HIT THE yLj ~, ~I I :;1 '! ; :! Li Gas up .your ride and head' out for a . day away Cable Car Square contains boutiques that are in a Victorian setting. Photos by Mary Bergin Dubuque gets a . big-time makeover - ---'-_._.~. ..-,'"---' n~ D, reary. steep and" Ol"d,' That wås , my fIrst impression of . Dubuque, back in the 19709, after visiting a friend who landed tl1ere because of her f'rrstjob out of college. The MississIppi River's presence was largely industrial. Character and cbø.rm were lacking. My friend was glad fo~ Qur visit; no one else had made the attempt, ' months after her arrival. ' Times change. Now it's easy to reco\11' mend this northeastern Iowa city às a good place to spend a weekend; With or "without ltids, In summer or wintet!Here are a few of the reasons why: "i '., . Eagle Point Park: The park withdy- namite views of the MissIssippi was es. tablished after an influential visitor's re- mark in 1907. "I have never seen a place where the Almighty has done more, and mankind less, than Dubuque," the story goes. People were offended, but they also turned 100 riverfront acres into this, park the next year. In the 1930s, "a $200,000 Works Progress Administration grant added a Frank Lloyd Wright touch. His style of Prairie architecture is evident in park pàvi!ions IIlÌ.d shelters. There a1¡¡0 is a rock garden, , pond with fish, wadmg pool. Iowa lime. stone has been the construction material of choice. " , ", ' It costs a mere'$l per car to enter the , , park. For more, call (563) 58!!-4263 or go ; to www,cityofdubuque.org. )j. . Dubuque Mus~urn.,!!t'~rt: This b~d. rug stands out downtQwn;"not because It , is flashy but becaüse' ¡nooks whiter and , newer than much of the rest of the , neighborhood. The museum's perma. nent collecflon includes early" works by 'funerican Got"hic" painter c;>rant Wood (who was an Iowan) and other regional. ist artists, including Jolm Steuart Curry. Admission is tree on Thursday and $3 on other days; it is closed on Monday. For more, ,call (563) 557.1851 or go to www.dbqart.com. . National MississipJ¡i River Museum and Aquarium:,For good reason, a lot of - '1'ùšš has been made about this new mu. seum, which is part of a $188 million riverfront redevelopment project. The fa. cility takes a comprehensive, fun 8I}~i::,:," persol'tallook:at therNer's history, habitants and impact. : A simlÙatQr helps visitors feel what it's like to steer a barge. A huge map of the United States shows major rivers, but no state bound- aries. Engaging fIlms drive home the Mississippi's power to giye, take and be sapped of life. Admission is $8.75, with discounts for senior citizens and children. For more, go to www.rivermuseum.org or call (800) 226.3369. . Fenelon Place Elevator. This is a unique piece of the past" the world's, shortest and steepest scenic railway. It has been elevating passengers 189 feet, trom Fourth Street to Fenelon Place; since 1882. The ride season Is April 1 to Nov.30., It costs $1.75 per adlÙt (50 cents for kids) to ride roundtrip in an odd little car that looks rickety but moves effi. ciently. At one end of the route is a glo.ri- ous tri.state view. ' At the bottom is Cable Cal' Square, a fine assortment of boutiques. In the Buff (handmqde soaps), Sweet MemorIes and I" ShamroqkImportsareamongthem, as ",' are'a coqple of upscale clothing consign- ment shops, antiques stores and eater- ' ies. , If traveling without kids, a well-kept lodging choice is the Redstone Inn & Suites, al4-1"oom Victorian hotel that a prosperQus businessman gave his daugh- ter as a wedding present in 1894. It is at- tractivelr decorated, with wireless Inter- net access and room rates that include a ly share theIr insider know For' more, go to wwwtheredstoneinn.com or call (563) 582-1894. For parents with children who have PI' eXcess energy, the Grand Harbor Resort "',, might be abetter flt. , :¡¡:'" Its 25,000.square.foot indoor waterpark ,- has a Huck Finntheme and is not yet '" one year old. Other parts of Dubuque's new riverii'ont are a riverwalk, outdoor amphitheater and cor¡t;~~ce/events center (to open in this month). , For more, go to "", ,11 www.americasriver.còm or call (800) 798. ' 8844. With thee)<ception of Eagle PoInt Park, all of the places mentioned are . 'less thán a 10.minute walk from 'each other. Dining options include the roomy Bricktown Brewery, with at least five handcrafted brews on tap. ;"Nearb:\' landmarks include two his. , toric¡U¡d operating theaters: the 1889 Grané\ Opera House and the 1910 Five Flags Theater. BY MARY BERGIN. SPECIAL TO THE PRESS-GAZETTE /Ç<: " '91-14 50+ LIFESTYLES DesMolnes,IA Çlrc~ 45,000 Monthly NOVEMBER 2003 111\\\ Illmlllllllll! . . . . , . \ Bacons 9/1 --.-.-, , 1"'.,',,.,,',,8,,'",""""""'111,.,',',',,',,', '",',,'-,"',","'","""',, '. ""."""""",.,;,'.':;','.,,11""",.,',"",'.'.""',"'.,""'",','""'"""""",,,,,.,',".',' ""'î .', '1"1:' " >, I,,' ""I""q"ue' ",', ;0, '" ,,"~I ;,! ,.""", :, " ' '"",,",' , " ,:; ,<' ,:¡ , ,1; 'c' :,; ",,'" , "" ,,~~~~¡~,t::'~",!::~,,')~¡:"';;' ,"'¡;, "t!,':,""',"". ",,;"'. riv~¡; ",' ,,'" mois, ~~ :~<\:~utes eas!of, R" ëdisMvêr the Mississippi Ø¡jlf ,Fr 1rä¡! " home of !he world-famous' , ' "", , ',' , ' !hÞ oity öf:þübttí:¡ue ' " or "Field ofDreiUhs'." Ov~iiright ,designed' :bÿ~enowned Iheater 'architect,;! iisbe.utieh~andaip:. " 'frgmbed' an<i'breåkt~l!t;'è:\v;iiuì1í'G~oML. RAp!? òfChicagòlAn¡ Ihebluffsalonglhe'banks , i inns yand full service.hõtêl" oniate"1fenâissa\:ice 'Revivar'style'witlf' , RIver, it offers a variety ofihingSto see and chaínproperties. , French QÌiÍlifiBlian. j¡¡fluences, Ihe recently , I do Ð,or v~sitors of all ages,.. Dyersville is also home to ~e National',., re#ore~'Í\~dítorl1D¡t,. now serves as home .1:à, of mòre Ihan, "14,, 2 nùllion, objec, ts m' 16/1 "rhe vIew of the steep rolllllg hills, rocky Farm Toy Museum and the National,Farm' lhe'I!uo¡¡,q\1e,~y¡;n,Jj}¡gny Orchestra., ! museums ,and '8 ',reseEll'ch ,centers. As, an, b}~ffs and panoramic Mississippi RIver Toy Show, one of the many events coming i,' }'h!'(åÿJii~h.òny:'performs "A Ni,ght.of1" affiliate,;:!he' National Mississippi Rlye¡J Provide",.,'IV"',spectacular bac~drop.,;Jor up m the Dubuque ore,a this November:"",Notthem: '];;i~1:s:', featurin¡r,8_äiníl.\ii$\~: ,Museum & Aquarium'will,haye accesii'1:i¡ sh9~pmg;1\!i~quing, m¡¡seum to>#s,~g, Other a~c.tions a¡jd'~p~Cial:'even':':Ihe'" musi¡';..4n~NoY~m~er, while' sþêcial' the ~nùlhsonian's ~ast coll~ction:fronj ,boatlng,.garorog- and more. Sl1¡oll1hrougþ. , ,Mere¡' Festival of Trees, the Christmas" perf°l1l1!'Dées'at,t!ie FIve Flags Theater arè'" Amencan cultural artIfacts to fjJ)e'art.. 'i historic downtoW1) Dubuque, y¡.it"Ruaint Çandl~walk, a lights festival calléd set to".mcllide 'the Natioqal'MalldolÛ)3 The Dubuque ,Museul11'. of Art'l shops and,restaw;ants, t¡y your luck at one Refle¿tions in the Park, and special' Ellsemble and Lorie ~ Her ¡;>,op'i' pern)1û1en¡' ,col!.c~,on, contaj¡¡s.,signa1;¡¡r~ of Ihe casinos, stroll alO\1g Ihe rl,ver walk or performances at Ihe Five Flags Theater. ChamberOrchestra.,' "piécesÎl:om Iowa artist Grant Wood and aIsoj through Ihe botanical gl¡J'dens, hike 'one of The: annual Mercy Festival of Trees j',u . . " " displays trayelIDg eJlhibits, )I1CIIldi¡¡g { máity trails,. catch a feitival,(~ur historic' di.pla~s a v";,,ety ofho~idayl1¡e~s dec?r~~ed SlIIWIsomao.Affillate J!IlIseUII! ", . r.c~nt p.hotogr~ph~ exhibi,t ;,1j;Qm:th~ homes or nde on Ihe scel)W 4t!i Street by'are. 'busmesses, WIth spacIal actiVIties' pubu,que also offers. The Nationak! Snuthsoman Institution. ".¡;":') Elevatorbuiltm 1882. "', ' for eåob. '<laY of the event. During..the M,issisSíppiRiverMuseum&Aquariumand", , :For more information abolt.þubuqu~ El\Ïoy the Mississippi at thê :Port of Christmas Candlewalk, luminaries' Ime N.tional RIvers Hall of Fame, which earlier Ell'ea. attractions, visi.t, 'I'iW}V.l1¡avel<iub1i, Dnbuque's new America's 'RIver complex, downtown Dubuque and Mr. arid Mrs. Santa this year was accepted into Ihe Smilhsonian que.com or www.aroe¡;ícasriver.com, or caq which olfers a world-class liot~l; mdoor Claus'qrrive òn Ihe 4th Street Elevator. Institution Affiliations Program. The Ih.e Dubuque J\,r"'!, Chamber of Commerc~ water pEll'k, museum aIld aquariwu, river 'Reflections m Ihe Park isémonth-long .Dubuque museum features ,history and" at (800) 798-8844. I wall, and more. ' ~8h,ts [estival, . held annul!ll¡i;J;;rovember -' . wíldlifefr?~~~gh?ut the entire lengtJi" ",' . . ' ; , I Dnve through LouIs Murphy" ¡: of Ihe, MisSISSIppI RIver, and showcases:: :qubuque IS offtnng a speciqJ travel ' Ihe unique and traditionallights"'C:¡þaIlds-on'exhibits and wildlife ,from river"package promotionfor Februa;", a ,--,C,--' - __agsTheater, buílt 93 years ago m "i#ters to aUigators and snapping turtles. ,;, GetawaytoRemembe~ lblefll'1 more dQWJ1town Dubuqne, is on, ofilia few;" The Snùthsonian Institutioil is the world's;: about this unique offer and travel ' remaining halls stíll in use that was largest museu,m complex witb,.1! colle.ction specials, visit the travel Dubuque websì:ie.i . ~ ~ r5c) . , Plates to stay"); . Other lodging abo'¡¡!iiJ.' Loc,ated at tlÎe tri-state of IOWá, llIinbÂ., and 'Wisconsm, Dubuque is 15 mIDulés'west 'of historic IBE-ISO MAGAZINÉ BESTFARES.COM Arl/noion. 1J( Clrc- 176,000 HI-Mnnthly NOVEMBER 1, 2003 11111~llmlllmmlllll'lImllll~lIIljljll~ ::~ Bacon's CliO " " . . j "'.. Travelers Encyclopedia Bargains With The Bergen Card The Bergen Card, marketeq by Discover Non-vay, provides free bus transportation within the city and free adnússion to most museums and attractions, inciuding the Bergen Art Muse- um, Mount Floyen funicuiar, Bryggens Museum, King Hakon's Hall, Rosenkrantz Tower, St. Mary's Church, the open-air Old Bergen Muse- um, the Fantaft Stave Church, Bergen Jl4¡lritime Museum, West Norway Museum of Decorative Art and Damsgard ¥anor, The card also pro- vides free parking plus discounts on car renta)s, concerts, theater perfonnances, movies, a folk dancing program arid Waterworld. . A 24-hour card costs about $24 (165 Norwe-. gian kroner); a 48-hour card is about $35 (245 kroner). Cards for dûIdren ages three to' 15 are half-price. In Bergen, purchase at Tourist Infonnation at VagsaIlmenningen, at some ho- tels, the rail station and the express boat tenninaL For more infonnation access www, visitbergen.com. Denver: Sunnier Than Miami Denver has more annualsunsirine days than Mianú. Take that bright fact and add your pick of the area's attractions to create a getaway that will wann your heart. . Start with thmgs to do and see from offerings on The Denver Tr""el Guide, www. denver.org/visitors/index.asp- The site can help. you fill a vacation with city sights, and its Hub & Spoke Tours section offers ideas for day trips (or longer). Colorado Springs (http:/ /todo,colorado springs.corn) offers the Garden of the Gods, the U.S. OlympicS TraIDing Center and Goiden Gate Canyon State Park. Head north ta Pikes Peak (www.pikes-peak.com/attractions/cograilway .him) where you can ride the world's lùghest cog railway, or travel south to Canon City (www. canoncitychamber.com/visitors.html) and Royal Gorge Country, where the Royal Gorge suspen- sion bridge hangs over 1,000 feet above the Arkansas River. For more Colorado tourism information, access www.colorado.com. . :Fayetteuilúi'sAirbome . & Special Operations . . Museum Eniist In Fayetteville FayetIPvme and Cumberland County (bor- dered by Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base) emphasizes its milItary focus. , Fayetteville's Airborne & Special Opera- tions Museum facility (www,asorof.org) presents life-size dioramas m a 23,OOO-square-foot exhibit hall, a Vista-Scope large-screen theater and a motion simulator that puts visitors through the paces of modem special operations. Fort Bragg (www.bragg.army.miI) ;s open to civilians with entry through designated gates. In November/December 2003 71 /1,\ TTavelers Encyclopedia adclition to museums, it has a number of sites that lùghlight the lùstory of past and present troops. The JFK Memorial Chapel, with beautiful stained glass windows, is declicated to Special Forces soldiers. WID- dows handcrafted with 14,000 pieces of an- tique gJass lúghlight the Main Post Chapel. The windows of the 82nd Airborne Division Memorial Chapel depict varIO1J5 campaigns. Iron Mike, a monument to the airborne trooper, stands at the intersection of Randolph and Armistead Streets. Spe- cial Operations Memorial Plaza honors special operations solcliers and the JFK Hall of Heroes recognizes Medal of Honor iecipients from the Special Forces Rangers and Inclian Scouts. The 82nd Airborne Division War Memoriai Museum, located on Fort Bragg, honors the lùstory of the clivision Iromlts activatiOn in 1917 through its service in World War II as the Anny's first airborne clivision, and through over 50 years as the nation's primary strategic force. The muse- um houses an extensive collection of weapons, uniforms, aircraft, parachutes and other Items Irom World War 1 through the present day. For more information on Fayetteville, access www.visltfayettevillenc.com. Free Beer In St. Louis 51. Louis may be second oruy to New York in the number of free attractions it of- fers, Most major sites and city museums won't cost you a clime. Your biggest enter- . tainment expense may be the $8 51. Louis Arch ticket. See the animals at the St. Louis Zoo (www.stlzoo.org) or drive through the. safari-like Grant's Farm (www.grantsfanri .com) where 1,000 animals from six conti- nents roam. Be mystified and enlightened at the hands-on St. Louis Science Center (www, sIsc.org). View the vast collections of the St. Louis Art Museum (www.sIam.org), the first public-funded art museum in the coun- try, and stroll the 9&-acre Laumeier Scuip- lure Park (www.laumeier.org) where art is whimsical as well as serious. Pay attention to lùstory with a visit to downtown's OJd Courthouse (www.nps. gov/jeff/och.htm) where the Dred Scott slavery trial was. held, If your timing is right., you can participate in a courtroom trial reenactment. The Missouri Historical Societ.y (www.mohistory.org) in Forest Park Iets you see the St. Louis of long ago. Tn East St. Louis, on the illinois side of 72 November/DeCember 2003 the riVet; e"'Piore Cahokla Mow1ds State Historic SIte (www.cahokiamounds.com), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It includes the remains of an ancient city from about 800 AD., inclucling the 14-acre, 1O0-foot-talI Monks Mound, wlùch you can c\imb for a great view of the St. Louis skyline. Visit St. Louis's newest state park :- Route 66 State Park (www.mostateparks .com/route66.htm) with a museum full of memories from the time when Route 66 was America's Main Street. The free beer is courtesY.Ç>l~er- .fu!õclt (www.budweisertours.com), where tours include the..O¡Ldesdales. For more information (including accommodations starting at $60 a night), access www.explorestlouis.com. Be sure to click on TIckets and Deais for ways to save on lodging and other aspects of your visit. Georgia's Chieftains Trail From Atlanta, take 1-75 north for about an hour to Exit 288, then go south on GA 113 (Main Street)' through four traffic . lights. Cross the ralhoad tracks then turn right into the parking area at Cent..ville's Friendslúp Plaza and stop by the V15ltor Infonnatlon Center located m the re- stored railroad depot. You'll be on track to b~gin traveling Georgia's Clùeftains Trail (www.chleftainstrail.com). . The Booth Western Art Museum (www.boottrmuseum.org), behind the Church Street Bridge ~_Centerville, J.:¡pus- es one of fl1e counl1y's fmest collections of contemporary Western Art, as well as Civil War art, western movie posters and illus- trations, a Presidential Gallery and an in- teractive Children's Gallery. The Elowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site, three miles from Cartersvllle, is the most intact Mississippian Cultural Site in the east. Orùy one of the mounds has been excavat- ed; the remaiIùng mounds have been pre- served just as they were nearly a tl1Ousand years ago. About'30 miles north of Cartersville, New Echota State HIstoric Site in Calhoun honors the capital of the Cherokee Nation prior to 1838 when President Andrew Jackson executed the forced march to Oklahoma remembered as the infamous Trail of Tears. It is one of two Georgia sites designated as offiàal Trail of Tears sites by the United States Department of the In- terior. The Clùeftaffis Museum in Rome, the home of the Cherokee Clùef who signed the treaty that led to the Trail of Tears, is the other Georgia Trail of Tears site. The Clùeftaffis Museum/Major Ridge Home is approximately 30 miles west of CartersviIle. Other sites on the Clùeftains Trail m- elude the- Clùef Varm House State Historic Sité, known as the "Showcase of the Cherokee Nation," and the Funk Heritage Center, an mterpretative museum on tl1e campus of Reinhardt College, 20 miles east of Cartersville. The Funk clisplays 12,000 AnJæuser-BuschClydesdales ot Grants Farm, St. Louis /y\ years of Native American lùstory through artifacts, dioramas and interactive work- stations in the HaIl of the Ancients. For more online tracks to the Oùef- tains Trail, access www.11otatlanta.org and www.georgiaonInymind.org. Giant Insects Invade Victoria Giant robotic insects, some as long as 22 feet, wiJI invade ihe Royal BC Museum jn Victoria (www.royalbcmuseum .bc.ca, 888-447-7977) through March 21- See a black beetle the size of a truck, a grasshopper with a wmgspan of an F-20 Tiger Shark, a 22-foot praying mantis, a 17-foot swallowtail caterpiliar and much more. The robotic bugs are controlled by computer and animated by pneumatic valves, allowing for dramatic move- ments. Learn how a dragonfly chews, how a bee sucks nectar and how a pesky mosquito, magnified 600 times its real size, draws its meal through its piercing mouthparts. In conjunction with the Giant Robotic insects exhibit, the National Geograplùcal !MAX Theatre will feature the movie Bugs!, providing a bug's eye-view of the fascinating universe of Insects magnified up to 250,000 times their normal size on the giant IMAX screen. Hotel ESpionage With a grain of sand close at hand, you may want to check out online guest re- views of hotels worldwide. You won't find a wealth of balanced reviews (most people write when they are either thrilled or total- iy clisgusted with the hotels) and YQu shouldn't take the words for gospel trutll. As interesting as thes~ sites can be (as well as refreshing vacations from hype), you should keep in mind that reviews are a nùx of honest expressions of one person's experience and raves and rants (some of wlùcll could be subnùtted bv either an irate employee or a publicity p~rson). Each site has different standards for what they post. Before you start reading the reviews, gain a sane foundation by detennining if the site edits submissions and posts every- thing subnùtted. The dean of sites is ""^~".HoteIShark .com, coverIng well over 400 US. destina- tions and almost a hundred more world- wide. At www.Epinions.com you can find reports on almost 4,000 properties, with about 16 new ones added each day. For' theme park hotel reviews, access www. 111emeParkinsider.com. Travelers Encyclopedia Y¡re 221001 praying ¡nantis al tIre Royal BC Museum is robotic, so Ihere's no worry abvnt being ils ¡wy. The Largest Skiable Domain In The World Learn about France's Rhone-Alpes region at the neW www,france-rhone alps-tourism.com. Only two hours SOUtll- east of Paris via tlleTGV high-speed train, Rhone-Alpes is synonymous with Mont- Blanc, the Alps' highest summit; Lyon, France's second largest city and known as the capital of gastronomy; the B~aujolais and Cotes-du-Rhone wme countries; extraordinary nature parks, and a variety of outdoor activities and extreme sports. Site infonnation mcludes city descrip- tions; detaIls on skiing in the largest ski- able domain In the world; outdoor sports such as canoeing/ksyaking in the spectac- ular canyons of the Ardeche or lùking on 27,000 miles.of marked trails; and sugges- tions for stays centered on gastronomic and wine themes, including cooking and wine schools. The site also offers infonnation on access to the region by plane, train and rental car; links to accommodation- reservation websites, with lodging for all budgets; links to tour operators; a calendar of major events; and a regularly updated news section. Locomotion Go to the American Public Trans- portation Association's website (www. apta.com/links/state_local) for Jinks to transit systems in all 50 States. The site in- cludes public and privateIy-owned sys- tems that operate on land and over water, If you're courageous enough to ride with strangers and enterplising enough to do some research tllat cuts down the risk, you might be interested in ToShare (www. toshare.org), an international site based in Spain. T05hare invites you to post your trip, plus hlforl11ation about travel and personal habits, and other details that could matter, where it can be searched by people looking for rides. Interested people subnùt a request. Your identity is protected until when, and if, you decide to release it. Otl1er sites with European rideshare op- portunities include www.freewheelers .co.ukand www.eurolift.com. Merrily Myrtle Merrily MyrtJe, a hoJiday celebration of over two months of concerts, communi- ty festivals, theater performances, arts and . crafts shows and more, runs from Novem- ber 1 to January 15 in MyrtJe Beach. SWhlg November/December 2003 73 Travelers Encyclopedia into spring witil tile 43rd annual Canadi- an-American Days Festival March 13-21, including the Carl-Am Littie Olympics, South Strand Wildlife and History Day, a youth soccer tournament, tile National Shag Dance Olampionsrup, a big band dance and a St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival. For more information, access www.myrtiebeachinfo.com or call 843-916- 7239. . The Mighty Mississippi's New Museum The_Mississippi River runs through 10 states, but Iowa won the honor of bringing it home. !2nhnqI1P', n.ew National Missis- sippi Ri,'er Muse1.Un & Aquari1.Un includes riverboat exlu'bits, a theater and library, a boardwalk trail through a wetland, and lots of aquatic creatures from ailigators to otters. Every two hours, a riverboat travels into the Port of Dubuque Ice Harbor. You can take a towboat tour, see how boats are built, walk Oft a floating dock or walk arl outdoor trail where guests are welcome to help cut logs for a cabin to be built on the site, weave cattails or listen to tales of American Indians, fur traders, oldtime an- glers and other early pioneers. The museum incorporates the 20- year-old Natiorutl Rivers Hall of Fame, ,,~th exhibits on Lewis and Dark, steam- boat inventor Robert Fulton, Mark Twain, Louis A111lStrong and other figures from history whose lives were interwoven "~th the MississippI. The Depot Cafe offers lunch and snacks in a refurbished 19th- century train station. Hands-on exhibits let you learn through an additional sense. Walk the deck ofa 1934 steamboat, the Wi/Ne M. Black, arld tour the pilot house and engine room. You can even spend the night for a taste of what it was like to live on a working dredge boat as long as a football field. . TIle museum spans five riverfront acres and is adjacent to a resort and river walk. It's open daily (except Thanksgiving and Ouistmas) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ad- mission is $8.75 for adults, $7.75 for seniors and $6.75 for ages seven to 17. Access www.rivermuseum.com or can 563-557- 9545 or 800-226-3369. More Than straw In Nassau A trip (or a cruise call) to Nassau should be more than a quick swing through the Straw Market. Visit Fort Montagu, whose cannons have never been fired durùlg war; Fort is Charlotte, with its moat, dungeons and se- 'Ii eret passag~ways; and Fort Fincastle, Ji shaped like a paddlewheel steamer and 10- " cated next to the Water Tower. Walk er take the elevator to the top of tIle tower (over 200 feet above the sea) for a panoramic view of Nassau arld its harbor. Other Nassau architectural and his- torical highlights iÍ1clude a 125-foot tower with a spiral staircase, museums, art gal- leries and many churches erected in the mid-1800's. . Paradise IsJand, just across the bridge, has its own highlights, SUcll as the Ver- sailles Gardens, with pools, waterfalis and marble statues. Dubuquc's National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium spans five riverfront acres. 74 November/December 2003 Scottsdale's ArtWalk presellts over 100 galleries. In addition to its popuIarheach a<:tiv- ities, Nassau offers kayaking and biking, nature walks in the Rand Nature Center, the Garden of tile Groves botankal garden and more. For additional infonnation, call 800- 224-2627 or access www.bahamas.com. Nicotine Baggage On January 1, Ireland plans to ban smoking in pubs - a move few believe will succeed. Norway and tI,e Netllerlands will ban smoking in bars and restaurants, effective this coming spring in Norway, 2005 in the Netherlands. Greece may place new restrictions on public smoking in time for its 2004 Olympic Games. France, more ill accord Witll the bulk of Ew-ope, has made no SUcll moves to- ward banning smoking, opting for higher taxes on tobac<:o and tougher penalties for sening cigarettes to minors. Packs of ciga- rettes sold throughout Western Europe have 30 to 40 percent of tbelr surface cov- ered ,,~tll blwll warning statelne\lts, SUcll as "Smoldng Kills," This is by European Union mandate. About 30 percent of adults in Europe smoke, with higher percentages in COlUltJ.;es such as Hungary and Spain, lower percentages in Sweden and Britain. TIle rate in America continues to decrease 'Illd now is about 23 percent. /t.,\ New Zealand lawmakers voted to enact smoking restrictions designed to go into effect in late 2004. Smoking will be banned in elevators, on ships and trains (except in passenger and crew quarters), in taxis and in public toilets. Bars, restaurants and casinos will be req.ùred to create well- ventilated smoking areas. No sitting In italy Tourists who sit or lay on the steps and pavement armmd the cathedrals of Florence or Venice risk a 50 euro fine. Signs have been posted near the Duomo (cathe- dral) in Florence and the Basilica of St. Mark in Venice's St. Mark's Square. The signs read: "Sitting or lying down prohib- ited" and apply to ti1e entire St. Mark's Square area. The signs stem from com- plaints from religious leaders that people who want to enter the churches have to make ti1eir way over reclining tourists and hustling souvenir sellers. The Not-50-Great Wall The 01inese govemment has closed vast stretches of its almost 3,OOO-mile Great Wall to tourists, bicyclists and hikers due to deterioration. Tourists will be restricted to areas ti1at have been restored and offi- cially designated as visitor sites. Those who attempt to use other areas of the Great Wall could face fines. The Pope, U2 And Glass In Ohio St. Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes will be on display December 20 through April 18 at the Dnci=atLMu- se,!l)),Çel)!~r (www.cincymuseum.org). It is the largest collection of Vatican art arid artifacts to travel to North America, witi1 many pieces never before seen by the pub- lic. Highlights include a mosaic by Giotto, drawings by Micl1elangelo and a repro- duction ofSt. Peter's tomb. Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (www.rockhall.com) is featuring U2: a Career Spanning Retro- spective, through December 31. Items on display include concert apparel, instru- ments and hand-written lyrics. The Franklin Park Conservaton' (www.fpconservatory.org) in Columbu's will host the blown glass art of Dale Ou- huly within the lush surroundings of their indoor gardens of the Con.serva- tory through March 21. Bold, beautifully shaped and colored glass pieces will Hoat in pools, entwine witi1 vines and rest among flowers and plants. The Columbus Museum of Art (www.columbusmuseum.org) presents Concerto in Glass: The Art of Lino Tagli- apietra, through March 21.' The artist's work is grounded in traditional Venetian techniques. Scottsdale's Balmy Winter Scottsdale, hotter ti1an blazes in sum- mer, focuses many of its outdoor activities and special events in the cooler months when temperatures still approximate sum- mer in most parts of North An1erica. Spend a cas.ual evening with friends and family at ti1e year-round Scottsdale ArtWalk (www.scottsdalegalleries.com, 480-990-3939) held every Thursday evel1ing from 7-9 p.m. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through May 31, downtown Scottsdale is the scene of Market in the Village. Enjoy fresh-grown produce, baked breads and pastries, fish, flowers, coffees, tamales and more. Enjoy culinary treats at Ole' Mole!, A Celebration of ChIles and Chocolates, held November 15-16 at the Desert Botanical Gardel1.TIckets are $7.50 for adults; $650 for seniors and $350 for children three-12; children under three are admitted free. The Cowboy Mounted Shooting As- sociation World 01ampionships (www. cowboymountedshooling.com) will be held November 20-23 at WestWorld. of Scottsdale. Admission to the fast action, timed event is free. For more information on Scottsdale, access www.scottsdalecvb.corn. Senior Theme ParK Savings Seniors can save at 39 Six Flags ti1en1e parks in North America and Europe. Age rnÌ1umums and discount amounts vary by location. Sample savings include $12 off at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio (ages 55+); $15 off at Oluo's Six Flags Worlds of Adventure (61+); and almost 50 percent off at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom for ages 55 and over, and free admission for guests age 65 and above. Save at three Sea Worlds and Busch Gardens in both Tampa Bay and Williams- burg Wfti1 AARP memberslup. Receive a $5 discmmt Wednesday through Monday, an $8 discoilllt on Tuesdays, when special events such as workshops on senior health, cooking and horticulture preSel1tations are offered. SeaWorld's senior guests will also be in,'ited to behind the scenes talks with animal trainers. Tlte Must"Have Travel Accessory for IOIlay's Airport If you've fumbled with your 10 while taking off your shoes and coat, emptying your pockets, and removing your computer, you'd find getting through airport security a lot simpler and less stressful with the SECURITY POUCH. Judy Jacobs E"yT""IAI, It all started when Judy Jacobs lost her driver's licel1$e while going through airport security. She vowed she'd find an easier way to juggle 'hedD, boarding pass, and other travel essenria!s. When she couldn't find it, she mode it. To get through today's high security airports, travelers need rheir hands free and their ID in easy reach. The SECURITY POUCH takes away the worry of losing your ID at the airport - everyone's worst nightmare! Savvy travelers, like travel advocate Diana Fairechild, say, "It makes negotiating the airport security maze a cinch." And, according to security staff, it can help speed up your clearance. The lightweight, postcard-sized carryall holds your ID and boarding passes easily visible in dear vinyl windows on the front. On the back side are two pockets, one wluch doses secure1ywith a non-metal zipper, to stash valuables like cash and credit cards out of sight but easy for you to reach. Order today! Get the online special only $10 at www.EasyTraveIAir.com or caIlBOO.282.1469 to order at $14.99 each November/December 2003 75 ,'2/ .' Travelers Encyclopedia Ski Vail For Under $35 A Day VaiJ Resorts is offering frequent skiers and snowboarders H1e Perfect 10 TIcket for $349 for adults and $199 for children. The deeply discounted ticket allows 10 days of skiing at six world-dass resorts: VaiJ. Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Arapa- hoe Basin in Colorado, and Hea\'enly in Callfon-ua and Nevada. Skiers and riders can experience six of the most popular win- ter resorts in the country for less than $35 per day through April. December 19 through January 3 is blacked out. You must use at least one day by Janua¡y 31. Purchase at w\,'w.snow.com or at any lift ticket win- dow office at the six participating resorts. Skiing With The Gold Receive VIP treatment at 260 U.S. ski resorts and do a good deed at the same time. Help H1e U.s. Ski and Snowboard Team prepare for the Olympics by pur- chasing the 2004 Gold Pass, allowing ac- cess to mountains around the country. America's Olympic hopefuls are the only Olympic athletes who do not receive gov- emInent support. . The u.S. Ski and Snowboard Associa- tion, national govemù1g body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding, in partnership with the National Ski Areas Association, mints a limited quantity of Gold Pass medallions that offer access to thousands of trails across the COUl1try, including major resorts like Vail, Park City, Deer Valley, Aspen, Stowe, Killington, Sun Valley, Heavenly and Squaw Valley as well as re- gional ski areas such as Mountain Creek (NJ), Hunter Mountain (NY), Seven- Springs Mountain (PA), Wisp Ski Area' (MD) and Snowshoe Mbuntain (WV). The Gold Pass is fully transferable, al- lowing friends, Iamily members and cor- porate clients to take full advantage of the pass. It's $5,000, partially tax-deductible as a d'laritable donation. Call 800-809-7669. Three-point Planning Make a three-point online journey be- fore your next trip within the UIÚted States, and arm yourself with knowledge ofwhat's happening in your destination. First, visit the official tourism site (worldwide sites are listed at "ww.towd.com), paying attention to destination discounts and special events. Note one of the main zip codes of the place you'll be visiting. Next, go to http:/ /aolsvc. \\'eekender.digita1city.com and type your destination zip code to find suggestions on 76 November/December 2003 Vail Resort's Pelfeet 10 ticlæt makes skiing mare affordable. events, restaurants, ¡-ughtlife and shopping. Your third stop is www.weekendevents .CQ1n, particularly strong on rnuseUl11S, H1e- atres and festivals. Traveling With Your Gym Beat tl1e problem of poorly equipped gyms at budget hotels by taking advantage of a benefit that comes WiH1 many home- town gym memberships. Many provide ac- cess to other gyms worldwide. About 3,000 gyms participate Î11 the Passport Program, providing workout pri\~leges at some clubs and discounts on guest passes at others. Othe~ fit suggestions for staying healthy when you travel can be fO\md at www.Healthclubs.com (seard1 gyms by amenities and activities); www.Yogafinder .com (listing classes in over 60 countries); and www.Airportgyms.com (covering in- and near-airport facilities). iWo Months Of Fun Cruise into Las Cruces November 1-2 for the Renaissance Craft Fair (www. southemnewmexico.com/ articles/ events. LasCrucesRenaissanceCraft.hbnl, 505-523- 6403) 01' head to Guthtie, Oklahoma where A Tertitotial Christmas Celebration runs from November 29 to December 24 (www. oktourism.com/cities/guthrie.asp, 405- 282-1947). Enjoy a taste of Germany at Bethle- hem, Pennsylvania's Christkindlmarkt November 28-30 and December 5-8, 12-15 & 19-22 (www.dllistkindlmarkt.org, 610- 861-0678) or go nautical for the holidays witl1 Seattle's Argosy Christmas Ship Festi- val December 1-23 (www.argosycnIises. com/specialevents/xmas.cfm, 800-642- 7816) or the Boat Parade Of Lights in Lake Havasu City, Arizona December 6-7 (www.boatparadeoflights.org). Close out the year witl1 Whale Watching Week in Waldport, Oregon December 26 through January 2 (www.whalespoken.org, 541- 563-2002). Visa Inflation Over the past two years, the Bush ad- ministration has been increasing visa fees ;¡¡ for \~sitors from many foreign countries. .:; After two, price hikes, tl1e fee now stands at ~ $100. Some countrieshaveraised their visa .! fees in reaction. Brazil raised their fee by - ~ $55, to a new $100; China up $20 to $50; Russia up $30 to $100; and the Ukraine up $25 to $100. The Waterloo Of The Confederacy Petersburg, Virgi1-ua, just south of Ricl,- mond, once tl1e site of a CiviJ War battle called "The Waterloo of the Confederacy," is now home to the new $34 million Pamplin Historical Park (www.pamplinparkorg). ll1e attraction attempts to show what life was like for soldiers and Soutl1en1ers dur- ing tl1e Civil War era, when over 620,000 soldiers lost their lives and H1e country was split in ways we have yet to fully ¡nend. Guests start their visit by choosing an ;n- fantryman who actually fought in the war. The museum's audio tour walks the guest tlll'ough the soldier's enlisbnent, marches to tl1e front line and first battle, uSÎ11g actual diary entries and letters. Only at the end of tl1e presentation does the guest find out if his or her soldier lived or died. ll1e museum also displays several H10usand Civil War artifacts and l'las a host /ìì . . of interactive displays. Costumed inter- .preters conduct rifle-loading and shooting demonstrations outside the mtlSeUl11. TIle grounds include almost two miles of earth- en walls built by tile Confederacy, a Civil War-era camp, fanrùand where costumed men grow tobacco and com, the Hardtack & Coffee Cafe and tile Civil War Store. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. most of the year (an hour'1ater in sum- mer). Admission is $1350 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7.50 for ages six-H. Wine, Wine, Wine Wme lovers are smart to visit www.WmeCountry.com, providing lots of infonnation for trips to the vineyards. The site has added Virginia's wine country (www.virginia.winecountry .com) to its network of websites. With its California regional sites (www.napavalley.com, WWW.SOnoma .com, www.mendodno.winecountry .com, www.monterey.winecountry .com, www.santacruz.winecountry .com, www.santabarbara.winecowltry .com and www.sanluisobispo.wine country.com) well established, Wine Country.com soon wili add to its ros- ter Washington, Oregon, New York and Texas, the four states that, along with California and Virginia, com- prise the top hali-dozen wine produc- ing regions in the United States. A World (And 20 Minutes) From .Manhattan Take a 20-minute drive from Manhat- tan to City Island (www.cityisiand.com), where you can walk by the water, savor the village-like atmosphere, the Historical Society MtlSeum (190 Fordham Street) and enjoy a great seafood dumer. City IslaI-Ld is . j'fst beyond Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip, Swallow... plan yom' !Vinery visits at Winecountry.co", Travelers Encyclopedia .~ sun'Owlded by the waters of tile Long ls- land Sound and Eastchester Bay. With Exe- cution Light to the nortileast and Stepping Stones Lightil0use to the south, it has a rich nautical histmy. The island was originally home to tile Siwanoy Inclians, then became an Engllsh settlement in 1685. Its many decades of ship- building led to the construction of subma- rUle chasers, PT Boats, landing crafts, tugs and mirte sweepers for use Ul World War 1L giving way to yacht-buildulg in recent years producing America's Cup ships inducling the butepel1dcnce, Entelp,,;sc and Courageous. Dining options are numerotlS. Some of the best include tile Crab Shanty (361 City Island Avenue), Lazy Susan's (316 City Island Avenue) and the Lobster Box (34 City Island Avenue). From Manhattan's East Side take FDR Drive to the Triboro Bridge. Turn onto tile Bruckner Expressway. Stay on 95 North to Exit 8B (City Island). Take a right at the sign after the drawbridge, then turn at the traffic circle and head over tile bridge. . From the West Side, take the West t Side Highway North, turn North on Route -I 95 (The Cross Bronx Expressway) and go ¡ to Exit .8B(City Island). Turn right at the ¡ sign just after the drawbridge. .. By public transportation, take the #6 II train north to Pelham Bay Park, which is the last stop. Transfer to City Bus BX 29 which will take you to City Island. ~ Statement of Ownership, Management & Circulation. . . A Total No. Caples (Net Press Run) B. Paid and/or Requested Circulation 1. PaldlRequested Outside .County Mall 2. Paid In-<:ounty Subscnptions 3. Sales through dealers and carriers 4. Other classes mailed through the USPS C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation D. Free Distnbution by Mail (Sampl"", Complimenlary or other Free Copies) 1. Outside County 2. In.County 3. Olher classes mailed through the USPS E. Free Distnbution Oulside Ihe Mall F. Tolal Free Distribution (sum of D and E) G. Total Dlstribuled (sum 01 C and F) H.. Copies Not Dislnbuled I. 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Extent and Nature of Circulation: Aclual No. Copies of Single Issue Published Neareslle Filing Date 112.489 Average No. Copies Each Issue Dunng Preceding 12 Mos. 123,944 111,819 123,257 230 112,049 267 123,524 312 312 57 21 390 112.439 50 112,489 41 24 377 123,901 43 123,944 17. I certify that the statements made by me above are correct and compiete (signature and title of Edilor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner: Thomas Parsons, Publisher). November/December 2003 77 TRAVEL " , Dubuque. turns a port into a playground PAGE E6 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2,2003 By BETH GAUPER Knight Ridder Newspapers "r,> Ó,'~,B UiQ(U,~j(y:;r For much of ,its existence, Dubuque has been a little short on chamma. ' , ' ' ' , It started out well, with a 1ead- ' mining boom and eight brew- eries' and Victorian mansions filled with millionaires., But it faded mto, obscurity. Its last brewery sits empty next to the 1856 Shot Tower, where labor- ers once turned molten lead into bullets and cannonballs by drop. ping ,it through screens into cool river water.. ' , Dubuque 'does have Iowa's three oldest churches, its three ò1destcollèges anditsonJycourt-' house with a gold-1èaf dome. It still has its historic mansions and spectacular cityscape views fi'om the, woÌ'ld's shortest and steepest railway. But to many tourists, Dubuque is a Peoria, a syìJ.òny¡;n for stodgy middle America., They'd' rather drive across the river to shop in Galena, or see the famous "Field of' Dreams" site in nearby Dyersville. But Dubuque'is a backwater no 10ngecThese days, it's calli;ng itself "Masterpiec~ ,.on the Mississippi." .Tnot .. in Minnø,ont.'. rhl1nth , , , Iowa Tourism Photo San Francisco-style scenics can be found'!n Dubuque, along with Mississippi River history and Victorian mansions carved into towering limestone bluffs; an autbentic paddlewheeler; antiques and boutiques for shopping; and bed-and-breakfa.st inns lor stopping. . River valley to Dyersville. The new resort is pretty classy, Dubuque always has been and not just for Dubuque. It's par. blessed geographically. On the ticWarIy blessed with a mature side of a wooded bluff, two little and competent staff; including cable cars run up and down,the two 1TIendly concierge/porters. , legacy of a banker who, in 1882, When we asked about trolley decided he needed afaster way to tours; one gave us the cell phone , get home for his noontime meal number of the operator and told .nil non 'l'nilov thA littlA r-"rR Dull UR to r.all for a nick-un right in Dubuque Boat & Boiler Works, founded in 1852 as the Iowa Iron Works and once the nation's largest shipbuilder on inland - waters; La Crosse's excursion I' steamboat Julia Belle Swain and a towboat were the last to be built before it closed in 1971. , The museum is Quite a place. In I WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS COURI Details to note if you go to Dubuque. ACCOMMOOATIONS: Grand Main is a good place for dinner. Harbor Resort and Waterpark Is National Mississippi River, attractive, well-run and close to Museum & Aquarium: It's open everything. Rooms start at $99, dally, $8.75, $6.75 children 7-17, Including waterpark admission;. $3.75 children 3-6. (800) 226- packages can be a very good val- 3369, www.rtvermu,seum.com. ue for families, (866) 690-4006, CRUISES: Through October, WWW.grandharborresort.com. the Spirit of Dubuque offers 1 The resort's coupon book, 1/2-hour sightseeing crulsesat3 contains a coupon worth $40 off p.m. daily, $12.50, $7.50 , a two-night stay through Novem- children 12 and under; two-hour , ber and other deais around town. lunch cruises, $26 and $16; 2.5- Nonguests also can use the and 3.5-hour dinner cruises, water park; admission is $10, $8 $39.75-$21.20; and four:hour for children 3-12. fail-color cruises, $45-$32. Fourattractive B&Bs occupy (800) 747-B093, mansions in town: The Hancock www.spiritofdubuque.'com. Housß, (563) 557-8989, www.the- Fenelon Place Elevator Co.: hancockhouse.com; The Richards The cable car, off Bluff and, " l:Io~se, (563) 557- Fourth streets, is open daily 1492,www.therichardshouse.com; through November, $1.$0 The Mandolin Inn, (800) 524- . round-trip, 50 cents for children ,7996, www.mandolininn.com;and 5 and older, 563'582-6496, Redstone Inn & Suites, 563-582- wwwdbq.com/fenpico. 1894, www.theredstonelnn:com. T.ROLLEY TOURS: Trolleys of In spring, the river museum D,ubuque offers hourlong tours" hopes to open a "boat and with noontime pickups. Through breakfast" on its 1934 William October, cost is $8, $4 for chil- ' Black steam dredge, moored in dren 5-12. (563) 552-2896, " the Ice Harbor. (800) 408-0077, . DINING: Bricktown Brewery INFORMATION: (800) 798- and Blackwater Grill at Third and 8844. www.traveldubuque.com. Mississippi" Just as in Minnesota's Duluth, people were raring to get at the water: In Dubuque, there already was a riverboat casino moored in the Ice HarbOl;' and a riverboat museum. But there was no place for people to hang out on the riverfront, strolling along and watching the towboats and pad- dlewhee1ers go by. They got that this ~ar: ' , A city-sponsored partnership has spent $188 million on a rtver- ftont resort and water pam, a. national river museum and aquarium, ap.d a handsome glass- and-stone eVents center. ' A guarier-mile RiverwaIk, paved m pink ahd cream stone, connects them aJl From the Ice Harbor and a plaza where the Mississippi Queen and her sis- ters dock,. the path follöws the river-edge dike to a new 'amphitheater, in front of the ornate 1899' Dubuque' Star Brewing Co.; which the city owns and plans to have developed into a restaurant, brewpub and shops. Next summe¡; it hopes to contin- ue the Riverwa1k through the city to connect with the 26-mile , Heritage State Trail that winds through the Little Maquoketa get home ror IDS noqnnme meaL' IlWUUt:':U"U=V"",.ó..v. ~ ~.- and nap. Today,thelittlecarspull us to ,call for a pick-up right m {tourists up a 65-percent grade ftont of the hotel. , toward ;¡ magnliicent view of That's what we did the next day, 'WISConsin, ll1inois, the river val- touring the city in the driizIe ley and the ,steepled downtown, with driver Gene Heeren, who surrounded by hills thick with filled us in on the town's fortunes Victorian manses. since the 1788 arrival of Far below" we could see the Quebecois fur-trader JulienDu Spirit of Dubuque paddlewheel- Buque. Du Buque mined ,lead er pulling out of the Ice Harbor with ,the pernlission ,of the for itsdIDner cruise. Speedboats Mesquakie, under the aegis of 'carved white wakes on the river, Spain, until his death m 1810. and cars streamed across the ele- Settlers came to the area in 1833, ' gantJulien Dubuque Bridge. We in the aftermath of the ugly watched, mesmerized, as the last Black Hawk War, and Missouri ray¡; of sunlight lit up the gold farm boy Mathias Ham began dome of the 1891 courthouse and pulling millions of dollars iIi the :White spÏreS and turrets of, lead ore ftom the earth. , Churches; the heavily Catholic After the Civil War, mining town of 58,000 is famed for 'its slowed and the big fortunes were largenwnbers of Churches and madeby1wnberbarons-Henry even greater proportion of tav-,' Stout, king of the WISconsin ems. pineries - and such entrepre- When my Ì1-year-o1dson, Pete¡; , neurs as AA Coope¡;whose cov. and I got to the seven-story ered' wagons carried pioneerS Grand Harbor', Resort, families over the: Oregon Trail Today,,' were arriving loaded with coo1- four of the palatial houses they ers and bags of snacks, as jf for a built can be seen on the, histi¡ri- , slumber party. In the 25,000- ca1 society's Victorian' House sqi1are-foot indoor water park, '!bur & Progressive Dinner: children were flocking to a dee- We got off the trolley at the new jay who was, conducting hula- 'National Mississippi River ' hoop' competitions and trivia Musewn & Aq!l3rium, on the Ice contests. ' Harbor: It's on' the site of, the, ------------ ,The musewn is quite a place. IIi - its movie theaters, we watChed towboats push barges through locks and Ojibwe bend stalks of ' wild rice into cáIIoes. WelisteIied: to deltà blues and zydeco aI1d felt vibrations ftom the New Madrid " earthquake of 1811. ' We stood at the erosion table ahd pushed buttons to make rain ' fall aI1d rivers flow faSter. Kids especia1ly love, the waist-high , table, on which tiny farms 'and' houses ,sit atop sand plateaus: ' "They watch to see what's oÌi the , ' edge," says environmental edu- cator Annette Wittrock, "mid then they'll think, 'I'm going to stay right here until that house. . , falls in."", , ': ' In the bayou aquarium, an am- " gator draped itself over the prow , of a wrecked rowboat, and a giant snapping turtle waved its fleshy , yellow legs, skirJ as thickánd wrinkled as an alligator's. Many , river denizens are amazingJy pl1J- historic-looking;, in aI1other , aquarium, beady-eyed paddIefish swam alongside shovelnose'stur- geonarrd longnose gar: , " It's odd that most cities along working. rivers haVe ignored, their waterfronts for so long. '