Convention & Visitors Bureau Report
"
@ DUBUQUE AREA CHAMBER of COMMERCE
.~
CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
April 16, 2004
Memo
TO:
Mayor Terry Duggan
City Council
City Manager Van Milligen
Eric Manternach, Chair
County Supervisors
Denise Dolan
Mary Ann Specht, Administrative Assistant
FR:
John Tallent, Chair
Sue Czeshinski, Director
RE:
Quarterly Report for Convention and Visitors Bureau
The CVB had a very busy first quarter of2004, Consumer marketing was in full swing with ad placements
being secured and-package promotions planned. Group tour trade shows and follow up sales efforts were
successful and meeting and convention business brought national groups to the area and allowed for many
bids to be secured and more leads to be generated by the sales staff. Media features were strong from
December through the first quarter. Dubuque continues to secure features as a result of pitching the
America's River project.
Consumer advertising placements will continue through outdoor boards coming into Dubuque from
Wisconsin and Illinois, print placements will nill in consumer magazines, and in a new insert that will be
shared with the Quad Cities. Over 180,000 copies will be inserted into targeted newpapers in a 200 mile
radius of Dubuque. Radio spots will run in the same markets this spring and summer to support the insert
that was placed. Staff and volunteers have been working on new package promotions to send to customers in
these same markets, Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago Suburbs, Des Moines, Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids.
Group tour efforts included attending trade shows nationally to generate interest from tour operators in
Dubuque. Dubuque generated over 50 leads at the National Tour Association and American Bus Association
shows this year. Group tour follow up mailings were sent to leads and database contacts. These new
mailings generated iÌnerest from 69 group operators in coming to Dubuque for a F AM Tour. A tour is being
planned by the Group Sales Committee for May 23-25, 2004. Group tour packages are also being organized
by the CVB staff and volunteers. Package meetings have been set up and will allow members an opportunity
to come into the office and sign up to be a palt of the 2004 package promotions that were a priority at this
year's planning sessions.
300 MAIN STREET SmTE 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
Meeting and Convention business was also strong in the first quarter. Dubuque was host to the NCAA
Division III Wrestling Tournament the first week of March this year, This is the fITst time this tournament
has ever considered Dubuque thanks to the leadership of Lor as College, a division III school. The economic
impact of this toumament on Dubuque was $1.5 million on the local economy. There were many other
conferences that either had meetings or booked meetings in Dubuque for future dates dming the first Quarter.
The total number of meetings booked is up over last year during the SaIne time period and the 14 groups that
were here in the first quarter created a total economic impact of$3.1 million on the local economy.
The Dubuque CVB received copies of articles that ran in numerous papers and magazines around the
Midwest and throughout the country. The nun1ber oftotal impressions based on publication circulation
exceeded 5,000,000, Features appeared regionally and nationally in the Boston Globe, Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel, Daily Herald-Chicago submban papers, Evansville Comier, Chicago Tribune, Midwest Living,
AAA Home and Away Magazine, Des Moines Register, Travel and Leisure Magazine, and Bank Travel
Management Magazine.
Dubuque's new directional sign system was installed this quarter and new visitor guides al1d maps have been
received and distributed to al'ea hotels, attractions and service stations to support the system. There have
beenmal1Y positive comments about the new maps and signs.
The planning for the Grand Excursion continues to go extremely well, All of the committees are working
hard to prepare for the event. The ticket sales for the event are now going quickly and inquiries are coming
in daily about the event. We al'e in the process of finalizing all the event logistics and entertainment and are
working closely with all of our media partners to promote the event.
"-~~-,--~
CHRISTMAS VICTORIAN HOUSE TOUR & PROGRESSIVE
DINNER
A trained guide will take you thtough four of Duhuque', mo"
beaUtiful and hi,rotic homes fot a special five-course gourmet meal.
Admission charged. Begins Novemhet 28 thtough Januaty 3. Fot
teservation, wntact the Histotical Society at 800/226-3369 at 563/
557-9545.
COMEDY NlGHT
Btass Ring Lounge, Dubuque Inn. Enjoy top wmedians evety
Wednesday night. Admission charged. Conuct the Dubuque Inn at
563/556-7760.
DUBUQUE MUSEUM OF ARI'
7th & Locust StreetS. Exhibitions of national and regional atristS as
well as a variety of educational pwgrnms thwughout the year. Open
to the public, admission charged. Fm more infotmarion wntact the
M",eum at 563/557-1851.
DUBUQUETHUNDBŒIRDSHOCKIT
Five Flags Center. MJHL hockey games from Octoher-Match.
Admission charged. Fm dates and times wntact Five Fla!;' Ticket
office at 888/412-9758 ot 563/589-4258 otThundetbin:ls office at
563/557-1228.
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER
The evening includes your own unique character, costumes, clues,
hotS d' oeuvres, a delicio", gourmet meal, and monuary service,.
Begin> at 6 p.m, and concludes at 10 p.m. Admission charged.
Event held fot ptivate parties of 20 ot more only. Gwup reservation
is required by wnucring Gerry Murphy Tours & Travel 800/974-
7714.
PARTY ZONE
Dubuque County Fairground> Ballwom. Dance ro all your favorite
dance hits every Thursday night fwm 7-11 p.m, Admis"on charged.
Contact the Fairground> at 563/588-1406.
PUBliC ICE SKATING
Five Flags Center. Admission charged. For schedule information
contact Five Flag, at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
WILD WEST WEDNESDAY
Dubuque County Fairground> Ballroom. Counrry dancing every
Wednesday night from 7-11 p.m. Admission charged. Conucr the
Fairground> at 563/588-1406.
NOVEMBER 2003
1 FALL CRAFT SHOW
Five Flag' Center. Held from 10 a,m. to 5 p.m. Admi>sion charged.
Conuct Five Flags at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
SIMULCASTING AGTOA XlI
Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino, Conuct the Greyhound Park
at 563/582-3647 or 800/373-3647,
NASHVIlLE MANDOliN ENSEMBLE
Five Flags Thearer. Held at 8 p.m. Admission charged. Conract Five
Flag, at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
COMEDY "THE ODD COUPLE"
Bell Tower Thearer & Events Center. The female version of the
"Odd Couple" by Neil Simon. Admi>sion charged. Contacr the Bell
Tower at 563/588-3377 or www.bellrowerthearer,com.
AIDS MEMORIAL QillLT DISPLAY
Queen ofRo>aty Chapel, Sinsinawa Mound, Sinsinawa, WI.
Held at 2 p.m. Conuct the Mound at 608/748-4411.
"JAMES JOYCE'S THE DEAD"
Sr. Joseph Audirorium, Lor" College. Musical presented by Lot"
Player,. Admi>sion charged. Contact Loras at 563/588-7241.
1-2 CABLE CAR SQUARE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
Cahle Car Square, 4th and Bluff Streets. This celebration of
Chri"mas is held at the Cable Car Squate Districr with 30 shops,
boutiques, anrique> and eareries. Free admis>ion. Contact Ken
Siegert at 563/583-5000. '
1-12/1 ANNUAL QUILT EXHIBIT
Sinsinawa Mound Art Gallery, Sin"nawa, WI. Open daily from
10 a.m, to 5 p.m. Contact rhe Mound at 608/748-4411.
1-2
7-8
DUBUQUE YOUTH ENSEMBLES FALL CONCERT
Grand Opera House. Held at 3 p.m. Admission charged. Contact
the Dubuque Symphony Orche>tra at 563/557-1677.
THE SONG OF MULAN
Five Flag' Theater. Theatre IV tours with educational shows for
children. Admission chatged. Conucr Five Fla!;' ar 888/412-9758
or 563/589-4258.
CARDEN CIRCUS
Five Flag' Center. Show, ar 4,30 and 7,30 p.m. Admis>ion chatged.
Contact Five Flags at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
IOWA COMPOSER'S FORUM CONCERTS
Bell Tower Thearer & Event> Center. Contact the Bell Tower at
563/588-3377 or www,bellrowenhearer.com.
7-9
ANNUAL NATIONAL FARM TOY SHOW
National Farm Toy Museum, Beckman High School, and
Commercial Club Park, Dyersville, lA. Admission charged.
Comact Farm Toy Mu>cum ar 800/533-8293 or 563/875-2727.
THE MUSIC MEN BARBERSHOP CHORUS
GUild Opera House. Aho performing are the "Two Stare Four"
quaner and "Metro Mix Sweet Adeline> Cham,." Held ar 2 & 8
p.m, Admission charged. Contact the Grand ar 563/588-1305.
OPEN HOUSE & SKI/SNOWBOARD SWAP
Sundown Mountain. Contact Sundown at 563/556-6676 or 888/
747-3872 orwww.sundownmtn.com.
11
VETERAN'S DAY SALUTE CONCERT
Jansen Music Hall, Clarke College. Held at 7,30 p.m. Free
admission. Contact Clarke at 563/588-6318.
www.clarke.edu/amatcl",ke.
"HEROES OFTHEANClENTWORW"
Heitkamp Planerarium, Lot" College. Begins promptly at 7 p.m.
Donations accepted, Contact the Planerarium at 563/588-7154.
14-15 BELL TOWER MUSIC NIGHT
Bell Tower Theater & Event' Center. Artist to be announced.
Contact the Bell Tower ar 563/588-3377 or
www.bellrowetrheater.wm.
14
14-30 MERCYMEDICALCENTERFESTNALOFTREES
Lobby, Holiday Inn. Enjoy the lavishly decoured Christmas trees,
wreaths, and gifts on display and availahle through silent aucrion.
Community groups enretrain with holiday mu,ic. Viewing hout>
are 8 a.m, ro 10 p.m. daily. Free admis"on. Contact the Holiday
Inn at 563/556-2000 or Mer'}' at 563/589-8772,
www.mer'}'duhuque.com.
COMEDIAN ERIC O'SHEA
The Pub, Loras College. Held at 9 p.m. Free admission.
ContacrLoras at 563/588-7241.
15
15-16 DUBUQUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Five Flag> Theater. Admi,'¡on charged. Contact the Symphony
Orchestra at 563/557-1677.
17
DUBUQUE COMMUNITY STRING ORCHESTRA FALL
CONCERT
Marble Chapel, Emmaus Bible College. Held ar 7 p,m. Admission
charged. Contact the Northeast Iowa School of Mu"c at 563/690-
0151.
MARIO'S HILLCREST ITALIAN DINNER
Westmin"er Preshyrerian Church. Annual fundraiser for Hillcresr
Family Service,. Held from 4,30-8 p.m. Admission charged.
For more informarion contact Hillcre" at 563/583-7357.
18
18
JOSEPH GRAMLEY, MULTI-PERCUSSIONIST
Jansen Music Hall, Clarke College. Held at 7,30 p.m. Admi>sion
charged. Contact Clarke at 563/588-6318.
www.clarke.edu/arrsatclarke
20
AFTER-DINNER OPERA
Jansen M",ic Hall, Clarke College, Held at 7,30 pm. Free
admission. Contact Clarke at 563/588-6318. wwwdarke.edul
artsatclarke
20-23 "OFF THE MAP"
Terence Donaghoe Hall, Clarke College, Held at 8 p.m. Admission
charged. Contact Clarke ar 563/588-6318.
www.clarke.edu/artSatclarke
20-23 "THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER"
Sinsinawa Mound Audirorium, Sin"nawa, WI. A holiday m",ical.
Dinner theater held on Nov. 20. Admission charged. Conuct the
Mound ar 608/748-441 I or www.sinsinawa.orgimoundcenter.
GALENA CELLARS PRESENTS "NOUVEAU WINE RELEASE
PARTY"
Galena, IL. Begins at 12 noon at area restaurantS, 2 p.m.
hor>edcawn wagon wine deliver, 3 p.m. wine & cheese parry at
Benjamin'" and at 8 p.m. dance at the Desoto House Horel.
For more information call 815/777-3330.
21
21-22 BELL TOWER MUSIC NIGHT
Bell Tow" Thearer & Events Center. ktisr to be announced.
Contact the Bell Tower at 563/588-3377 or
www.belltowertheater.com.
21-23 "WAY OFF BROADWAY ON LORAS COLLEGE"
Sr. Joseph Auditorium, Lo"" College, Presented hy the Lou,
Players. Free admission. Contact Loras ar 563/588-7241.
22
BLU SANDERS CONCERT
The Pub, Loras College. Held at 9 p.m. Free admi",on.
Contact Loras ar 563/588-7241.
"ARTIE AND THE PINK CADILLAC'S
Arizona> Sport Lounge, Park Inn ofplatreville, W1. Held from 9
p.m.-1 a.m. Contact Park Inn at 608/348-2301.
25-26 SESAME STREET LIVE
Five Flags Center. Held ar 7 p.m. Admis"on charged. Ticker, are
availah1e through Ticket Masrer ar 563/326-1111. For more
informacion contact Five Flags at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
22
27-111 "REFLECTIONS IN THE PARK, A HILLCREST LIGHTS
FESTIVAl"
Loui, Murphy Park. View spectacular, 1arger-than-life holiday lights
displays while driving through the gently rolling hills of rhe park.
Sponsored by area h",ines>e'. Viewing 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Admis-
sion charged. Contact Hillcrest Family Services ar 563/583-7357.
Website www.hillcrest-fs.org/reflections.hrttÙ
28
CHRISTMAS CANDLE WALK
Cable Car Square. Hundred, ofluminarie> in the Cahle Car Square
area, then join carolers to greer Santa & Mrs. Clan> ar they ride
down the elevator to meet children at 6,30 p.m. Free admission.
Contact Ken Siegert at 563/583-5000 or Welcome Center ar
800/798-8844.
BELLEVUE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
Downtown Bellevue, lA. Fireworks display at 6 p.m. followed by a
lighted Christmas parade. For more information call 563/872-5830
or www.bellevueia.com
28
28-30 "THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER"
Sinsinawa Mound Auditorium, Sinsinawa, W1. A holiday play
presented hy the Main Street Players. Admis"on charged. Contact
the Mound at 608/748-4411 or www."n>inawa.org/moundcenter.
WRIE LINE AND HER POP CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Five Flags Civic Center. Chrisrmas C1assique 'pon>üred hy Mercy
Healrh Center. Held at 7,30 p.m. Admi>sion charged. For rickets
contact Ticket Masrer ar 563/326-1111. For more informarion
contacr Five Flags at 563/589-4258 or 888/412-9758 or Mercy at
563/589-8772-
ANNUAL "MESSIAH" CONCERT
Sinsinawa Mound, Sinsinawa, W1. Held in the Rosary Chapel at 3
p,m. with rehemal at p.m. Admi>sion charged. Contact tbe Mound
at 608/748-4411 or www.sinsinawa.otg/moundcenrer.
29
30
30
KEN KILLIAN ORCHESTRA
Governor Dodge Conference Center, Plarteville, W1. Big band dance
beld from 12-5 p.m. Admission charged, Contacr Park Inn at 608/
348-2301.
DECEMBER 2003
ANNUAL QUILT EXHIBIT
Sinsinawa Mound At! Gallery, Sinsinawa, W1. Open daily fwm
10 a.m. to 5 p,m. Conuct the Mound at 608/748-4411.
"REFLECTIONS IN THE PARK, A HILLCREST LIGHTS
FESTIVAl"
Louis Murphy Park. View specucular, larger-than-1ife holiday light>
displays while driving through the gently rolling hills of the park.
Spon>üred hy area bu"nes>es. Viewing 5 to 10 p.m. daily. Admission
charged. Contact Hillcresr Family Services at 563/583-7357.
Websire www.hillcre,,-fs.org/reflections.htrni
1-31
1-31
TROLLEYS OF DUBUQUE CHRISTMAS liGHT TOURS
Includes "Reflection> in the Park" and residential neighborhooda.
The trolley, are heared and enclosed, Admi,ion charged. Contact the
Trolleys at 563/552-2896 for re>ervarions.
MUSICIAN JOHN RUSH
Sy1viis Common Ground, University of Dubuque. Held ar 8 F.m.
Free admission. Contact the University at 563/589-3583.
4-5
ANNUAL FOUR MOUNDS CHRISTMAS TEA
Four, Mound> Grey Mansion, A Chrisrmas rea along with homemade
delicacy', and music. Held ar 11030 a.m. Admission charged. Call
563/557-7292.
"FOREVER PLAID"
GUild Opeca Hon>e. A m",ical revue play. Admission charged.
Contact the Grand at 563/588- 1305.
"THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM"
Heitkamp Planerarium, Lo"" College. Begins promptly at 7 p.m.
$1 >Qggested donation. Conuct the Planetarium at 563/588-7154.
4-7
husine,>cs featuring their hotte" holiday gift ideas. For mote
informarion call 563/872-5830 or wwwbellevueia.com.
Ticker Master at 563/326-1111. For more informarion contacr Five
Flag' ar 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
CHRISTMAS TOUR OF HOMES
Dyersville, IA 12 noon to 5 p.m. Admission charged. Contacr the
Dyersville Chamber of Commerce at 563/875-2311 or 563/875-
7428.
DUBUQUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HOLIDAY POPS
CONCERT
Five Fla~ Theater. Admi>sion charged. Conuct the Symphony at
563/557-1677 or box office at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
HOLIDAY SWING SHOW
Bell Tower Theater & Event> Center. Featuring the Hemp'tead High
School Swing Choir. Contact the Bell Tower at 563/588-3377 or
www.belltowertheater.com.
14
19
HOLIDAY SWING SHOW
Bell Tower Theater & Events Center. Featuring the Hemp"ead High
School Swing Choir. Contact the Bell Tower at 563/588-3377 or
www.belltowertheater.com.
COMEDIAN ERIC NIEVES
The Pub, Loras College. Held at 9 p.m. Free admission. Contact
Lora> at 563/588-7241.
"THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM"
Heitkamp Planetarium, Loras College. Begin> promptly at 7 p.m.
$1 suggested donation. Conuct the Planetarium ar 563/588-7154.
20-21 THE NUTCRACKER
Five Flag, Center. Admission charged. TIckets are availah1e through
Ticket Mamr at 563/326- 1111. For more information contact Five
Flag, at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
LUMINARIA GLOW
Plymourh Coutr and VIctoria Place neighborhood. Begins at dmk.
For more informarion call 319/582-7644,
19
RACING COLLECTIBLES SHOW
Notional Farm Toy M",eum, Dyersville, lA. Event features Nascar
Sprint, Super Truck, Dirt Drag, and Indy collectibles for ,ale.
Admi>sion charged. Contact the Museum at 563/875-2727 or
www.nfrmonline.com.
25
HOLIDAY PARTY
Mathias Ham House. Vi"t with Santa, enjoy carolers and tour the
hou>c at Chrisrma>. Held from 12 noon ro 3 p.m. Free admi>sion.
Contacr rhe Dubuque County Hi"orical Society at 800/226-3369,
27-31 CLARKE COLLEGE HOLIDAY
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
Kehl Center, Clarke College. Men', and women's baskethall
rournament. Admission charged. Contacr Clarke at 563/588-6462,
THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
Five Flags Center. Held at 7 p.m. Admission charged. TIcker, are
available through Ticket Master at 563/326-1111 or Five Flags at
888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
FOR A BLESSED CHRISTMAS
Sacred Heart Chapel, Clarke College. Held at no p.m. Admi>sion
charged. Contacr Clarke at 563/588-6318.
www.elarke.edu/artsarclarke
30
CANADIAN BRASS IN CONCERT
Five Flags Center. Held at 7 F.m. Admi>sion charged. Tickers are
available through Ticker Master ar 563/326-1111. For more
informarion contacr Five Flags at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258,
31
NEWYEAR'S EVE GALA
VIctorian Pine> Inn & Spa, Galena, IL. Swing into 2004 to rhe
sounds of Ken Killian's Big Band Orches"" and more. Reoervations
required. 866/847-4637 or 815/777-2043.
DUBUQUE YOUTH STRING ENSEMBLE HOLIDAY
CONCERT
Kennedy Mall. Held at 12 noon. Ftee admission. Contact the
Dubuque Symphony Orchestra ar 563/557-1677.
JANUARY 2004
1 "REFLECTIONS IN THE PARK, A HIllCREST LIGHTS
FESTNAJ:'
Louis Murphy Park. View specracular, larger-than-1ife holiday lights
di'plays while driving through the gently rolling hills of the park.
Sponsored by area bu"ne>ses. VIewing 5 to I 0 p.m. daily. Admission
charged. Contact Hillcre>t Family Smices at 563/583-7357.
Wehsite www.hillcre,,-fs.org/reflections.htmi.
CHRISTMAS VICTORIAN HOUSE TOUR & PROGRESSIVE
DINNER
A trained guide will take you through four of Dubuque'> most
beautiful and hisroric homes for a special five-course gourmet meal.
Admi>sion charged. For reservations contact rhe Historical Society at
800/226-3369 or 563/557-9545.
EPIPHANY CONCERT
Queen of the Rosary Chapel, Sinsinawa Mound, Sinsinawa, WI.
Held at 4 p.m. Contact the Mound ar 608/748-4411 or
www.sinsinawa.orymoundcenter.
WI JAYCEES RAZZLE DAZZLE VARIETY SHOW
Governor Dodge Conference Center, Plarreville, WI. Variety show,
ar 5 and 7 p.m. Admission charged. Contact Park Inn at 608/348-
2301.
11-14 "FOREVER PLAID"
Grand Opera Ho",e. A mmical revue play. Admission charged.
Contact the Grand at 563/588-1305.
HOliDAY SWING SHOW
Bell Tower Theater & Events Center. Featuring the Hempstead High
School Swing Choir. Contact the Bell Tower at 563/588-3377 or
www.helltowertbeater.com.
4
"THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM"
Heitkamp Planerarium, Loras College. Begins promptly at 7 p.m.
$1 suggested donation. Contact the Planetarium at 563/588-7154.
13-14 "KEEPING CHRISTMAS"
Apple River Fort State Historic Site, Eli",beth, 1L. Experience the
sight>, smell" and sound, of an 1830, Christmas. Held from 11-4
p.m. Donations appreciated. For more information contact the Fon
at 815/858-2028 or wwwappleriverfort.org.
CHAMBER ENSEMBLES CONCERT
Bell Tower Theater, Held at 7,30 p.m. Admis"on charged.
ALL NIGHT SKI
Sundown Mountain. Slopes open at 11 p,m. for groups of 15 or
more. Pre-registrarion required by contacting Sundown at 563/556-
6676 or 888/747-3872 or www.sundownmm.wm.
9
13-14 THE NUTCRACKER
Five Flags Center. Admi>sion charged, Ticket> are availah1e through
BALD EAGLE DAY
Lock and Dam No. 11 & Grand River Center, Pon of Duhuque.
Live hird programs at 10,30 a.m. and 1 p.m., exhibits from 9 a.m.-
3 p.m. at Grand River Center and view rhe eagles through
telescopes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free admi"ion. Contact the
Welcome Center 800/798-8844 or Brer Srreckwald at 563/582-
0881. Weh site htrpJ/www.mvr.usace.armrmillmissriver!
BRIDAL SHOW
Grand River Center, 500 Bell Street. Sponsored by Cheryl Ann
Bridals 563/582-6930.
DUBUQUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CHAMBER
ENSEMBLE
Turner Hall, Galena, IL. Held ar 8 p.m. Admission charged.
Contact the Symphony Orchema at 563/557-1677.
10-11 FAMILYWEEKEND
Sundown Mounuin. Contact Sundown ar 563/556-6676 or
888/747-3872 or www.sundownmrn.com.
COMEDIAN STEVE CAOUETTE
Perw Common> Dining Hall, Univwity of Dubuque. Held ar
6,15 p.m. Free admis'¡on. Contact the Univwity of 563/589-3583.
13-14 IOWA SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Five Flags Center and Sundown Mountain. Skating and skiing
contest for handicapped persons. Free admission. Conuct Five Flag,
at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258,
SINGER MATTHEWWEST
Marie Graber Ballroom, Loras College. Held at 9 p.m.
Free admission. ContaCt Lo,as at 563/588-7241.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CLASSIC
Five Flags Center. High school haskethall rivalry competition, Held
from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. ContaCt Five Flags at 888/412-9758 or 563/
589-4258.
CHINUA HAWK CONCERT
Marie Graher Ballroom, Lous College. Held at 9 p.m.
Free admis'¡on. Contacr Lom at 563/588-7241.
24-25 DUBUQUE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Five Flag, Theater. Admi"ion charged. Contact rhe Symphony
Orchema ar 563/588-1677.
"STELLAR EVOLUTION, A NEW BEGINNING"
Heitkamp Planetarium, Loras College. Begins promptly at 7 p.m,
$1 suggested donation. Contact the Planetarium at 563/588-7154,
30-2/1 IOWA WINTER GAMES
Five Flag, Arena and Sundown Mountain, Olympic style competi-
cion. Free admission. Five Flal;' ticket office at 563/589-4258,
Sundown Mountain at 888/786-3696 or 1A Gam" at 800/964-
0332.
30-2/1 MUSICAL "HONK!"
Jan>en Music Hall, Clarke College. Admi"ion charged. ConuCt
Clarke ar 563/588-6318. www.clarkeedu/atr>atclarke.
MUSICAL "HONK!"
Jan>en M",ic Hall, Clarke College. Admi"ion charged. Contact
Clarke at 563/588-6318. www.clarkeedu/arrsatclarke.
SWWISCONSIN AUTO CLUB TOY SHOW
Governor Dodge Conference Center, Platteville, WI. Held from 9
a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission charged. Conuct Sreve Swifr at 608/762-
5605.
3-5
ILLINOIS SPECIAL OLYMPICS
Five Flags Center. Ice events for handicapped person>. Free
admission. Contact Ron Kniesly at 800/349-0562 or Five Flags ar
888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
STEP AFRICA DANCE PERFORMANCE
Sr. Joseph Auditorium, Lom College. Held at 9 p.m, Free admission.
Conuct Lata> ar 563/588-7241.
HOME SHOW
Governor Dodge Conference Center, Park Inn ofPlarteville, WI.
Admission charged. Contacr Jayne Osterholtz 608/348-2685.
6-22 "BAREFOOT IN THE PARK" DINNER THEATER
Bell Tower Theater & Event' Center, Admission charged. Contact
the Bell Tower at 563/588-3377 or www.bellrowertheater.com,
6-7
10
DUBUQUE YOUTH SYMPHONYWINTER CONCERT
Center for the Art>, University of Wisconsin Plarteville. Held at 3
p.m. Admi"ion charged. Contact the Dubuque SymFhony Orch"",
at 563/557-1677.
TASTE OF PLATTEVILLE
Governor Dodge Conference Center, Park Inn of PIa neville, WI.
Admission charged. Contact the Park Inn ar 608/348-2301.
I HAVE A DREAM
Five Flags Theater. Theatre IV roUt, with educational show, for
children. Admission charged. Contact Five Flags at 888/412-9758 or
563/589-4258.
THE CHICAGO BRASS QUINI'ET
Jansen Music Hall, Clarke College. Held at 7,30 p.m. Admission
charged. Contact Clarke at 563/588-6318. wwwclarke.edu/
art>arclarke,
12-15 "CRAZY FOR YOU"
Grand Opm Hou>e. A high energy comedy, Admission charged.
Conract the GUild at 563/588-1305 or
www.thegundoperahouse.com.
13
"THE PERFECT MATCH"
Dubuque Greyhound Park. A benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters of
Dubuque. For mote information contaCt Terri Gronau at 563/583-
7357 x245.
"FATEFUL FRIDAY THE 13TH"
Heitkamp P1anerarium, Loras College. Begins promptly ar 7 p.m. $1
suggested donarion. Contacr the Planerarium ar 563/588-7154.
13
13
ALEXANDRA McHALE (ACTRESS/COMEDIAN)
Marie Guher Ballroom, Loras College. Held at 10 p.m. Free
admission. Contact Lous at 563/588-7241.
14
SEND A SINGING VALENTINE
A Mmic Men quartet will deliver a wse and a wup1e of love ,ong' to
your special Valentine. For re>ervations call 563/556-0177.
MEN'S BASKETBALL CLASSIC
Five Flags Center. High school haskerhall rivalry comperirion. Held
from 8 a,m. ro 10 p.m. Contact Five Flag> ar 888/412-9758 or 563/
589-4258.
14
R & B GROUP "IMANI"
University of Dubuque. Held at 9 p.m. Free admission. Conuct the
University at 563/589-3583.
19-22 "CRAZY FOR YOU"
Grand Opera House, A high energy comedr Admission charged.
Contact the GUild at 563/588-1305 or
www.thegundoperahouse.com.
18
ONGOING EVENTS
CHRISTMAS VICTORIAN HOUSE TOUR & PROGRESSIVE
DINNER
A trained guide will take you through foliC of Dubuque', most
beautiful and historic homes for a special fivNout>e gammer meal.
Admis>ion charged. Begins Novemhet 28 through January 3. For
re>cmtions contact the Histotical Society at 800/226-3369 or 563/
557-9545.
COMEDY NIGHT
Brass Ring Lounge, Dubuque Inn. Enjoy top comedians every
Wednesday night. Admis'¡on charged. Contact tbe Dubuque Inn ar
563/556-7760.
DUBUQUE MUSEUM OF ART
7th & Locust Streets. Exbibitions of national and regional artistS as
well as a variety of educational Frograms throughout the year. Open
ro the public, admi>sion charged. For more informarion contact the
Mu>cum at 563/557-1851.
DUBUQUE THUNDERBIRDS HOCKIT
Five Flags Center. MJHL hockey gmnes from Octoher-March.
Admi>sion chatged. For dates and times wntacr Five Flag' Ticket
office at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258 orThunderbirds office at
563/557-1228.
MURDER MYSTERY DINNER
The evening includes yom own unique chaucter, costumes, clues,
hot> d'oeuvre" a deliciou, gammet meal, and mortuary ,ervices.
Begin' at 6 p.m. and concludes at 10 p.m. Admis'¡on charged.
Event held for private parties of20 or more only. GtoUP reservation
i, tequired by contacting Gerry Murphy ToutS & Travel 800/974-
7714.
PARTY ZONE
Dubuque County Fairgrounds Ballroom, Dance to all yom favorite
dance hit> every Thmsday night from 7-11 p.m. Admission charged.
Contacr the Fairground> at 563/588-1406.
PUBLIC ICE SKATING
Five Flags Center. Admi>sion charged. For "hedule informarion
conuct Five Flag' ar 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
WILD WEST WEDNESDAY
Dubuque County Fairgrounds Ballroom. Country dancing every
Wednesday night fwm 7-11 p.m. Admission charged. Contact the
Faitgrounds ar 563/588-1406.
NOVEMBER 2003
FALL CRAFT SHOW
Five Flags Centet. Held fwm 10 a.m, to 5 p.m. Admission charged.
Contact Five Flags at 888/412-9758 or 563/589--4258.
SIMULCASTING AGTOA XII
Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino. Contact the Greyhound Park
ar 563/582-3647 or 800/373-3647.
NASHVILLE MANDOLIN ENSEMBLE
Five Flags Theater. Held at 8 p.m. Admission charged. Contact Five
Flags at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
COMEDY "THE ODD COUPLE"
Bell Tower Theater & Event> Center. The female version of the
"Odd Couple" by Neil Simon, Admission charged. ConUct rhe Bell
Tower at 563/588-3377 or www.belltowetrheater,com.
AIDS MEMORIAL QUILT DISPLAY
Queen of Rosary Chapel, Sin>inawa Mound, Siminawa, WI.
Held ar2 p.m. Contact the Mound at 608/748-4411.
"JAMES JOYCE'S THE DEAD"
St. Jo>cph Audirorium, Loras College. Mu,ical presented by Loras
Players. Admission charged. Conucr Loras at 563/588-7241.
1-2 CABLE CAR SQUARE CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
Cahle Car Square, 4th and Bluff Street>. This celehration of
Christmas i, held at the Cable Car Square Dimict with 30 ,hops,
boutiques, antiques and eateries. Free admis>ion. Contact Ken
Siegert at 563/583-5000.
1-1211 ANNUAL QUILT EXHIBIT
Sinsinawa Mound At! Gallery, Sinsinawa, WI. Open daily from
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Conuct the Mound at 608/748-4411.
1-2
7-8
DUBUQUE YOUTH ENSEMBLES FALL CONCERT
Grand OFeta Hou>c, Held at 3 p.m. Admis'¡on charged. Conract
the Dubuque Symphony Orchesrra at 563/557-1677-
THE SONG OF MULAN
Five Flags Theater, Theatre IV tom, with educarional shows for
children. Admission charged. Conuct Five Flags at 888/412-9758
or 563/589-4258.
CARDEN CIRCUS
Five Flag' Center. Shows at 4,30 and 7,30 p.m, Admi,'¡on charged.
Contact Five Flag, at 888/412-9758 or 563/589-4258.
IOWA COMPOSER'S FORUM CONCERTS
Bell Tower Theater & Evenrs Center. Contact the Bell Tower ar
563/588-3377 or www.helltowertheater.com.
7-9
ANNUAL NATIONAL FARM TOY SHOW
National Farm Toy Museum, Beckman High School, and
Commercial C1uh Park, Dyemille, IA. Admission charged.
Contacr Farm Toy Museum at 800/533-8293 or 563/875-2727.
THE MUSIC MEN BARBERSHOP CHORUS
Grand Opera Hou>c. Also performing are the "Two State Four"
quartet and "Metro Mix Sweet Adelines Chorn>." Held at 2 & 8
p.m. Admi>sion charged. Conuct the Grand at 563/588-1305.
OPEN HOUSE & SKIfSNOWBOARD SWAP
Sundown Mountain. Contacr Sundown at 563/556-6676 or 888/
747-3872 orwww,sundownmtn.com,
11
VETERAN'S DAY SALUTE CONCERT
Jansen Music Hall, Clarke College. Held at 7,30 p.m. Free
admission. Contact Clarke at 563/588-6318.
www.clarke.edu/amarclarke.
"HEROES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD"
Heitkamp Planetarium, Loras College, Begins promptly ar 7 p,m.
Donation> acceFted. Contact the Planerarium at 563/588-7154.
14-15 BELL TOWER MUSIC NIGHT
Bell Tower Theater & Events Center, Atri" to be announced.
Contact the Bell Tower at 563/588-3377 or
www.helltowertheater.com,
14
14-30 MERCY MEDICAL CENTER FESTIVAL OF TREES
Lobhy, Holiday Inn. Enjoy the lavishly decorated Chri"mas rrees,
wreath" and gifrs on display and available rhtough silent auction.
Community group' entetrain with holiday music. Viewing hours
are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Free admission. Contact the Holiday
Inn at 563/556-2000 or Mercyar 563/589-8772,
www.mercydubuque.com.
15
COMEDIAN ERIC O'SHEA
The Pub, Lom College. Held at 9 p.m. Free admis>ion.
Conuct Loras ar 563/588-7241.
H
11
l'
. '."
\.." ," ',.'
; \ .:".
! 'SH h~ww.stár~etegrlmhCOm
, .
.:j)~tJQ.uE,JoWa
. it1fthls mstor ,.
River :tOwn
~Ùkend in
fuerop"of ",' .
lht(or.even <>n it)\ but!
thought"Vv<' could use aqwck,.
,restorative'1;rip olit of Chiçago:
Tàlking up Duhuque's'new
.'$ûseumlaquarhim dedicated
. . t¡,the-~ty Mississippi'Riv-
-".r, an indoor waterpark ánd
. plenty'of rolling b.ills for
<;ross-country skllng, , ¡, co:pied
.}rim into the car. .. .
: . Fortunately, he is :ill 'easy-
. going, flexible traveler. A lack
óf snow wipèd out the crOssc
CoUntry skiing part ,of our trj.p
. (though machines make snow
for downhill $kiing at Sun-
d:own Mountàiri). The \vàter
~ . park" naturally; was for
~phoric yótIng- children, not
enviouS adults. And the ambi-
'. tlO$ new museum,' alfuoùgh á
lëgiti;mate 'attraction, Ì11cluded
" áctivities in the ilrcticlilœ o'Ut-
doPrs, including'à stroll'
t/¡rough fiozen wetlands and ...
. ~minute'tour: ofàformer
<!í'ê".Pi:!at . .'.
S',e.vès':à{::àn
"boàt-and~bt"àkf
S,cóuts àndqthèr'groups.
, Still"Dubué¡1.1e offers pleas-
.ïrii .surpnses;'no matter the
time of year. It'sàreal town,"
,""
'---
'I
. _øÎ;~~~ß~
it",d:"Visi~a~s,t~aips;ed"~;" . sšIy pilat!'da.riyår):ioa'
thraughJh~ hotel.as:.we in the "You Be the Piltit"mmuc'
enteJ;l¡iìt" '. ,:.:, .,: ' "".' ~a:~ar' 'The::~ihibitusesth!i-'
Steai:ny ariil'c.Iaí:tiorOU$, the . same datiìbâS.es: tls~dtQ. ,traiIi:.
25,OOq,:sii!l~.if"ot water park . tÖday's.rivè~bq¡¡t:ï:lQ~, " .. .:
seeri"c;d:tOioffei;:'$omethfugfot . 'Chi! . the',:"MiÙ<:e:
'TheGraridHarboriS WitJñn'<
wâlkiiii,(Ü$~*ì1êe af:the '
NaHona.f:Mississippi Rivèr
. MUoreuID & Aquarium, shops,
the Riverwalk and Riverboat
casino, Roam rates include'
admission ta the water park,
but far thase whaprefer a
hatel with more characteI; it's
possible to bny admission to
the water park.. .'
We fOund same night1if~ in
Dubuque at the Five Flags.
Civic Cen~er,.a camplex ,built
in 1910 and modeled aftèr the
Maulin Rouge in Paris..Cover-
ing an eI\1:Ïre block, the center
. house,; the Five Flags Arena;
hame tb .the "junior league -
Dubùque ThJUlderbird$ hock-
. eyteam and public skating;
and Five J:1lag$ TheateI; where
the Dubuque Symphony
Orche!rtta peria1111$. .
....,' .Later, we.$t!:.ol!e.4aver ta
the Bri¿ktown Brewery .aÍ"i
Blaekw!lter Grill,.. located
inside. the .old A.A, Coop~r
. . Wagan Factary, f,k diruier and
a drink. Though the Briçktown
features microbr.ewed beer'-
$Íg11$ in the windows advertÌ.$e
Coars Light and Bud Light.
apparently for. a reæon: The
'¡aciIs say the microbrewed
b~er is mediocre arid doe,;n't
live up ta the'fo'od, My hus-
band, who ord~red a samplèJ;
preferred it to Bud Light but
fulÌlld that it paled incompari-
son ta a good Belgian ale, '..
'The next morning, æ .our
innkeepers took their childreri.
to church, we hiked up the
nearby bluff - a former vUie-
+yaid - for a scenic view of
Iawa, IlIñiois and WISCOnsin. It
was a fairly IÌIlpleæant Walk,
but ithas J>útential. .
.. Warming up with caffee
and chai,teaat Mississippi
Mud, we headed ta our last
destination .of .our shart week-
end: the-Mississippi'River
Museum & AqUarium.' .
Sometiines called a 'Symbol
of the.'city'srecovery, the'
museum is a hands~on, inter~
active treæure and, like the
water park,- great forC)illdren.
F~am the' entrance, you can
trace the mighty Mississippi
and her tributaries an.the ter-
razza'floor' as 'they "flow"
through the mUseum.
Five large river aquariums'
- sanie .open at the top -lit.
. Book ~
,tolocl
There'
ChooSe.frOm a v
.. . Caribbean and
superb dioirig,.Iavish'
i
Tobooktl
. D'
w
I-~.,--,.. ".'~----'~-~-~'-
~onservatory, museum, and bed-and-'
breakfast inn, as well as tours of Willson's
boyhood home, Workshops, reunions and
meetings are welcome at the facility.
Meanwhile, the Waterloo and .Cedar
"alls area, located between Mason CIty
rod Cedar Rapids, celebrates the state's
oultural and agricultural heritage with'
.ttractions such as the African-American
Historical and Ctùtural Museum, the
Hearst Center for the Arts, the Waterloo
::enter for the Arts, a farmers' market,
md several John Deere manufacturing
facilities.
The area also offers a variety of hotels
featuring meeting facilities as well as the
recently renovated Five Sullivan Brothers
Convention Center,
The city's most significant develop-
ment is the America's River project, the
last phase of which was completed at the
end of 2003. The $188 million revitaliza-
tion mcludes the Grand River Center,
offering 86,000 square feet of function
space; the Grand Harbor Resort and
Waterpark, a 194-room facility with 2,500
square feet of meeting spáce; the Alliant
Energy Outdoor Amphitheater; the
National. Mississippi River Museum &
Aquarium; and the Mississippi Riverwalk,
which is home to the star Brewery
Amphitheater and is part of a 44-mile trail
connecting the river to the Field of
Dubuque/Guad C"aties
" I The Mississippi River is the heartbeat of
i Eastern Iowa, from the Victorian man-
i ,ions along its bluffs m Dubuque to the
i casinos and riverboata of the Quad Cities,
1 Dubuque is Iowa's oldest city and
! perhaps its most romantic, Boutique
J shopping m Cable Car Square and din-
~! ner aboard a paddle wheeler are two
JI attractions that give the town an old-
"I fashioned flair.
jl
11
II
Sure, everyone talks about great service.
But here in Iowa, we deJiver. Really.
The RiverCenierI Adler Thea:tœ is
synonymous with Iowa hospftaIiW.
".'~<~~---.'~
J.ff ----;
.---., ,,--- -.'
-~
j
I
!I
1
Meetings, Conventions, and 1ìade Shows
areourbu.siness. We'regoodatit.
Wìth Io1s of festivaJs, museums, and of COII!Se,
the Mississippi River, there's alwa¡¡s sometIring to see and do,
And like Meredith Willson a!so said,
"There'snothin' haJfway aboutthe.
Iowawaytogreetyou..." Hewasrighl
~
~
11
11
Ii
I
!
Ii
i24
r-
1
Why do:rit:you call and find out what
zeal Midwest amenities are all about here
in Davenport, Iowa. We'd Ia<.>e to say"hi."
~/~§ti~ig~+8~í6C;..-'~~.W.Ji~v_er.c .tr. .C.o'.m'i
Orel" nllMber 525 for free inforination
MEETINGS MIDAMERICA I M..,h 2004
.--.
-,-- -
Dreams movie site, a popular stop for
groups m Dyersville, located west of '
Dubuque. Numerous attractions at the
new river development are available for
group events.
"We wanted to reconnect people with
the river to make it special for visitors,"
says Sue Czeshinski, director of the
Dubuque CVE, "We.have so rñaÌ1y people
who come to see it,"
The majority of meetings center on the
river, from envh"onmenta! groups to the
barge and shippingmdustry, accorr:ling to
Czeshinski.
"We're also getting more national
meetings, thanks to our partnership with
American Ab:lines," she says, "Plus, meet-
ing planners report that some of the high-
est-attended conferences are held here in
Dubuque,"
The metro area of Davenport and Bet-
tendorf, Iowa, combmed with Moline and
Rock Island, ill., fonn the Quad Cities
region along the Mississippi River. There's
definiteJy four cities' worth of activities,
from riverboat gaming to Arsenal Island,
an at"" rich with military history from the
Civil War to the GuJfWar.
The Quad CIties are also Ïnvesting m
riverfront redevelopment efforts, with the
$113 million River Renaissance project
currentJy transforming several blocks m
downtown Davenport. The project
mcludes the addition of music, theater,
visual arts, and entertamment attractions
over the next two years, mclur:ling the
River Music Experience, which will open
in June in the historic Redstone builr:ling,
The attraction will showcase llve blues
and jazz music and unique exhibIts trac-
ing American roots music along the Mis-
sissippi River.
Plans also mclude the construction of a
skywalk bridge to the riverfront, the
expansion of the Adler Theatre to accom-
modate Broadway plays and the construc-
tion of the $40 million Smithsoman-affiIi-
ated Figge Arts èenter on the riverfront,
slated to open m summer 2005 with
13,000 square feet of gallery space, art-
making Studios, a glass-walled winter gar-
den, and an auditorium. The facility will
be available for group events.
Meanwhile, Davenport's riverfront
John O'Donnell Stadium, builtm 1931 and
'currently home to the Swing of the Quad'
Cities, a Millor League Baseball affiliate of
the Minnesota Twins, will complete a ren-
ovation and restoration ofthe enfue facil~
ity in time for opening day of the 2004
baseball season,
Plimners can book groups at a variety of
facilities, including Davenport's River Cen-
.....,
."-'
ter/Adler Theater convention complex,
with 100,000 square feet meeting space, as
well as hotels such as HolIday Inn Daven-
port. In Bettendorf, the Isle of Capri Casmo
and the Lodge Hotel and Conference Cen-
ter offer additional options.
Sioux Cityl£ouncil Bluffs
Council Bluffs, located on the southwest-
ern border of the state, has longstanr:ling
POptùarity as a meeting site,
Legendary explorers Lewis and Clark
unwittingly gave the town ita future name
when they met m council with the local
Native American tribes along the bluffs of
the Missouri River during their famous
expedition in the early 19th centurY.
Lewis and Clark also left their mark on
Sioux City, situated north of Council Bluffs
on the state line; the omy fatality of the
Lewis and Clark Expedition, Sgt. Charles
Floyd, is buried m Sioux City, and his mon-
ument, a 100-foot-tali white obelisk, over-
looks the Missouri River Valley.
Both towns offer a rich rrúx of muse-
ums and family attractions, from the
Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and
the Sioux City Museum to the new
Union Pacific Railroad Museum m Coun-
cil Bluffs.
"We have a lot of unique attractions,"
says Angie Tyner, vice president of the
Council Bluffs CVE, "That makes group
travel Ideal here,"
Another tOp selling pomt for groups in
Council Bluffs is the Mid-America Center,
a multipurpose arena that opened in.Jan-
uary 2003-, The-center offèrs 25,000
square feet of meeting space and a
24,000-square-foot exhibition hall.
"We're more marketable as a meetings
destination with Mid-Americ,.," Tyner
says. "Business during our last quarter
almost doubled, We're puttmg more
emphasis and marketing dollars m the
sports market, and we're refocusing on
the associations market as well,"
Meanwhile, Sioux City group facilities
mclude the new '!Yson's Event Center,
which opened in January with seating for
10,000 people, the restored 2,650-seat
Orpheum Theater and the Sioux City
Convention Center, with 10,000 square
feet of meeting space and 50,000 square
feet of exhibit space. ..
DeM Darl!en is a freelance writer and fretpll!nl conhibu/or 10 Meetings
Methapublicahons.
SWdi '" k""" mr_lh. -, tYh, "',k '" """" fWlilin
;, k..., -. '" -. B www.",..."r-
£ß"'ýœupnr"""k""IfM;,I""",6".,
---.-~ .'
-
-
-
,
~
;
~
~
if
t
r
i
!
§
~
f
Old-time paddle wheelers again rule the Upper Mississippi River, if only for a
week or so' this summer, as 54 riverfront towns stage Grand Excursion 2004.
Spanning 400 miles and four states, it's likely the biggest event along the river
since the first Grand Excursion a centuIy and a half ago. There's alot to celebrate,
from the river's- natural treasures to comeback towns. Join the party!
W,itten by BARBARA MORROW. Photographs by JASON LINDSEY
183
GRAND EXCURSION
ireworks d over the Mississippi River,
lighting the night sky above the pom of
Davenport and lilenthal (eventually Bettendorf),
Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, minois. The
flashes rev stern-wheelers, fancy as giant
wedrung their tiers of decks packed with
gers waving to crowds lining the
one, the boats cast off and
disappeare 0 the black of the wilderness night,
The year was 1854, and the seven vessels (or
five, depenrung on which account you read) were
headed into little-known waters. Their 1,200
passengers outnumbered the total combined
populations in' settlements north along the river to
the capital of the Minnesota territory, 51. Paul
(population, 6,000, with no twin in sight yet).
Organizers didn't expect this trip to be called
the Grand Excursion, or that it would trigger a
boom along the Upper Mississippi. The builders of
the new Rock Island Railroad tracks linking
Chicago and the river simply intended to promote
travel on their trains to what then was the "wild
west." The trip was free, and the list of notables
who signed on just kept growing.
More than 1,600 politicians, journalists and
assorted dignitaries packed into 18 railcars in
Chicago, and chugged west, Among those on
hand was former President Millard Fillmore, who
was already sinking into obscurity,
OnJytwo thirds of the travelers could squeeze
onto boats waiting at Rock Island. The party
overwhelmed the few riverside hamlets whe,re they
stopped to "wood up." Folks in Trempealeau,
, Wisconsin, had never seen the like, especially
when Abby Fillmore, the former president's
daughter, commandeered a horse and galloped up
a bluff, waving from the top, . .
The overloaded boats traveled day and night-
faster than the stately pace that had been
planned-and arrived in 5t, Paul a full day early.
No welcoming party waited, and horse-and-buggy
owners charged an unheard-of $25 for rides up the
hill to the territorial capitol. Most reporters were
too busy extolling the river valley's splendor to
take much notice of the outrageous price.
ONE BIG PARTY
This summer marks the 150th anniversary of
that original journey, and towns are gearing up for
a second Grand Excursion, The celebration begins
June 25, when seven
a
I
I
"
~
z
~
a
u
"
"
~
".. .Our fine steamers, their bOws wreathed in prairie flo
and evergreens, left their mooring at Rock Island, and sailed,
with music on their decks. . . saluted by the gay fireworks."
-PUTNAM'S ,\WNTHLY, JULY 1854
841M1DWEST LIVING Aþd! 200'
"'...",....n"", . "
,
GRAND EXCURSION
paddle wheelers--induding the grand dames of
the river, the historic Delta Que", and the replica
MississiPpi Queen-depart from the Iowa-Illinois
Quad Cities. The party concludes Ju1y Fourth
weekend on St. PauJ's newly renovated riverfront.
Rîverside communities plan hundreds of events,
from fireworks and hot-air banoon shows to re-
enactments of historic battIes (150 events in
51. Paul alone; 35 in Dubuque, Iowa; more than a
dozen each in smaller places, such as Savanna,
Illinois, and Red Wing, Minnesota).
RIVERFRONT REVIVALS
The biggest metro areas--the Twin Cities
(today's population, about 1.8 mmion), the Quad
Cities (350,000), La Crosse, Wisconsin (107,000),
and Dubuque, and East Dubuque, Illinois (about
90,000 total)-boomed on steamboat traffic after
the first Grand Excursion, but then watched their
riverfronts decline, For these cities, the anniversary
is an about monumental comebacks.
Most cities took up the fight against decay in
the 19705. Finany, they're winning, Parks and
. pathways, slips for pleasure and cruise craft, as wen
as new hotels, gardens and museums, have
replaced neglected docks and warehouses.
The transformation delights river watchers, such
as Irvin Shrake of Savanna, a retired railroad man
and newspaper editor who has studied and
traveled the Mississippi since he was a boy. From a
new riverfront parkwith picnic tables near where
the Grand Excursion boats win dock in June, Irvin
watches speedboats swarm the channel. "For years,
we turned our backs on the river. , . , People were
mainly concerned whether there were enough
levees. There's been a reawakening.'
In the Quad Cities, the 2004 fIotiUa win dock
beside cruise and casino boats, and banks lined
with green spaces, as wen as new attractions, such
as the gleaming glass John Deere Pavilion and a
renovated 1931 minor-Ieague-baseban stadium.
". , ,Thro.w aw. ay your gU1. . 'de .books.. .... Henev. e. n.. '0, man!.. but
see for YOlIl'SeIf the Mississippi River above Dubuque.':;;
-NEW YORK nAtES, 1854
86 MIDWEST LIVING AId! ""
(From left) Splashing in the rIVer and casting for a big catch at Guttenberg,
Iowa. Excursion aboard the Spirit of Dubuque paddle wheeler.
GRAND EXCURSION
"[Everyo.ne] is delighted with. . . the
city. . . . St. Paul is destined to. become the
great metropolis oli the North-West. . ."
-NEW YORK DAILY MIRROR, 18H
The new River Music Expe¡ience, a museum,
theater and restaurant complex, opens in June,
Upriver, the boats will put in beside the reborn
Port of Dubuque. This onetime shipyard now holds
a water-park hotel, a casino and the mammoth new
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium,
displaying all sorts of river creatures, including ,.-
giant catfish. Hands-on exhibits aJlow visitors to '
play riverboat captain. .
With its dramatically revamped riverfront, the
Twin Cities make a fitting finale for the excursion,
From the new Harriet Island Park in St. Paul, wide
steps descend to where the paddle wheelers will
dock, The state-of-the'art Science Museum of
Minnesota rises across the river.
ALo.NG MAIN STREETS
After the steamboat era, smaner towns such as
Marquette, Iowa, Galena, Illinois, and Hastings,
Minnesota, nodded off to sleep, preserving
buildings that otherwise might have been lost to
progress. Main streets resemble old photos, with
shops and cafes in restored centwy-old structures.
Many communities where the boats will stop
this summer barely existed for the first excursion.
In 1854, Red Wing.was still a mission outpost at
the confluence of the Cannon River and the
Mississippi in the shadow of 500- foot Barn Bluff.
Today, handsome brick buildings financed with
fortunes in wheat, shoes and Red Wing Pottery line
streets that slope down Continued on page 90
SS MIDWEST LIVING April 200'
.. .._~..-
2004
EXCURSION
CRUISE ALONG Eleven-
day trips, induding lodgings,
meals and activities, aboard
the replica paddle wheeler
Mississippi Queen and the
restored paddle wheeler
Delta Queen. From $3,300-
$5,115. Also availabie: harbor
tours, breakfast, lunch, dinner
and moonlight trips and port-
to-port cru~es aboard a
variety of boats, departing
from towns along the route
and lasting from one hour to
all day. From $10-$148. For
ticket information and a
complete scheduie, contact:
Grand ExcUision 2004 (8661
GEX-2004; www.grand
excursion.com).
HIGHLIGHTS June 25-27
kick-off in the Quad Cities,
Taste ofthe Quad Cities (35
restaurants), air show (8001
747-7800; www,VisitQuad
Cities.com). July 3--5 Twin
Cities finale, fireworks, music
and more (800/627-6101;
wwwstpaulcvb.org. 888/676-
6757; www.minneapolis.org),
0
0 .
~ '
~.
~
~,
~
~
I
.. ._~ .,,_.,-~-~
ADVERTISEMENT
Let the good
times roll
on the river!
TIllS SPRING, Delta Queen S!famboat
Company, Ine. is offering a one-of-a-ldnd
riverboat adventure-a three- or four-day cruise
combined with a three- or four'day vacarion in
.New OrJeans for the price of a four-day cruise.
Irs called The New Orleans Be Riverboat
Adventure WeeIr.Passengers who step aboard
the grand Ameriam Queen. will cruise up the
Mississippi in the lap ofIuxury. Along the way,
you'll visit Civil War battlefields, plantations
and Cajun Country, and, before or after your
cruise, you'll get to experience the charms of
New Orleans. The NewOrleansportion of the
week can last three or four nigbts (your
choice)-wbich will be just enougb time to
scratch the surface of America's most
fascinaring city.
The páckage mudes three- or four-Illght
accommodations at a New Orleans hote! snch
as the. Wmdsor Coort or the.Rim Carlton.
You'll also receive two meals at select
restaurants' like Antoine's., Arnaud's and
Broussard's, three shrines to goodearing In
the beart of the Frenc:h Quarter. Or you can
taste the creations ofEmeriI Lagasse, who was
reinventing trarlitional New Orleans cuisine at
his Warehouse District restaurant FmeriJ's.
before he ever "kicked it "P a notch" on TV.
Taste what he's cooking now at the original
restaurant or his newer spots, NOLA and
Fmeril's Delmonico. AJso Induded are tidœts
to attractions' such as PreservationHall, which
presems IDghrlyprograms of traditional jazz Ù1 a
cozy atmosphere, and Blaine Ken1's Mardi
Gras World, offering a fascinating peek
behind the scenes of America's biggest street
party. Brave souls can get Intimately
introduced to some of the city's oldest
inhabitants on the New Orleans Spirit Tours
Ghost and Vampire Tour, For a complète list
of hôtclš; restaUrants ane! seIéct attractions,
visit deltaqueen.com.
Book early and save $300 per person! Full
seven-night vacations start at $695 per person.
For reservation~ see your Thavel Agent For
more inform~tinn, call today or visit our
website. See our ad on the facing page.
1.888.811.8749
fre eRe warl eansvaç atl on. ç om
't"O8Otwo_'"""',""-""15"""'"",,,'"
""""""""""."""",,".
GRAND EXCURSION
Continued from page 88
to Levee Park along the river. The 1875
St. James Hotel has been refurbished to
its earlier elegance, and a Dixieland
band we1comes the boats' aniva!.
RIVER VIEWS
In between towns and cities, much of
the vaney stin feels wild. Limestone-
crowned wooded bluffs tower like pro-
tective wans above channels that weave
among islands too numerous to count.
Parts of the Mississippi can appear
much as they did more than a centuIy
ago, says Cindy Samples, visitor ser-
vices manager with the Upper Missis-
sippi National Fish and Wildlife Refuge,
at 261 miles the longest refuge in the
lower 48 states. But that's the result of
the Mississippi's other dramatic come-
back-a decades-long effort to clean up
the water, ban chemicals, and control
river b'els to preserve habitats.
Eagles are one of the most visible
signs of the rivers' recovery, In t 969,
only one pair couJd be found nesting
along the Upper Mississippi. This sum-
mers travelers may glimpse as many as
t 20 pairs, along with colonies that are
home to more than 5,000 great blue
herons, connorants and great egrets.
For the celebration, the refuge plans
programs on the boats and in port cities
highlighting those successes and con-
tinuing wornes, the Joss of bottomland
forest; endangered mussels; and invad-
ing carp and zebra mussels. .
Cindy maIVeis at wild spots that have
endured. She says, 'There 'äre really
special places on the river, where you
feel you're stepping back in time."
"I'Favel guide
Admission to most events is free;
charges for food and some activities,
Lodging rates are for a double room
dwing this event. Here's a sampling,
ILLINOIS
Galena, June 27 Box-lunch picnic and
music in Grant Park. Prizes for most au-
thentic t 854 costumes. Antiques and
specialty shops (877/464-2536; www,
galena.org). More than 50 inns, includ-
ing the DeSoto House Hotel (from
$100; 800/343-6562).
Savanna, June 26-27 Reenactors
bringing the t 840s to life in Mississippi
Palisades State .Park. Food, arts and
crafts and entertainment (815/273-
2722;' www.savanna-iJ.com),
90 I MJDWEST LIVING Apdl '00'
IOWA
Dubuque, June 27-29 Music, tours
and ann,",l riverfront Catfish Festival
(563/557-9200; www,dubuquechamber,
com). Near the festivities and the new
National Mississippi River Museum &
Aquarium, Grand Harbor Resort & Wa-
terpark (from $99; 866/690-4006).
Guttenberg, June 27-30 Band con-
certs, hislm;c tours and fishing demon-
strations (877/252-2323; www.gutten
berg-iowa,org), Riverfront lodgings at
the Landing, a renovated stone faetmy
(from $39; 563/252-1615).
McGregor and Marquette, June
29-JuIy 4 Joint celebration with Prairie
du Chien, Wisconsin, across the river.
Fireworks, a hot. air "balloon glow" and
giant flea market, Guided hikes and
great river views at Effigy Mounds Na-
tional Monument (800/896-0910; www.
mcgreg-marq.org).
MINNESOTA
Red Wing, June 2a-July 3 Music for
the flotilla's anival, food, games and a
Civil War re-enactment in Levee Park
(800/498-3444; www.redwing.org),
Renovated historic St, James Hotel
(from $199; 800/252-1875).
Wabasha, July 1 New National Eagle
Center, with three live eagles on dis-
play. Gennan specialties and giant cin-
namon rolls in the dining room at An-
derson House, Minnesota's oldest con-
tinuously operating hotel (800/565-
4158, www,wabashamn.org).
Winona, June 30 Historic tours and
downtown street dance (800/657-4972;
www.visitwinona.com).
WISCONSIN
Cassville, June 27 In Stonefield Vil-
lage, a re-created 19th-centuIy town,
promenade featuring 1850s costumes,
and picnic with old-fashioned games
(6081725-5855; www.cassville.org).
La Crosse, June 30 Riverfest, with
food, Civil War r..naetors, storyteners,
music and more (8001658-9424; www.
explorelacrosse,com),
PraIrie du Chien, June 29 Pony show
and rides for youngsters, historic'site
tours and quilt show, Hiking at
nearby Wyalusing State Park (8001732-
1673; www.prairieduchien.org),
TrempeaIeau, June 29 A re-creation
of Abby F¡] more's 1854 ride, plus cat-
fish sandwiches, a local specialty (6081
534-6780; www.trernpealeau.net),.
"-
- --~-
----- -
~____m'
1!U-~,*tN,'U1"Vl.1L .'. ,
www.heartoflhevineyard.co~. ~
Fly-fishing wQrkshQP~.'
. ..)
geared to. women 1
GRAYLING, Mich. ~ The Dè~
partm.ent of NåtùraI Resources is.
offering ,a fly-fjslrii1g workshop \
fÇlr women May 21-23 at'lWin .
Pine.Lodge near Grayling. Cost ¡s
$275 for the weekend and in- .
cludes 'room, board and instrucJ
lion. For int:onnation, cill (517)-'
241-2225 orVisit .J
Www.rnichigan.gov/dnr. ':~
Chicago Bike Shl;Jw'£
to begin four-day run;
, CHtcAGO- The Chicago Bike
Show, feat1I!Ìng ex1rernesbmt .
shows, bike and bike accessory :
. . manufacturers, tour opei:ators, . .
clubs and other bike-related org~
¡mations, will be at Navy.Pier, :~
. 600EGrandAve.,Thursday!
through March 28. Cost of the'"
show is $9 for adults and $4 for
children younger than 12. For in:
formation, cill (847) 675-0200
exl250, or Visit ,
www. chi cagobik~how, rom.
j¡.REGIONALTRAVEL
. ,
',,' '. ". DUBUQUE, Iowa
.V' isitln¡i this historic Missis-' .
. ,siPpiRiver.toWnoverabit-
. .'. terly cold weekend in Janu-
ary wasn't on the top of my hus-
ba¡ld's.to-do list (or even on it), but
I thought we cou1d use à quick,
. restoratiy~ttip ou~pf1;he CÎj:y:111J.k-
. ,
. Old Iowa: 111Ímng town
underg 0 ingßt~~~i~ s,~ ce
',jng up ¡;¡ubiÌQ.uè'~JIè\v ::.
inuseunVa(ß1'arii1fri. dedicated to
. the mighty Mississippi River, an in-
doorwaterj>ark aildplehtyof ...' ,"
ró!Jfug hiI S forcròss-countxy ski- '.
ing, J coaXed him into the cari '
. Forturnl~y,.hêis ane¡jSygoing; .
flexible tràve1er. A complete lack of
snow\ViPéd óut the cróss-éountty
By JULIE DE4RIiORFI'
Clûcago'fiibune ".
;,
See TOWN/F4
11
I¡
I
I
I
!
I
I
'..'. '.,' ,.'.' . KRTPhoto¡
,u,~d~rtheJUII,enDUbUqUeB, ;¡dgeln,low,a'..,.th.~SPI¡'¡.to, fDUb'Uq, U~.h",~adS, J.
.downriveron'~dailyslghtseelngc~l!lse:.:. :.",} '. ~. ;~~'...
.i\:ROi\'¡"l\{¡~U
.tTown:.
\\.ttractions,
. worth inining
@ Dubuque.
".., ,,' ,',"
, s]¡fu¡g part of our trip (thoug¡lIna~ ,
cnines make snow for downhill Ski-. '
ing at Sundown Mriuntain). The wa-
terpark, naturally, was for euphoric
Youn¡¡children,not envious adul1s.
And the' ambitious new museum,' .
while a legifu¡¡ate attraction, incl1):d-
ed activities in the arcticlike out-
t:i,1þors, including a stroll through' .
~ wetlands and a 50-minute .'
, .. tour of a former dredging boat that
: now aJso serves as an educational
¡ '"boat-and-breakfast" for scout¡; aùd
;other.grou:ps. '..
,[ But for Cbicagoanswho havenev- .>ÙJove the waterriearthe Gen:Zebu- ally touring icefollies-1;ype show
c er venluredfarther west than the Ion Pike Lock & Danl (No, 11), a with 12 professional skaters waS .
. toùristyne:)l"byIllinois' 4,818-footstructore built in 1937. . Q.nderway, tickets to
ena, Dubuqueoffers. . ..Ea¡¡le$ Jove this area because t4e,. ..
riSes. It's areal. tQw!¡,C<..,,¡::ixgt ,doêiit~e.and the fis1L~,.
, with 57,686 resideIi1s; eaSyprey. '. ,
colleges, and'both gritty: TnJan¡:¡ary, many towns along the summed it up when he said,
s ro;rd sparkling, . . " Mississippi hold Bald Eagle Days eI\ioy the show a lot more if
f-the-art buildings along the with viewing and bird programs. lower your expectations."
e there's a:bit more Jife in Forseriouseagle watchers, four- As we walked out (during
ftliesu:ri1iner -'- the greyhOlmd . hour bald eagle bus tours are held, missian), we realized we'd missed~
~w:ac.k,the Fenelon Plaée Elevator' . departing j'¡:omGalena's Storiey . symphony next door. SclÏooîpläj1s
ed as the world's shorteSt, steep- . Creek Inn. . "and other performaD.ce¡; also,1)I'e . -
railway) and several other at' . After watching (from a wa1¡ìtl .. heJd'inthe building." , . ,0fsteamhoa1s
.. s aré closed in tbe winter ;- car) the eagles swoop and pltinge FeeJjng hungry, we a riverboat in thè" au e.
old lead-~ town is under- "'. for their dinner, we "SWUng by the . to the BricktüWp B shniùator. Thé ex:l\iliit useS t!iè sä:D
a renaissance and actively Mathias Ham House Historiè Site,' Blackwater Grill, . d:iWJases ,used to 'írirln todäy's .
for tourists,. .' . . an 185ß ltananare mansion; near A.A. Cooper Wagò rivêrMai pilots. . . . , '.
ysthas been theAmeri- . the 164-acre Eagle Point Park that dinner and a drink. Though the . Children lovoothe"Make YolJr
¡ßá) River project, :!-Ìmùtimillioi:J: . overlooks the MissiSsippi River. . Bricktown features micro-brewed ();yn River" iix:hibit, a gigantic san
~ppJlar renovation to the riverfront at Both the house and nearby park' beer; signs in the windows .a.dvertise pox that lets v:i$ÎtQJ:S fonn the land
¡j¡he Port ofDubnque. KW parts of were ofl'iciaJIy closed. but seemed Coors I1g1It and BWÞÿght appar,: with bills, flat :n-ea.s or mountains.
~tJj:eprojèctincludethèei<paDsianof to.beworth a'look. The park could:.. entlyfòr areason:1!fiè'loca1s saY";~ .. When aÞutloriisþu$hed, waterre
ttJ:ie Natio~ Mississippi River Mu- . be accessed throúgh the back the micro-brewed bèér is Iì1ediocrei'i l~es froIIi a shower head, illustra:l
¡;¡¡~andtheaddÏtiÐnoftheaquar- parking lot. . ., , ariddoeSn'tlive.foód.My' .ing,erosion.Ü11e$1ll8llboymadei
;1îi:m last June, an ~6,OOO-sC¡uai:e-- Tò escape tIie cold, we then head- -' hUsharid, who 0 Sampler; ~ ram for an eternity, determined to
¡p5ot convention center, ~d the " ed to the new Grand Harbor R~rt .' s~ of sixfligbts, , " ~j.t toBl1~ ~e a ~ature è3t faJ1 into the
;Qrand Harbor hotel and mdoorwa- andWaterpark, where the parking I1ghthut found it pàled m cœnpa 1l' tlver he d created. .
;'~ark '. . lot was full of~. Despite the ison to a; good Belgian ale... .eo '.. An alWays-crowded exlJiliit Was
~Vln the wake of the development; . biting chill outside, barefOot, . The next IIJOIning;.as 0I¡r . '. thewet1ab, whereéhildreil thrust
tñew restaUIaIlt$" and coffeehouses. . bathing-suited visffors traipsed innkeepers took tJìejr ÇJjjIdren to. '. ,.)heir arms into a tank of COW!1òse
. j:ñäve popped up along f!1e TIfud . tbròugh the þoœl as we entered. - church; we " '~¡ :w:hiW..tIni~,in the Mississip;
(Street thoroughfare, which leac!s " Steamy ,and clamorous,.the; ..bluff - afi á " : w~ t!íß: . 0
. tdown to the riverfront Renais- 25,OO0"~sqì.¡a.re-fQot"'Wá.f:etþa-dí[ .. .' .Though :-lil.&.'P t
tsarice project. The historic dis- seemed to '. '. for ~'. . . {ðjt<,n), "
j;;tíjct's lower Main Street - lined chiJd,' " "
. . Victorian rowhouses - has' ',.; hot
ped, spruced up and . '. siYely;
. into boutiques.. . ,
made bur home ba¡;e atthe .
" - . RedstoneIIlll & Suites, a ;'
¡;fffiovated Queen Anne mansion ' ..
¡,With colorful stained glasS, ItaJian
f;iJfurhle fireplaces and old family'
. ;!PöJ:traits along the main stairway. ..
¡.1'I1e building, in the heart of down: .
;:tQWn, is part of'the city's rich histo- .
¡;'!'Yand:was constructed by Augns-
rt,ineA. Cooper, owner otCooper
ryVagOn W~, Built in 1894, the
m.edstone W¡¡:s" a modest Jittlewed- -acl:er,;it' .
::;Jing gift from Cooper to his daugh- . mission to the 'Waterpar
;'ter,Elizaheth. . ":'.' We found some nighllife in
í>..'Moments after we checked in Dubuque at the FIve Flags Civic
hitound 1 p.rn. on a Saturday, . Center, a complex: builtin 1910 and
~innkeeper Jerry Lazore, who rims . modeled after the Moulin Rouge in
(the Redstone with his wife, Kelly, Paris, Covering an entire block, the
ièhéaoraged us to watch.the eagles. cenœç houses the Five Bags Arená,
¡ About 2,500 bald eagles winter . home to the junior league'
¡ along the Upper MfSsissippi River' .. DubuqueThunderhirds hoclœy
¡ between MllmeapoJis and St. Louis, team and public skating, aÌ1d.Five
¡ IIJaking eagle gaziDg a. popuIar.Wia-. Flags Theater, where the Dubnque
i ter activity.. , . ' '. ' . Symphony Orchestra perfonns, .
(Theviewing spot wasn't far. We Earlier that afternoon, a naìÏOJ).- '
..,ðrove'doWIiNmthAvenuetothe '. -. .
; Eaglé Point Disfrict and watched. '
¡ these majestic creatures. soàr .. .
--~.~..~ -~""'--
-,
If you tin . .
. Gelling there: Dubûque 'is 'about
275 miles and rdughlyS hours'
driving time from north Gentral
a aod southwestern
.. n! Islate 20
th,we,
. theengfueroonì,the'piJOì~-
house, the galleý aÌ1d sprinted baél
into the museüni'when the totirfi-
nally ended. .
. . , FIve large river aquariums -
; some open at tJie toP' - literally
. bring you face to face with creattID
. m"'oTrl-,ca
.t6P~
. .' KRTPhoto
Cable cars pull tourists to a spectacular panorama on one of the steepesi
hills.!n Dubuque, Iowa. '.'. .' . . '
plenty of(mtdoor activítièS, includ-
ing an ice sculpture show, a demon-
. stratian of a Native American game
anda1;ouroftheWIlliamM.Blaclr '
steaInboat. Nearly the size 'of a foot-
. ballfield; the 1934 steamer is a. .
exlJiliit allow
'torstb touch ooftpeJts of sknn
'","" yand~fox,beaveJ
and other IIJJ!IIJÏJ1a1¡
e . ~' tiny s1ruJJs 51
e pélls.'" . "
Thoughth«tè was plenty mor;,- i
see, inclndlngtJre,Mississiypi ~
space, we bJ;eezed .~ugII the gift
shop and Depgt Cafè;set in the.re-
f¡¡rbislieil '..
Northei'n
or~' Onthëi stò¡jpèdJ
. Galena, siiátclIDiltfqfpoPcotn, bi
itwas S1infuY,'aitdby4 p.m:irrt!
winteI; most Sto~ were closed, VI
did find "gouriD:et" flaiIcir!!d po]>-
corn, but it was Stale and OI'èr~:'
priced. The bettèt; deaJS these: dity
it seems, can be found 15:IiJiles .
west,inDubuqu!i. '.
:..'
. -
"-.,
South Bend'
Tr,ibune
" l1iSCDYIII' what's.
.~
. . .
Cancan from $299 PU- VaJ/a"""""$:I99
iUrlHotè¡7n..AiìI..,¡ij;¡w AÌ~~~
. Caribbean_....
~~:",..:~ PunfaCana_$299
_"""AlUn""""
--$829 MallacartbeT.",....$519
-. -
'WTAlñaÆ MOO """"'" """
. ,--
.. " ~ ANY NIGff'r,tvÊItY illiG""',
$'9' 9. . IN MARcHt 4SO;-~:SÅVING$! .
. . inclUde,S 10. dg'ing" dailYbr""kfast,!tI';;'¡,~e...~ce, .
. . and'appUcable taxes. Sased bn double, '.'
. . occupancy. Also available. w>ddlngs on the
. P'E' R. N'IGHT' .beachandwholehousë,rOntals!,' . .
" REG.PRJCE$180PERNIGHT,.. .
BOOK BY MARDI 31ST & RECEivE "A 10% Discoùnt Off ~j ~ONEYI1DqN Qà WEDDING PAOO
CASAMlRADOR Bed & Bieåkfaßt
D~CaVA.,.'~..c.llnn..o I n.2.27'2 . www.~amriilì'àdo~.net
; ,
. i
¡
!
ì
II
I
!
Mostly cloudy
40/23..
Tuesday,February 17, 2004 www.courierpress.com 50 CENTS
-~ INDIANA's 2002 BLUE RIBBON DAILY NEWSPAPER ~~
Evansville still looking for new tourist attractions
City to hear river town success
. I
story,
By JOHN MARTIN
Courier& Press staff writer
464-7594 or jrnartln@evansvllle.nel
A $188 million riverfront develop-
ment in Dubuque, Iowa, has caught the
eye of local tourism officials..
They say it's an example of what a
unified community effort could bring to
Evansville,
The Evansville Convention & Visitors
Bureau has schedú1ed two forums later'
this month to get public input on possible
new tourist attractions for the city.
To get that process rolling, the bu-
reau invited Sue Czeshinski, tourism
director for Dubuque, to speak at an'
event from 5 to 6:30 p.m. today at the
Executive Inn. She'll talk about how a
$24 million development plan evolved
into a $188 million effort that's been a
major boon for her city.
Other components include the Grand
River Center, which is an education and
: conference center, and a Grand Harper
Resort, which includes the conference
center's hotl3l. and an indoor water park. .
All of the components are linked by a riv-
er walk.
"Riverfront development was some-
thing that was part of Our long-term goal
planning and visioning back in the
1980s when things were very difficult in
The Dubuque, Iowa, project In-
cludes the National Mississippi
River Museum and Aquarium.
The de~elopment includes the Na-
tional Mississippi River Museum and
Aquarium, which Czeshinski said "is a
place where you can go and experience
all the different facets of the river,"
pened all the time back then. Little schools beat big schools.
it just never had happened in the championship game."
-Cyrll"Cy"Blrge .
Dubuque," Czeshinski said Monday af.
ter arriving in Evansville.
"We took a look at our riverfront not
only as a mode of transportation but
something we could really capitalize
on."" .
Czeshinski said funding the develop-
ment came from a variety of public and
private sources. '
See TOURISM on PàgeAS
Baptist
schism
may be
in works
~
I
I
I
AS
EVANSVILLE COURIER & PRESS. TUESE
SOLDIER
. TOURISM
Continued from Page Ai
It began, she exp1ained, with
a partnership between the local
. Convention and V1SÍtors Bureau
and the local historical society,
which owns the museum com-
plex.' .
. . City, counl;y, state and federal
governments later became in-
volved, and "We actually did
qUite a bit of fund raising," new tourism attraction Evans-
Czesbinski said. ville should seek, aDdthat's why
. Marilee Fowler, executive di- public input is being sought.
rector of the Evansville Qonven- "We have no idea," Fowler
tion and Visitors BUteau, noted said. "There's no idea that's too
Evansville's similarities with bigortoosmall... and we are not
Dubuque and said Czeshinski locked into any particular site."
was invited. here "to get Evans- 'F'owler said she expects' a
vílle excited. about what a city strongcontingentofpeopleatthe
çan dD when it all comes togeth- upcoming meetings who want to
er." .make Evansville a permanent
Local tourism officials want. home for the LST, which drew
to use revenue gerierated from a 6 . many visitors during a stop here
percent tax on hotel aDd motel last summer.
rooms to move major new "Imetwith(LSTsupporters)
tourisminitiatìlœs forward. lastFriòay .,; aDd I know they're
That revenue is tied up for going to be here in force, and I
about the neit three years, hóW- encouraged them to do that,"
ever, in the Goebel Soccer Com- Fowler said, "I said, this is an op-
plex and other projects, portunity for you to come and
Fowler said $750,000 in hotel. plant that seed to the rest of the
and motel tax revenue now going community, as to what the LST
to af'fset the operating deficit at ean be."
The Centre would be available in After today' s event, two more
2006, when the costs would be forums will be held. Tbeywillbe
picked. up by the county. froñl7tii9 p.m. Feb. 24 and 4 to
Some members of the Vandèr- 6 p.rn. Feb. 26 at The Centre.
burgh Cotility Council, ho-wevet; Fòwler said Czesbinski has
say it will be difficult for Van- an interesting story to tell about .
derburghCountytocoverthose Dubuque's toùrism success.
costs. They. say the county will 'Czeshinski said she's eager to
face significant new costs associ- share it. . .
ated with the new county jail, "This has truly been a cata-
schedu1ed. to open in 2005: lyst for additional dev$pment in
. Fowler said the Convention our community, so it's really
aDd V1SÍtors Bureau haS no pre- been an exciting story," Czeshin..
conceived notion about the type of ski said. .
After todaY's event, two
more fonnnS wiD be held.
They wiD be from 7 to 9 p.m.
Feb. 24 and 4 to 6 p.m. Feb.
26 at The Centre.
CONTRACT
Continued from Page A5
workers would receive a $300
signing bonus upon ratification
of the contract. They would re-
ceive wage increases of 35 cents
per hour in the first, third and.
fifth year oftb.e contract, They
would receive lump sum pay-
ments of $1,000 in the second
and in the fourth year of the con-
tract,
The company would continue
to offer its existing medical plans
under the agreement, It would
also offer new new health insur-
ance options. For existing plans,
as well as for dental insurance,
employee premiums would in-
crease in all categories under the
existing plans, The increases
range from 96 cents per week to
$7.69 per week.
The company would also in-
crease its tuition reimbursement
and safety shoe allowance under
the tentative agreement.
Continued from Page AS
Bnt he said he's found plenty
that's reWarding, and so have
other US. troops. He described
morale among the American
military as "high." .
The biggest reward, he said;
"isseeingpeoplenot living in
fear" - fear oftha kind he saw
before last spring's US, inva-
sion of the country. "The chil-
dren in Iraq, they thank us all
the time. They come running
whenever we're out. It makes us
feel good, like we've accom-
plished what we set out to do."
AI Musayyili once was the
focus of a search for deposed
Iraqi strongman Saddam Hus-
sein's nuclear stockpiles, "I see
hope for the people there, com-
pared to when we first got
there," Oldham said.
The happiest look at Old-
ham's airport :reception Monday
had to he on the face ofhis
mother. Browning said Monday
had been her longest day in
.. ¡íJemory, W!riting for her son's
plane's arrival fro:t;!\ Atlanta.
~' -"-:rough., stìesSful, ~
Browning said ofhaving a son
"
Iraq,!
time.:
when,
make
we've
set 014
inaw:
. first ti
a good
he's ru
. OIl
month
withtJ
out of:
returr
stayaJ
Af
eratÞ
a two-
tural (
enJisti
he'sll
inwJ¡,
W!im¡, :
LOS
I with HYPNOS/~
That's ñght 'RegardleSs of your past e:
ing to lose weight, YOU HAVE OUR (¡
I THAT YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT wi!
without .going on a diet or your.. ~
Tonight. you will experience .tv
sessions designed to eliminate unwan
reduce your consumption of sweets; ¡
impulsive/compulsive eating habit
I With Our Method of Clinical Hypno!
a deep, relaxed state of hypnosis w
a awake, aware and ALWAYS IN
. You'll leave refreshed, feeling good.
Butwillitworkforme-Itdoesn~ma:
weight you have to lose or how long
I trying to lose IT, this program is desl
, START LOSING WEIGHT IMP¡
and gain control over Y. our eatingll'
so you can lose 30 Ibs, 50 Ibs e'
quickly and safely. Over 500,000
attended our Lose Weight With Hypnc
~an work for y~
I
'c
"m
dfuèCtor, iWasinvited
,. tò Evànsvillé by thø .
. Convention & VlSi-
sÌlecièimïo'$Ïii' tors Bur~au tò kiJ:k-.
{!ubúqúe'StOuri~m s~art a weal discus- .
director reports on SlOI1 about. . new
hertown'sdevd. tourist 'venues in
opments.' , . EV8llS\1Ìlie. . .
. During aRotary
CIubgpeech ahd a reCeption Tuesday
night at the Executive Inn, Czesbinski
sàid,the developmentS in Dubuque's
. port area, which are linked by a.river
waIk..bave brought about 500,000 ad.
ditional vis#;ors tQ the city and geÌ1er-
ated about $¡2¡¡ million in Visitor
BpßI1ding;
See DUBUQUE QrlPaøeA14
V. '+'1I!IiiIIIIIII!I
. ¿. . O~LlNE: Www.courierpress;com
lG1/?l/Vl/J-tAJI'8 {YtJ.//er rf ¡J~
¿{;~~t{f¡ kb flU~ It; ~ i '.
'ìne'FaneJlosay-
ing she has th.e
.' .' .. dOne
cori.$iderablebusineSs with Vander-
!mrgh C~govermqent sinceFanel-
10 . and De¡nocratic Commissioner.
DaVid Mosby, . aJso was èIecte.¡ in
2000, too]¡; office. . .
See FANELLO on Page A 14
Jowacity's
riverfront
'platn~paI.ks .'
;~.*"~~'(+ .:o~y. .
:~
"",;."",."",."., ..
~. .c. '. .. . . "'.
'E"~ßiI¡u¡k¡iirr;; c¡,jefGeorge.FloVli.ers ~ witl1stt.identsat S¡. Theresa Cathol!c13cl:1ool ahe
. , .
'. .
. ,Firecmefgtowì
,:1JQoking comforté
,t].a;é department' th
Ih4V.earesPQnsi~ .
. bility'totm{ciiizens...
. :. of F:vmiivillè~' : .
. ..,.:. George.FJo.weri.
&i~1!ire Chiif
(. .
"ByBYRON ROHRIG
'Gourier&Pressstaffwri!er
464-7426 or bIroÌuig@ßvansville,net .
111101
'NAnorw.
. Some Rèpilblicans are quietly
asking whetherVice PresidentDick
Cheney will help or-hinder the ticket
among voters in Novemb.et That In
. tuni has raised speculation about
possible Cheney replacements.See
report on Page A2;
F
:E
AskÀmy . .88
Business CB-CID
Classified 01.010
Crosswords 86, D5
Dr,Oonobue '.88
Horoscope. B7
.LocaURegiOtla' 'AS
lotteries . À7
Obifuá¡,éii 812
Opinion: Alo,A11
People. BID
Reader'sGUide AS
.Speotrum BI .
Sporls C1-c5
TalevislOtl B1D
Woalber A13
Should Càlifomia
and the rest of the
United States legally'
recognize same..sex
marriages? .
Gotowww.courier ~:
press.com to voice JoJ
your opinion in our on- hir
Cepyrlght":w04 . E- COurier & Pre., line poll, and remem- riv
Ó ~~]'~IUR'I ~!S :
. CBI
",.,.1 J..U~I¡¡ L.U fJr¡
. Agroup trying to halt gay mar-
riagesWililikefy succeed. ajudge
told the group. onCe its prppoSèd
court order gets rid of its punctua-'
. lion erretSee reporteD PageA4.
,'..
':
"",,,"',='"-o."'""'""",-"<"'"""""'""~~"
DUBUQUE
: !
. . Continued from PageA1'
Betw<¡enApril and September 2003,
she said the city's hotel and motel tax
revenues were up $224,0.0.0 from t]¡e
. sanie penodin 20.0.2. . .'
"So far we feel like we're right on
tat'get or alittle'bit ahead (ofprojec-
tions)," Czeshinski sai~ at the Execu.'
tive Inn event attended by about 60
people, .
. VariousdevelopmentsalongtheMis.
sissippi River at Dubuque cost shout
$188 million. Of that, Czeshinski said
$40. million came from Vision Iowa, a
state-controlled pool of about $20.0. mil-. .
liòn. . .
The fund was established by the
state using casino revenue. Its goal is to
.support projects aimed at keeping
Iowa's youngpeople in the stateand lux.
ing young professionals to ¡nove there,
Cz"'lhinskisaid. ."
. Czeshinski saidDùbúqùeDiâde the
project go by capitsliZirig 1m the Missis.
sippi.River as an asset. As Evansville
ponders, new attr"ctions,. it should coo.
sider things that make the city unique,
said Convention & VIsitors Bureau Ex.
ecutive Director Marilee Fowler.
ForUms on that topic have' been
schedul~c!from 7to9p.m. Feb. 24 and 4
to 6,p.m, Feb. 26 at The Centre,
. Organizers of the forums, according
to Fowler, h\lve no preconceived notion
of what type of attractions the cityneeds
orwhere'they should be located.. She.
s!'id the public needs to be heard.
, The approach taken by Dubuque,
bowever, is a good one to emulate, FowJer
said.
~This is'such an exciting visiQn;"
Fowler said.. "There is no doubt in TJJY'
n;rlndwecandothesamething;". .
i'
, i
, I
I
\
,
,
j,
I'
¡I
i.I
I~
i
FLOWERS
Continued from Page A 1
"'~-_.._,,~..~~~~~--- n",~... "' ._~ - - .,,~ .,... .- _...- ',",. -~~~""..-
J'I' .::1'1:,' .:,
/i¡.gl.Ìari¡im"iri"D.!aÞÌJo¡j)¡¡~.;,!PW!!,
2003. .", .
"_ft"""'ft _ftftlft "'-...--......-... &-
evitabJe tscial animositY and misundAr.
I' J)~~~f~m~~~S
IN~lnll:l
""":ws from America's River
contributing $1 million. The project's
remaining funds came from the cloy's
general-obligation bonds; gaming rev'
enues; the Dubuque Metropolitan Area
Transportation Study; and federal grants
from the Department of Transportation,
the Institute of Museum and Library
Services, the Nationa! Endowment for
the Humanities, the National Park Ser-
vice, and the u.S. Fisheries and Wildlife
Service,
Last month, Dubuque's Grand R!.=-,
Conference and Events Center orfri..e, ",,--
and booked 40 events during the~st' '. .'
three weeks, Duggan says. The 7p:.!1&a-- '- "
museum and aquarium °F"!.'ec!'fil~~ \
and drew 250,000 visitors<o!(;fìhg.,[t.s.Jjr'šf/
four months, dwarfing(årV:rig;.~"'-'ti-
'- "
America's River project added aj;;~te of ISO,OOO visitors per year. When
private developer, Platinum Ho~ìi?y;-- ~e entire campus is up and running, it
which proposed a $25 milJf~ hðt,i.J'a...ib } will generate more than 600 jobs, the
indoor water park. That ~~.~'bm~ mayor says.
the Others to suggest a cohfe,re{,<~nd- According to Duggan, America's
event facility next to the horet....,~! River has taken on a life of its own, "The
Then, the Dub ,ounty Board credit belongs to everyone who believed
of Supervisors joine . ~:;~ership, in Dubuque's potentiaL" j :¡;
Reprinted with permission from the December 2003 issue of American City & County.< (www,americancityandcounty.com)
Copyright 2003, PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media Inc, All rights reserved. AMC.QO-DF
-~-~'-"-'-"'~"""-........------,~
" --- .~-_. .'.._~.
e.i-tø" 61#"' ROBERT BYRNE Y"¡Þ4- .
Sleepy river town awakens to better times
DUBUQUE,Iowa
Las! one to leave, turn
out the lights, That
was the grimjoke in
Dubuque 20 years
ago, after several ma-
jor industries closed or down-
sized, Iowa's oidest town, stuffed
with Victorian architecture and
blessed with splendid views of
the Mississippi from its lime-
stone bluffs, was in a downward
spiral. Homes were sellingfor a
song and so was Iowa's farm-
land.
Not so today, The town has
reinvented itself, Unemploy-
ment is a rock-bottom 3 percent,
and talk is about changes that
are occurring almost too fast to
follow. Downtown, especiaIIy
lower Main Street in the historic
district, is beingupscaJed and
.boutiqued, and a $188 million
waterfront development caJJed
America's River has people ask-
ingindJsbelief, "IsthisDu- I
buque?" Key components are a
state-of-the-art aquarium and
river museum that dreW 150,000
patrons in its first three months
of operation, an 86,000-square-
foot Convention center that
towers above the water's edge
like the prow of a glass ship, and
a hotel and indoor waterpark.
Both buildings were debt-free
when they opened last summer,
After decades of slumber, Du-
buque has awakened with a
start. Todayyou can listen to a
surprisingly good symphony or-
chestra, visit a shiny new artmu-
seum, and attend plays that
would satisfy the most jaded
coastal sophisticate. Several res-
green. There is hardly any litter,
even in back alleys, and graffiti is
an unknown art form, Crime is
so Iowthat reporters for the
. Telegraph-Herald have a hard
time finding news for the paper's
"Police Report."
InDu-
buque, in con-
trast to big
cities, you
don't have to
payforgaßin
adVance, and a
person wear-
ingafarmim-
plement cap
nùghtactua1ly
ownafarmim-
plement. .
One thing
the town lacks
is diversity.
0uIy3,8
percent of the
population is - .
nonwhite, up
from an ane-
nUc 1 percent
10 years ago.
More than half
the citizens are
Catholic.
When an Irish Catholic weds a
. German Catholic, it's considered
a mixed marriage. Dubuqueland
boasts five convents and a mon-
astery and, with the possible ex-
ception of Vatican City, may have
more nuns and priests per capita
than any city in the world,
Iowa is a scary place to run
for office, 'JYpicaJJy, the governor
is Republican along with the
Legislature. Yet, since 1988 the
state has voted for the Demo-
cratic presidential candidate
four straight times, Tom ViIsack,
the ¡;orrent governor, is the first Robert Byrne grew up in
Democrat to hold that office in I>uiJuqu£ and is the author of23
30 years. The state's two Senate books, iwluding a colkcti.m of
seats are split between conserva' one-liners caned "7.'h£ 2,548 Best
tive Republican Chuck Grass1ey ThingsAnybody Ever Said. -
-01111 -¡;fT'-
taurants have fired cookS and
hired chefs.
No longer does the town de-
pend on a few major employers
Iilœ the Dubuque Packing Com-
pany (long gone) and the John
Deere Dubuque 1ractor WorkS
(now one-fourth its former size).
Now there is'adiversì!ied mix of
technology, financial services,
precision production and assem-
bJy, publishing and printing,
health care, and tOurism. Three
small colleges - Loras, Clarke,
and the Uulversity of Dubuque
- are thriving. The recent reces-
sion passed with hardly a twinge
of discomfort.
It's a town where all the
neighborhoods are safe and all
the grade schools and high
schools are good. Horns don't
honk the instant red lights turn
+
-P,J. 4. tf ,~
\I
GABRIEL POLONSKY ILLUSTRATION
J)~ .~ ,,{¿. ~ Þt
and liberal Democrat Tom Har-
kin. Dubuque, because of its
blue--colIar and union back-
ground, votes solidly Democrat-
ie, as does Iowa City, home of the
state university.
In 1988, registered Demo--
erats in Iowa outoumbered Re-
publicans 597,000 to 510,000.
Today, Republicans are abead
5S9;000 to 537,000. The scary
part, the part that makes nation-
""""""""""""""""""""""" alelectionsin-
creasingly
hard to predict
in Iowa, is that
the number of
voters who
aren't in either
party has .
grown from
530,000 in
1988 to
679,000 now.
What are
the issues that
will move Du-
buque in the
2004 presiden-
tial race? Given
thenumbeiof
Catholics in
the electorate,
candidates will
have to tiptoe
through the
minefield of
abortion rights
and gay marriage. Because un-
employment is low,jobs aresel-
dom discussed. But there is
growing concern over the cost in
money and lives of the occupa-
tion of Afghanistan and iraq,
which seems neverending.
Anyone who returns to Du-
buque after being away for five
years or more will hardly recog-
nize it. Th borrow a line from
Erma Bombeck, it's no longer a
place where gravy is considered
a beverage.
Dubuque
Population 57,686
96.2% White
U%Black
16% Hispanic or Latino
Birthplace actor Don Ameche
Median home value $86,400 (US
$li9,600)
Gross GambUng receipts $115.9
million
Churches 71 total; 13 Calholic
In the movies "Field of Dreams"
(1989) filmed here
CUltural attraction National
Mis~ssiPDi River Museum and
Aquarium
Annual snowfall 62 inches
SOURCES: epodllllk.com, <:asinoched""tOffi,
dlun:hangeLcom
~~~
.~-~-~.._' "~-'-",..~-"~--<~,O"'-""'-"'~"'>"
team boats
'011 on the
fississippi
River
as Grand
Excursion
2004 gets
rnder way.
.:,:By,Alic,e
M. Vollmar
BIG WHEEL
COME SUMMER, THE MISSISSIPPI
. River is the place to be as bands serenade
and flags wave a welcome to the st.eam-
boats churning up the waterway. The 400-mile.
Grand Excursion 2004 begins in the Quad Œties
on June 25, visits more than a dozen ports of call
and arrives in St, Paul, Minn., during the Fourth of
July weekend,
People from across the United States and abroad,
whether traveling by boat, train, bicycle or car, will
attend celebratory concerts, plays, reenactments,
tours, programs and more. The lO-day Grand Excur-
sion caps a year of river-related education, including
National Park Service programs, a symposiwn on
river isSues, and information sent to schools in Jlli-
nojs, Iowa, Minnesota and WISCOnsin to teach the
history and ecology of the upper ~issippi River. .
on Tumin'
the comniercial possibilities and beauty of the re-
gion, Steamboat traffic doubled in 1855, commerce
established a finn grip on the riverbanks and set-
tlelS displaced American Indian communities. Plus,
as the cities grew, transportation and industry con-
tributed to the spoiling of the river and its banks.
In recent years, communities have committed to
riverfront renewal and are paying attention to river
stewardship and water quality. Thday's Grand Ex-
cursion focuses on the Mississippi with guardianship
firmly in mind. A sampler of key events follows.
Ìn Iowa on June 26, tlÌe Old Village in East Dav-
enport will re-create the 18508 with horse-drawn
carriage rides, an ice-cream social and costumed
participants: A permanent exhibit at the ~tnam
Musewn helps visitors relive the era of steamboat
captains and river runners. .
The flotilla moors at Iowa's Port of Dubuque,
June 'J:l-29, where the National Mississippi River
MuSertn;l & Aquariwn tells the river's history. It is
also part of an extensive river renovation project
that includes a river walk. The citywill celebrate the
Grand Excursion with historical tours, art exhibi-
tions and music. . .
On June 2!3 in East Dubuque, ill" an Amerii:an
Indian encampment at G1;amercy Park will display
artifacts and offer activities, storytelling and crafts.
There will aJsO be tours of the park's Indian Mounds.
Galena, ill., will offer tours of vintage bed-~-
breakfasts, June 26-28, and performances of Re-
. membering Old Galena, June 'J:l-29, a production
featuring songs, dances and stories about the area.
, On June 28, Galena~s Gtanø PIcnic will feature a
boxed lünch of 1854. manu.items,.period"music by"
ILLINOIS AND IOWA
On June 25, a ceremony welcomes the .Milwau-
kee 261 train at Rock Island, a repeat of the 1854
train trip from Chicago. The Grand Excürsion offi-
",' cially kicks off during the afternoon of June 26 with
fireworks later that evening. The flotilla departs
BACK IN 1854 upriver on June 27. ". .
. Grand Excursion 2004 replicates the 1854 Grand From June 25-27, Moline, Dl.,brims with food .
Excursion, which saw 1,200 dignitaries and media and music during Thste of the Quad Œties, which
fòlks travel by train from Chicago to Rock Island, features specialty items from resta¡D;ants and pubs
ill., and then cruise in a steamboatflotilla.upriver",)n"the.arel;l._,. '.
toSt.Paul. . . .
. "ItwasundoubtedlythemO$tdistinguishedgroup,.;.;j
. of Americans to go on a railroad-and-steamboat;i>1
excurs. ion:' commented Steven J. Keillor, author 0,£,.,".',".11
A SplendidAffair:The GrandExcursionof1854. ..
Led by President Millard Fillmore, and following""
completion of the first railroad link to the Missis' \;
sippi, the historic excursion effectively publicized
Named for the pioneer who ran one of the
first boats above St. Anthony Falls, the Anson ~
Northrup (rightl is one of the ships taking part in ~
Grand excursion 2004. The Harriet Bishop !above) .
will also be there. The ship, named after S.t. Paul's.
first schoolteacher, has a calliopa on Its deck. "
II HOME&AWAY MAR/APH 2004
the 33rd Dlinois Volunteer Reg-
iment Band and period dance
lessons. Visitors can also applaud
the dedication of a pathway on
the levee, which offers scenic
views of the river and town.
WISCONSIN
In Prairie du Chien, travelers can
get an eagle's-eye view of the confluenœófthê V't¡s-
consin and Mississippi rivers at WYal,,"";"""~'¡¡';.'
Park or peer down on the flotilla from
June 29-~O. From May 8 through
ments will be available at the Villa UJUJIj 'V>""""'lj"'" .
home resto~ed to its Victorian e1egmice. ThUISlOf,t'hè
estate will be given by costumed interpreters.
In 1ì:empealean,dancers and musiclanswilJ..þ lr-
form as the riverboat ÍlotillaJocks through LOOk
and Dam #6, beginning June 29. On July z.,4~ æv;~-
ety of performances, musi~ and food can"be,'j'ô1Ind
along the riverfront. .
At Perrot State Park, trappers, voyageurs, meci1-
.. bersottheFrench-MilitiaC9.andAmericanIndians. ....
Take a Break and
. Save Up t~ 300/ò.
AAA members can now save
up to 30%* at La Quinta.
locations nationwide. With
over 350 hotels across the .
country - in warm aod sunny
areas - you're sure to find a
Là .Quinta near exciting venues
and prime leisure destinations.
will rendezvOus, June 26 through July 4,
Canoe .races, archery demonstrations.
and blacksmitlring are a few of the ren-
dezvous'events planned.
MINNESOTA
'The Grand Excursion will be wel-
comed at the Port of St. Paul, July 3.
Celebrants will build a 200-footba!loon
arCh 0Vf:f the ¡iver, which may set a new
world's record for such a structure.
Fìfty restaurants are participating in
the Taste of Minnesota, JuJy 1-5; music
an4 fireworks ltte aJso pJ.anned. Through-
ouUuly, the univeIsity of St. 'Thomas will
hœtthe Grand Excursion Regatta, which
. ,.wmfeature men's and women's rowing
-'"'MistÐrieFort Snelling'will have
. . .. musk;-oannon firings and
. o¡r July 4.
. Bring the family and kids
under 18 stay free in .their
'parents' room. 50 make
your reservation nQ1N!
Còntact your AAA travel.
professional, e,an"",,~ínta
at 1-800-221-4731 ,,*_\7;sit .
us at www.LQ.com,..,.:~..
SP,AM@ 1'5' :~";..' h"'~':':'!'\:~;;"':"
IN 45 -C 0 UÑt-.5}~',':':~:
. -,....><",-,,-
..
.. .
~:;g==~æ
. .:" :~~:::=:::;.
.. '_On-inBonVQ}'izgeJ>anÿ,Q/l~4;.and'
.theMñmeapoJi!¡ Instittrte4Artsdisplays'
"Currents ofChange:Art and Culture on
the Mississippi River;' exploring Mmsis-
sippi RiveT Valley arts. At the Science
Museum. of Minnesota, a new JDÏ¡¡jature
golf coQrSe ~how humans affect
, the health of rivers.
Additionally, the National Audubon
Society's traveJiDg river education boat,
the AudUbonArk; will be part of the flo-
tilla; historical walldng tours focusing on
the river's role during the 19th-œntury
milling heyday will be given at Mill Ruins
Park; and Ballet Minnesota's Mjssissjppi
River 'JìaveJiDg Revue will cel~ the
spD:it of the river and the state through
song and dance. .'
On July 5, the flotilla turns around and
makes its way do~er, . .
ALICEM VQLLMAR is a freelance writer
based in Minneapolis. '
WE HAVE A MAP TO PROVE IT. .
'. Dubuque ~ Con,ûng into: .
. 'e thecitiatIrlght., I saw "
.' ..' 'theIighted.neon1iignfur.:--
th!! Julien Inn s1Iining orarige.,
over,:dovnitownJ)ubuquëfike> .
ã: giåritIet1:ered iiloori, '..., "
I All, the.historic Jwien. .
Seeingitremindedmeto. .
check the hotel while in town'
. for some D'iention of a o.
'ÌnOlpentO)'is, if somewhatmaI;
odorous, footi1ote to . . .
Wisçonsin's',;,!iriCUlturiù her-
e. . '. .itage, lwas not
surprised when I'
dida'tfind"it, but.,
.~~pp.ø~~i~
. '. It certainl.y ; - ,
isn't tIlIit the,' .
< ' Julien Inn has '.
no sense of hiS-'
. tory.'l'hehotel's
own literature -
ÞegiÍ1s. "Since 0
1839... ".and its. .
brochures devote
'.twopageStothe
" Julien's"'his-
. The Monroe torte persPec- '.
pQsIrnaSfer . .tive," . .
- . declared he ' In short, the . .
Would IInhtfor C11lT"D.t hotel on,
""'" . the corner of
Umbu(ger's, Seçond ahd
. ConStitutional Main is the suc-
. righÙnb6 ~~~~: .
, mailed. greèting guests
, on that site .
, . .' since" well, 1839.
o'The origjnal was caJled the.
Waples House; after its .
wealthy merchant. owneI; but
later fucarnations - usuaIly
dueto:\1re--tookthenilIp.e .
. Julien¡rt'fercityfuuhder
Julien Dubuque. :. '
,First it was Julien House,
then ,Julien Hotel During. .
Prohibition it was owned by
none other than Alphonse.
Capone, whO Used Dubuque as.
a retreat fròm Chicago's heat. .'
Uniformed, that ìS: Since 1962,
it has been the Julien Inn.
.. Its lobby gives more history .
-, pictures of old Julien hiin- .
,self and other city founders,
the cb,ah", nrlrror and sink ..
from.the old.Stribley.
Barbershop that opened on
. the hotel's firSt floor after the
t. turn-of the last ce)it\:n'y' and
thefamed'i;
,. once'uSëd cersat."'.'
. Ziegfield's ark thêatiJl" .. .
~taking't J.!!~in ,
13ûfw1iirl: I cö1Ùdn't find âñÿ-
. .wb!>re in the hotel's public
area was a Ìnarl<er for that
. malodorousmoment,.sOm9'
thing along the lines of:
.'~tthis site in 1935, .
W1SCcmsin avengèd an Iowan's
miSguided besmirchmentof
its very dairy herttage. : .
, '~ttheendof the day, the
cheese stood alone," . .
. ,Well, of course it would.
. It was Limburger: .
. And therein lies my tale.
W1SCOnsin'S Swiss-settled
Green County has long been
known fur its cheeses,' espe-
cially for its strong flavored
LimburgeI: The onlY. <;beese .
plant in the United States still
producing Limburger is in .
. Green Count¡¡ . . .' ;:
, But to know it is not always
i91ove it. One day in 1935 a -
package of Limburgermailed
from a Green County cheese
factory to Independence, Iowa,
. w~ ~ned to th~ J¡j0$tnJas-
;J3ållßry ~
. fârlocal ¡
",-,.
. ~burgers'
'. sweetyictory'
. ;'.. shut-up"',
.. ",'J .'
'.OWan
'DENNIS'.
McCANN.
. .bi 'fh""; ~! ,';; ,'.' ,:: é/
"">,',-,-"',,,,',',,,',,'~,', ':,', , ,.",g;\~~",~",.,.,-- ','JiI!"""",',~,.",-,:,.,'lt,",:' ~"""."p:'""",,_,f.,.,i~,¡¡, .'.',",'
:,...'...":y~ ~~l'~idr~a-k~:lt, ,
PF,',:","., Q,.,:,.,.,-~,..'.,-,..t-, ,_.,_",~~l",~.:,:¡".,;,',".'",. ,,',~,ff, JJ"".'~,',;,','..,~,'.,',',C,:,,',-,-',',.~,' '.
<,;~;:;~{ ,'.'~:';i,)\ ~t:~
.'!i err°t' 'set to~e~?!_p usi calchan~~ I
~
,..--
, ~ti-vities on j¡'eb. 7.
, 'A fully riggOd ship is sched'
uled to ,dock m Tampa at 1 ' '
p.m., accompanied by hun-'
dreds of pleasure boats:
The annual Parade of Pi-
rates follows, begimling at
1:45 p.m. and traveling the
length of Bayshore Blvd, "
The festival, which is free,
also features an arts and
crafts show and a midway for
rides, vendors and perform'
ers. ' '
With eaCh ch1IDk roughly the
size ora bathmb. '
, The ice complex will þe se'\'.
~al stories high, with towers
and mUltiple rooms that visi-
tors cantour. The compound
is scheduled to mclude a skat-
ing rink, a merchandise tent
and thrones for tha King and
QUeen of the Snows; crowned
, at the height of tha carnival.
Compiled lium wife and other,
sources by Journal Sewnel sf1Jff.
..11 box, and re- '
.;s about that
.di1g the perëßi1t:
,yed'àrrivals and
,ge length of the de-
~t it's important to re-
,aber to look at the long-
.tm trends," said David
Jma!len; a spokesman for the
Bureau of Transportation Sta.
tistics. He suggests scanning
, through a few months' data to,
get a fullerpicture. '
Limburger's win shut up Iowan
I
1
i
¡
mained,outof step with offi. "tookalargeand~bite.,
'cial post Òffice policy, not to ' ',"His grim, expression
catad,thè cheese was so offen. ,mention border-state: rela-" changed. He tOQk another bite
sive,to the nose that a inail 'tionS, a, cheese-snll'fing 'dUel and a smile appeared on bis'
carrier Was laid up several should be held between, the ru.ddy,'countenance. ¡ie, took a,
MYS froin,the smell "twoaggrieved parties.. He third,bite",*and.his,' ,b,attle-,
, But the Monroe man was a chose the Julien Hotel m Du- scarred face 1.'I1r11I"l positively
Monroe man fjrst, so he or. buque, Parlo, B-ìo De precise; "'beatific:"," ,
for a ,sit-doWn limch ,with '
dered",the, shipment 'J!1a1led Miller, and you don'tnsed me - Happyeltding
àgain" tli Iowa, whence it totellYQuwhatheserve<l..',' ,:
came þackagain in shòrt or., The 'press covered 'that sit.' , ~~ so th~ lssue ~ ov~r
. der; ThéMoniòe,pOstmaster, 'd lik' .t' the -, this,time.Miller e)JJoyed his
nòw, oJ;ficially cheesed off, de- own e,l w~ ' ,co",er. lunch so thilthe finished that "
, cl!¡1'ed, he would' fight for e~ce at Malta. Rich~d S, Da." sandWich and more, Limburg-
Limburger's "'constitutional VlS, the, ~ed,Milwauke.e er's Stained, repiltation was
1.1 b ~-"-d d th Journal wnter, filed adis.' , . ' '
rig' t to', e W<UW an so e' patch from' the scene ~he clean agam" '
issuewenttoWashingWn., callad ita "duel to the breath" See, it'~ a niœlittle tale,
PoStroaster'iN'8le'anâ noted that neither CI)11tes':' maybe ;i~ed ~y time but
, , " " tantwcire'armor beyend ".¡n' ~pp+opqate m,t)rls ~e:And
'Tí\7"tJá";<~smï't"J " ,0pplent.l)¡mä¥1"pJ'¡~, lt explains my: reaction when
'" e . "."'" ,asa'. ames diátel 'beI"'tfie"ñd"'n¡y'temòftheJulienyielded ..
FarleY" did '~e b,onorable ,chiIt/, ,~, e.. co, no si!i.r hcìnorIDg the event.'
,Washmgton thing and ,ducked , ' "Tha " I'th ugh! to' "Jf,'
the issuè, , saying be couldn't ~e w~t òI ,:' BiP:'khard ,cut a " ..,' t~, ,0 myse.
tell, from"that far amyi!'. thIck slice'of.,d s,tj:Qks., "
LimbUrger 'smelled bad.. or: Limbur.ger d 'the " '
not By now, the newspapersaromati on" a, ',"
het~*.imd ad)l;ØS$',the,,~o1Jlltrÿ;,..¡~li;ce oj; \1W~o,
ha,d-.':Sniffed:'out th/!":'storY..':'" , ",:,
accòfd.ing td"àÌi acèõüñt' in
Robert Et Gard's "This Is Wis.
consin," and thòusandS of,
,trees' died to proliuce'the pa- "
per 'that allowed reporters,
and h8a.dline writers to weigh
in. So' the jokes flew while a
shipment of cheese was pre',
pared and sent off tó the 'na-
tion's c!lpital.' ' ,
FjJially, a 'se.cond assistant
postmaster to whom the issue
" had been passed declared that
, . LimbUrger ~ especially when
, wrapped' in: wax 'paper, tin
foil, 'brown wrapping paper
and heavy p!lper on the out.
side - had no offensive odor
and could be legà]Jy mailed,.
And so the issue was over.
But it, Wasn't. Burkhard de-
cided that becaUse MJ,iler ,re- """""'"
McGANN, From 1E
'Your body. 'your' earth
. _your universe
EVERY MONPAY,
MIL"WAU,KE,'
JOURNAL SENTINEL
~ns¡g
¡
,'"
, =~~iI~;t;~~~;-to -tlië ha¡
, area' for 12 years. "They were Yo¡
screaming at each other about, he,
the Smallest things. They ~ ' m~
so UDhappY. 1. think it ruiIled AD
their trip.', " caJ
"1, am so amazed at the four: fr¡
ofyòu," he later said. "You are
like family."
, By the end of our trip, the ~
four of ns were amazed, toò, b~
that no major disagreements fa'
had occurred. We began to, wi
: analyze why, and this is what frl
we found. , ' sk
Shorter litnius test ~
We had taken 'several trips' tt
together before, but they were'
'relatively short, la,sting three m
to five' days. These vacations s<
acted as an accurate, litmus sJ
test of whether we were likely tl
to be good longer-term com-, e:
panions. ' -
';;À.GR€Ai
, ð€S
, '
HAIlOIIAlEIlÐOWMBIHORlII
~ .....- -
"
Iowa MilES 120. DRIVING
T!t'¡E'With twlsting roads and Jots
v, If, ginia: land That I love BY SHANE MITCHELL ofstbps,giveitaday.Rugged,hiliy,
ánd forested-that's why the
: Mÿhusband, Bronson, thinks I swear too much. That's northeastern edge of Iowa is
Wh,Y' he Presents me with a shellacked-cedar cuss bank nicknamed lillleSwitzerland, Start
in Dubuque, where the National
;ëltLuray Caverns in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Mississippi River Museum &.
;, W,.'," ,è: can't resist the vivid green billboards announcing Aquarium (800/226-3369;
www.mississippirivermuseum.com)
"~nature's hidden treasure at exit 264 off Interstate 81, hastheworld'slargeststeam
.",hi¡f cuts through the fertile region that historIans call the Breadbasket of the Con- towboat as well as fivehugetanks
:' federacy. Discovered in 1878, Luray is the largest cavern in the East. Hearing a spooky that offer dose encounlers with
, denizens olthe deep, Then head
:,: , ,istal~cpipe" organ there wheeze the notes to "0 Shenandoah" in a subterranean north, keeping the river on your
. ch';;'ber is alone worth the price ofadmission. Aboveground, Bronson spots my right. Small roads take you past
keepsake in a gift shop selling pewter spoons and stenciled porcelain bells; it reads jocks and dams, ferry iandings,
"Swearing is bad and just ain't funny, so if you cuss it will cost you money." Frankly, backwoods communities, and
I don't know what the hell he's talking about. (Ctink, In goes a quarter,) Pikes Peak State Park (563/873-
2341; wwwexploreiowaparks.com),
Once a year, we load up the Honda, bribe our black Lab, Diva, into the rear, and drive al500feetoneoflhe highest points
SOO miles south from New York to Charlottesville, Virginia, for an agrarian refresher, It's along the entire Mississippi River. »
an exhausting slog, dodging semis until we hit the Old Do- .
minion state line. On rural Route II, we wind down the -
valley where, almost ISO years ago, General Thomas ;¡¿r'",... '
. J, "Stonewall" Jackson opened up a big can of (, . .""", ¡"">.,
,,"_~,",..E===~ E;~~>~"~'~:~
Cherokee terntory. When colomal settlers left for the frontler, It became ("-.I ¡".M , [
the Great Wagon Road. By the time Jackson's brigade fought the Valley / ; "'z"" S. J.l.t ;/
Campaign of 1861-62, Route II had been paved with gravel-and-tar macadam. ./ /fJli" 1 2V1.J1."'j-Y ,/ ~
We break up our journey at the r03-acre Inn atVaucluse Spring, outside ...j ,ß'f!<. 8 ~'Y'-'-o.. \, .-" ~
Stephens City. The stone-and-brick Federal-era manor was originally built -.,.- <..., ~
by the son of Gabriel Jones, the commonwealth's first regional attorney, 29 mMo-rJ-f~ "'" ~
According to the family history Defend theY alley, Jones's only fun1t was "an . ~
extremely irritable temper, wbich when aroused expressed itself in 81 C\\.~ðtt.f.~y.Jl.l. ~
the strongest terms he con1d command, mingled with very pro- ~
TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROADS
AcanoeoutlitIeron the James Rive" south
of Charlottesville, lefLAbove,Aqu¡et
stretch ...."he Kluge Est.tev;neyards.
170 TRAVEL + LEISU'RE APRil 2004
Kansas MilES 100. DRIVING
TIME Haifa day. Avirgin patch of
wildflower-dotted prairie survives in a
part of Kansas where rocky outcrops
made plowing difficult Frein 1-70
, in Manhattan, in the north_tern
part ofthe state, head south on 177.
Atflrs~ the road swerves around and
overlimestoneblulls, but when you
reach Ei Dorado and 1-35, you'li be
on the piains. Fans of wide-open
spaces shouldn't miss the more thon
10,000 acres of undisturbed land at
the Tangrass Prairie National
Preserve (620/273-8494; www,
nps.gov/tapr), two miles north of
Strong City.
D"id N¡,oi"
nounced profanity." (Bet he didn't have a cuss bank.)
In the nearby village of Edinburg, we're browsing
through Shenandoah Valley guidebooks m People's Drugs
when someone pounds me on the baek, "Help you with
anything?" It's pharmacist Harry Murray, who also dis-
penses advice about his true vocation-fithing (the drug-
store is stocked with fly-fishing tackle and videos).
Recently, a friend said that ifl were deathly ill m Mur-
ray's store and someone ahead of me in line needed a
new rod, I just might have to wait.
Crossing Massanutren Mountain on shady switchbacks
through Edinburg Gap, we paIallel the broad south fork
of the Shenandoah River, which flows north mto the Potomac. Diva finally gets her re-
w¡¡rd for sitting patiently in the baek seat, An outfitter rents us a canoe and we glide over
gentle ripples shaped by submerged limestone ridges as our pooch scans the shoreline
for snappmg turtles. At the pullout, Diva splashes m the muddy shallows and for the
rest of the day our car smells of wet, happy dog.
Farther south, the breadbasket is bemg gobbled up by mdustrial
parks and sprawling housing developments. It's heartbreaking to wit-
ness centuries-old farmland sprouting prefab McMansions, so we turn
east toward los-mile Skyline Drive. In the 1930'S the Civilian Conser-
vation Corps built this twisting road along the crest ofVirginia's Blue
Ridge, It runs the full length of Shenandoah National Park and has sce-
nic overlooks every few miles. But its speed limit jg a poky 3S mph, so
we detour to the Thorofare Mountain Overlook, a knockout vantage
point above the hickory forest toward the Piedmont (rolling coun-
tryside directly beneath the eastern ridge),
Hungry for pulled pork, we head to Cooter's Place in Sperryville.
Ben "Cooter" Jones played a mechanic on The Dukes of Hazzard, served
two terms m Congress, and currently perfonns as genial host at his fan
museum/barbecue jomt. On summer weekends live bluegrass concerts
pull m the crowds, and every August the converted garage sponsors itS
172 TRAVEL+lElSURE APRIL ZOO,
Washington MILES 85.
DRIYING TIME One day. Island
hopping makes thisshort trip
deliciously slow. Take the ferry
(888/808-7977; www.wsdotwa.
goy/ferries) from Edmonds, north of
Seattle, to Kingston; then fOllow 104
andU.5.1O1 toSequim.alavender-
growing center that's the sunniestspot
in western Washington. Along the
wey, browse roadside farm stands for
lavender products. Continue to Port
Angeles, then hop the ferry to
English-accented Victoria, British
Columbia, forahernoon tea-or an
overnight stay-at the Fairmont
Empress (8ó6/540-4429;
www.fairmontcom/empress;tea
from '£18, doubles from $120).
Utah MILES 310. DRIVING
TIME Two days. Allow yourself
plenty 01 time for this ramble
amid the russet gorges and spires
of southern Utah, After leaving
1-70 near Green River, drive
southwest on 24 through Capito!
Reef National Park, then south
on 12.The road ciimbs9,200feet
up Boulder Mountain en route to
the multicolored badiands of
Bryce Canyon National Park
(435/834-5322; www.nps.gov/
beea). Spend the night at rustic
Bryce Canyon Lodge (888/297-
2757; www.brycecanyoniodge.com;
doubles from $ U5). builtin the
1920's of sandstone and ponderosa
pine. The next day, continue south
and west on Us. 89 to 9, through
Zion National Park, to i-15.»
NEXT DRIVING I VIRGINIA
annual DukeFest reunion celebration. Actress Catherine
Bach, Daisy Duke herself, Once stopped traffic for hours;
Bronson wants his picture taken with the road cone-Dr-
ange General Lee, a 1969 Dodge Charger that jumped a creek
or hill almost every episode. (Sadly, Jones closed his place
in Sperryville at the end ofJast year, but he's since set up
shop in Gaidinburg, Tennessee,) .
Once Diva finishes her barbecue tidhit, we continue up
the road to visit some live porkers. David Cole's pigs dine
on vegetable scraps from the Inn at Little
Washington (black-truffle pizza, wild mushroom
napoleon), Cole, a former America Online exec, is
plowing a fortuIle into an organic agri-venture at
SUDIlyside Farms, IS miles north of Sperryville. In
exchange for kitchen waste, Cole's fàrm supplies
the nearby Î11Il with free-range eggs, heirloom
apples, and the plumpest blackberries I've ever seen.
Over sweet iced tea at little Washington, chef
Patrick O'Connell and I discuss local politics, He
tells me about a town hall meeting where a resi-
dent, distraught over the transformation of this pas-
toral comer, asked: "Don't you think we could just
postpone the future?" With his partner, ReIDhardt
Lynch, O'COIlIlell has been a primary source of
change in the COUIlty, seeding cottage industrIes, attracting a roster of world-class culi-
nary talent, and, most recently, restoring a manor house to create the Presidential Retreat,
a B&B set snug against Old Rag MoUIltain, just 20 minutes away.
At sUIldown, a quick dogleg off Route 231 takes us fÌom precious perfection to some-
thing a little closer to home---truf!!e pjzza is mighty uice, but COUIltry ham suits my South-
ern upbringing. The Graves' MoUIltain Lodge in Syria has been serving :fàmj y-style dinners
since 1965. Its pine-p<neled dining hall is lined with trencher tables and every few feet,
baskets of warm rolls are palled with slabs of margarine and bowJs of the lodge's own ap-
ple butter. (Apple butter is to V¡rgìnia's Piedmont what olive oil is to Tuscany.) As we sit
down, huge platters of nied chicken are placed in nont of us.
Next morning, we head an hour south on busy Route 29 to Charlottesville, When I
was 12, my mother shipped me to Vb:giDia to visit her spinster aUIlt,
who drilled me on etiquetre (swearing isn't ladylike) and dragged
me to historic landmarks. Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Char-
lottesville was my favorite. Never one to postpone the future, Jef-
ferson could gaze down nom his Palladian house at his equally
elegant university, now a World Heritage Site. Despite his fascim.-
tion with Ì!IVeIltiOIlS, our second president's vision of his newborn'
nation was understandably agrarian. In I¡>SS he wrote to John Jay:
"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens.,.they are
tied to their COUIltry and wedded to its liberty and interests by
the most lasting bands." Jefferson's own garden was a laboratory
with more than 1,00 species of fruits and vegetables. Of course, he
didn't envision genetic crop engineering or farm subsidies.
Know why so manyVugínia fieIds are now grazed by burly Black Angus? Big hint: tax break.
But for some wealthy Piedmont landowners, grapes are sexier than cows. In 1979
the state had 29 wineries; now there are almost 8S, including those in development,
Across Carter's MoUIltain, where Jefferson planted his own vines, is Kluge Estate Win-
ery, Vineyard & Farm Shop, a flamboyant new enterprise. And when Patricia Kluge, a
British bombshell formerly married to media billionaire John Kluge, opens a farm shop,
174 TRAVEL + LEISURE APRIL 2004
Mississippi MILES 210.
.DRIVING TIME One day.
It's l~s':than250 miles from Memphis
IoJackson. Mississippi, via US. 61
and U.S. 49, but plan for plenty of
slops 10 savorthedown.homecui,ine
of the MissiSsippi Delta. Unassuming
eateries a II a long Ihe route serve
up barbecue, catfish, and the classic
Southern meat.and-three supper:
stop for lunch at the Blue & White
Restaurant (1355 Hwy. 61 N.,
Tunica; 662/363-1371 ; lunch buflet
for two $13). Stay at the sumptuous
Alluvian Hotel (866/600.5201 ;
www.theafluvian.com;doubies
from $ 175f
Florida MILES 200. DRIVING
TIME Two days, US. 98, from south
ofTállahassee, west to Pensacola, is
the last long stretch of Florida
coas1where sea viewsarevirtually
uninterrupted by high.rises. Loop
onto 30A to explore the New
Urbanist prototype lown ofSeaEide-
an outdoor museum of great
architecwl'. and planning. Spend the
nightatthe WaterColor Inn
(866/426-2656; www.waterc%r
inn.com;doubles from $265) and
finish the drive in the morning.
North Carolina MILES 110.
DRIVING TIME One day. Discover
backwoods and sand hills on this
trip through the North Carolina
heartland. Head south from
Greensboro on US. 220 until you
reach the town of Ashgrove and
scenic byway 705. It's 40 miles 10
Seagrove. a historic pottery-making
community: there are still 80
working potteriastoshop in. From
there, take tiny 70S, then go on 24
east 10 Fayetteville, past dreamy-
sounding towns like Whispering
PinesandWhynot.»
"'[;X1 DRIVING I VIRGINIA
don't expectJohnDeere girome caps,The shop,
designed by California architect Do:vid Easton,
showcases her méthoàe champenoise sparkling
wine and a Bordeaux-style red, In her black
Range Rover, Kluge drives me around rows
of neatly tied vines; on the back seat rides
Basil, her mellow yellow Lab. Basil has a dog-
gie biscuit dedicated to him in the estate's
patisserie-a perfect souvenir for Diva,
Backtracking north on Route IS, we head
toward James Madison's MontpeJier estate and
the Orange County Fair, held every summer
on the estate grounds. Kids pedal miniature
Kubota tractors, heritage Nankin Bantam chickens occupy musky 4-H paddocks,
and blue ribbons are awarded for prize tomatoes. To big applause, a teenager
leads her Jersey around the Cow Obstacle Course in record time. Slurping lemon-
ade, Bronson and I watch two farmers in dirt-encrusted jeans walk past One is
hugging a s1eeping puppy to his cbfst and I overhear IDm say, "He's the last dad-gnm
one they had. Only had 'im two days and I'm already 'lached to 'im,"
Our final destination-a hot-weather tubing expedition on the James River-takes
us along the James River Road, a scenic hilly byway once favored by colonial-era drovers
herding cattle. to market, Turns out I'm not the only one stirred by this rural beauty.
Novellsts John GrIsham and Jan Karon are recent transplants, Dave Matthews just pur-
chased a gorgeous tract in the Charlottesville area. En route to the river, I admire the
musician's open fields and hope to holy hell they stay that way.
Oops. Clink, +
WHERE TO STAY
Presidential Retreat
DOUBLES FROM IBOO
NETHERS; 540/675-3BOO
Inn at Little Washington
DOUBLES FROM $370
MIDDLE AND MAIN STREETS
WASHINGTON
540/675-3800
www,th.lnna6ittlewashington.com
Inn at Vauoluse Spring
This 15-room inn, loca1ed
in the Shenandoah Valley,
has a log cabin suite
facing a spring-fed pond.
DOUBLES FROM $145
STEPHENS CiTY; 800/869-0525
WHERE TO EAT
Graves' Mountain
Lodge
DINNERFORTWO$45 .
RTE. 670, SYRIA; 540/923-4231
Timberlakes Drug Store
lUNCH FOR TWO $10
Don't miss the deviled
eggs and cherry limeade at
this old-fashioned
drugstore lunch counte"
322 E. MAIN ST, CHARLOTTE5YIllE
434/295,9155
Fleurie
OINNER FOR TWO $120
Attractive, upscale French
restaurant on a quiet
side street.
1D8 THIRD ST. tlE.
CHARlOTTESYlllE
434/971-7BOO
Palladio
DINNER FOR TWO $108
Northern Italian menu and
local estate wines.
17655 WINERY RD,
8AR80URSVILLE; 540/B32.7848
176 TRAVEl + LEISURE APRIl2004
Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant
OINNER FOR TWO $25
Fried chicken, spoonbread,
and butterscotch pie.
EXIT 222 OFF 1,81 AT RTE. 250
STAUNTON; 540/886-1833
SHOPS AND SITES
Luray Caverns
970 US. HWY, 211 W,.LURAY
540/743.6551
www.l"'y<aVemLCom
People's Drugs
(Murray's Fly Shop)
1212 MAIN sT, EDIN8URG
540/984-4212
Monticello
A yearlong exhibition
commemorates the Lewis
and Clark bicentennial.
RTE. 53, CHARLOTTESVIllE
434/984-9800
www.monticdlo.",
Kluge Estate Winery,
Vineyard & Farm Shop
3550 8LENHEIM RD.
CHARLOmSVILlE; 434/984-4855
. ~i~higan MILES 125.
"D~IVI'NG TIME One day.
Thé.viestern shore of Michigan has
lighthouses and old beachlowns,
orchards and vineyards, dramatic
biuffs with ocean vislas. From
Ludington (the terminus of a ferry
from Wisconsin), go north on US.
31 to Manistee. where , logging
boom left an exuberantVictorian
architectural legacy. From there,
follow 22 north along the shore. At
Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore (231/326-5134;www.
nps.gov/slbe) one of the sand hills
rises4bOleetabovethe lake; few
can resist climbing theduneslorthe
views-and sliding down afterward.
New,York MilES 45, DRIVING
TiM (Oneday. Luminous vistas of
New York's Hudson River inspired
a 19th-century school of painting
and drew the era's gilderati to build
palatial estales. How long you
spend on the 45-mile drive north
from Beacon to Hudson. via U.s. 9
and local 9G, depends on how
many sites you tour. Highlights
include the 54-room Neoclassical
Vanderbilt mansion, FDR's
Georgian-style Springwood, and
painter Frederic Edwin Church's
Persian fantasy Olana. Treat
yourself to lunch at American
Bounty Restaurant in Hyde Park
(845/471-6608; www.ciache£edu;
lunch for two from $50). Operated
bylhe Culinary Institute of America,
it specializes in local ingredients. »
0
u
Z
0
~
Maine: All by Myself BY DAVID HANDELMAN
After flying five hours and driving another five to get to
Sileo, MåiÍ1e,1 was more than ready for bed. But since
that bed was ina B&.B, I was obliged to take a chatty tour
oHhe 1828 Gree.k Revival house with its gray-haired
. owner-host. .wanted to be polite, of course, since he had
patiently guided me there, via my cell phone, through
'. d""k ':unmaIked str""is "iWd had waited up for me till II with a now tepid glass of
:..þ¡àréionnay.And!'m S1J1'ehe, too, was just tryjng to be polite, seeing m me a rumpled
fortysomething solo traveler who had baIely spoken to anyone all day, But being newly
smgle, I kept wincing at his _ocent spiel.
His property, the Crown 'n' Anchor Inn, was "quite popular for wed-
dings," he told me. Then he asked me my seating preference for
brea.kfàst, adding that all the other guests were couples, Up m my room,
he cheerfully demonstrated that the sconce above the private Jacuzzi was
on a dimmer, "You're alone, so you don't need a romance light," he
said, "but we've got
r=i....' . .' "QY'¡O".. ...' ...J one!" Then he shut the door, thus
. - -'" ~~JJ ~. "-,.' officially beginning my first solitary
Y'Á ;t:-"!.~;. vacation m 20 years.
l~ (~,>",^" . ;1..; }~f;;:¡;", Solitude was in fact the point of
~ -1>!"'"
." '.,¡ ~¥"'~,. my drive, more than the locale itself
~ ".,,\". :~.kvè\)'< ~'>'¡"~Í>." (mid-coast Maine and Penobscot Bay),
. þ"Ì ;' :,. c' :'.> 1.~ Recently divorced, with two children, I
~\ >:~..::" . hadn't been on a pleasure trip without 01I-
A ....:-: spring or a significant other since postcollege
(. ':~:.'.' backpacking by Eurili. The idea was appealing. Anything I
......,\'¡tJ... fl ,""",."'N_,,"""_'."""'-"""ro
. '(A)' . my own dences, where would I go? What would I do? Who was I?
'I '-p¡i:;;:JJ.,.... J. I wanted to treat myse1f to some real relaxation-not easy when the
(/," first question from every maître d' was "Will someone be joinJng you?" I
~ ..<0 chose Maine because it was familiar-!' d gone to camp and summered there
for IS years, but I mtended to avoid certain old haunts and their ghosts.
. 178 TRAVEL + LEISURE APRIL 2004
DOWI< EAST Weathe...d cedar
shingles on Thurston's Lobster Pound in
Bernard, left. Above: State pride on a
neense plate.
l'1ontana MILES 315. DRIVING
TIME Two days. Even l~e interstate
ma,.s for a magnificent ride on this
pasiage intO Montana aiong the
jagged Bitterroot Mountains. Talre
i-15 north from Idaho Falls, Idaho,
go 145 mileste Dillon, Montana;
then veer northwest on 278. After 48
miles, soak road-weary bones in the
outdoor pool atJackson Hot
Springs Lodge (888/438-6938;
$5). Continue te Wisdom, then
talre Momana 43 over Chief Joseph
Pass to U.s. 93 and head north.
At Darby, spend the nightatthe
ultra-luxe Triple Creek Ranch
(800/654-2943; www.tripfecreek
ranch-com;cabin5 from $510, aI/-
inclusive). From there, it's 65 miles
to Missoula and 1-90.
l'1assachusetts MILES 75,
D.RIVltlGTIME Haifa day.
An afternoon's drive from Bosten
encirdes salty Cape Ann and
recalls the 5tatesseafaring history.
Talre u.s. 1 A north from Boston.
driving 22 miles to Beverly.
From there, follow Massachusetts
127 east to the old port city of
Gloucester. Stop here to browse
the storefronts of the Rocky Neck
Art Colony (wwwcepe-ann.eom/
rocky-neck), a neighborhood of
winding streets lined with galleries
and restaurants overlooking the
inner harbor Continue easton 127
and 127A, roads thaI hug thecape
eoesland otfermilesol beaches.
islands. and coves to explore. »
0
z
1"etO,U,y
NEXT DRIVING I MAINE
My initial act of liberation was at the car-rental counter, After years of
scblepping fÌom New York in a toy-strewn station wagon, I indulged in a sleek
Mitsubishi Spyder convertible, I asserted my new devil-may-care inde-
pendence after breakfàst by intentionally heading in the "wrong" direction
for my itinerary-1 backtracked to Wells to explore Wells Reserve at Laud-
holm Farm, a hidden wildlife estuary preserve that leads to a secluded beach,
where I waded meditatively among snails and terDS. Back in the Spyder, I hit
Route 1 and found myself at the Maine Diner, I had eaten here before, but I
was hankering for their "lobster pie"-fÌesh lobster meat baked in a dish
with Ritz cracker crumbs and butter-which I devoured at the counter (one
advantage to soJa travel: not having to wait 20 minutes for a table).
1-95 is beautiful, in Maine, anyway: river crossings, forest, no fast food.
By the time I reached the Bangor exit, dinner hour had arrived; I
backtracked again, for lobster in the rough atYoung's, a big, red no-fiiJIs
barn in Belfast It was already dark when I drove down Routes 175 and 166
to the peninsula that's home to the out -of-the-way Shan~i -la of Castine,
The town, which dates fÌom 1604, was settled by the French and then held
by the British, who reclaimed it from the United States briefly, in 18Lh a
testament to what a prime spot it is.
My lodging was at the sweet Castine 1un, which has been open since
1898 and has a reputation for serving the best food in town (though old-timey locals
spurn the restaurant as too fancy-pants), The man behind the desk, Ray, informed me
there was no space left the next night in the main dining room; I'd have to eat in the
pub. R¡¡y empathized about traveling solo. "The hardest time is dinner," he said, "when
you want to tell someone about your day." And restaurants were always seating him at
the worst table, he added. ("You mean, like the pub?" I remarked. He laughed,) My
room was channing, but I hadn't anticipated the humblingly monastic impact of twin
beds. At breakfast, I looked around the dining room-families, older couples, roman-
tic pails-and felt like a swimmer in a desert. People don't ordinarily allow themselves
this kind of trip alone unless they're on business or recovering fÌom something.
I found Castine to be the perfect walking-tour town, with well-maintained 18th- and
19th-century houses (and trees), dozeu.s of quirky historical markers, and water every-
where-the Bagaduce and Penobscot rivers collide into the ba:y. (Castine's only flaw: the
hulking Maine Maritime Academy training ship is sometimes docked downtown,) I got.
an ice cream fÌom the Breeze, a shack on the downtown pier, then wandered the quaint,
gently sloping Main Street to the McGrath-Thmham gallery, where a painting by Joshua
Adam, depicting an empty boat cradle in a sun-dappled boathouse, spurred
me to take a kayak expedition in the calm, nearly boat-me bay. Kayaking
proved a satisfying mix of ~oup and solitary venture: On our way back in,
the sunset, at first muffied by clouds, exploded into a pink masterpiece, and
the mosqnitoes descended in celebration.
I returned to the Castine Inn too late for my pub reservation, which
allowed me to get into the now emptying main dining room after all But
I ended up preferring my lunch the next day: a lobster roll at the dingy.
rental-video-cluttered Castine Variety shop--the best I'd ever eaten,
On the ride out, on 175, 15, and 172, I sampled fried clams at the
Bagaduce Lunch in Brooksville, a trailer-sized shack with picnic tables
overlooking reversing falls; hiked up a mountain in Blue Hill for a stunning view of
the bay; then picked up a few gifts for my daughters at a toy store in Ellsworth. But
Acadia National Park, on Mount Desert Island, beckoned: 55 percent of all tourists who
visit Maine go there, yet I'd never made it in two decades' worth of visits, I drove
up Cadillac Mountain and took in the 360-degree view, then proceeded to the Jordan
Pond House, with its great vista of the pond and the hills beyond (known as the
Bubbles). For lunch, fÌiends had recommended Thurston's Lobster Pound, in the tiny
180 TRAVEL + LEISURE APRIL 2004
Petmsy(vania
t-iILEs 90, DRIVING TIME Half
a day: Gener'ations of Amish and
Mennonitèfamilies have made
lancaster County, Pennsylvania,
one of the country's richest-and
most charming-agricultural
areas, An hourwestof Philadelphia
via US. 30 are historic market
towns such as Willow Street,
Strasburg, and Blrd-in-Hand. The
back road to each typically
measures less than 10 miles, but
the drive will take a good part of
your day, allowing for stops at
antiques shops and historic sites-
and horse-drawn-buggy traffic.
Finish in lancasterdty's bustling
Central Market (717/291-4739)
for tasty beked goods and equally
delicious people-watching.
Puerto' Rico MILES 100.
DRIVI~GTIME One day. The
Panoramic Route network over
PUerto Rico's mountain spineleeds
pastwaterlalls, roresls of mahogany
and bamboo, coffee plantations,
and communities of houses set on
slilts, At Cayey, 25 miles south of
San Juan on Highway 52, head
west, and up, on Highway 14. At
Barranquitas, pick up Highway 143
to Adjuntas. From there, Highway
10 takes you south and down. to
Ponce, on the coast. Give you rself
thewholedayforclimbs.
switchbacks, and snack breaks at
roadside empanada stands. »
Jonet Bailey
NEXT DRIVING I MAINE
fishing hamlet of Bernard, but all the tables were inside,
behind screens, because it's such a mosquitoey cove. It was
dusk by the time I reached Bar Harbor, the commercial hub
of the island, and checked into the Bar Harbor Inn. In sum-
mer, the town is almost like Disneyland's Main Street,
u.S.A.-just as picture-perfect. just as thronged. I ran mto
acquaintances from New York, a couple and thdr lo-year-
old, who'd been hiking all day, and felt sheepish explain-
mg that I was alone. The next mo11lÙlg at breakfàst, I spotted
the sister of a friend. "I'm on my honeymoon'" she beamed.
I had some kind of breakthrough that day, finding my
uiche among the pairs and families. On my way to South-
west Harbor, one of the smaller, more charming towns on
the island, I pulled away when I saw cars parked at the foot
of the Acadia Mountain trail on Route 102. I was m a chat-
tier mood than I had been, which was lucky; at the sum-
mit I was asked to snap a family picture, and the father told
me that instead of swimming at the public area, south on
Echo Lake, I couid walk down a path to a much less crowded pomt of entry. I did
and it was wonderful: a rock slab abutting the water, only about a dozen bathers. I dove
m. This, at last, was my Maine-the leisurely, solitary lake swim.
A friend had suggested Red Sky, in Southwest Harbor, for dinner, I phoned, There
was a single seat left-at the bar. (Triumph of the solo traveler!) I found everything en-
dearing: the local artists' paintings on the faux-finish walls, and the owners, a husband
maître d' and wife bartender, who chatted with me as I sat at the bar with my Philip
Roth novel and house Pinot Grigio. After shrimp dumplings. lobster risotto, and Bel-
gian bitter chocolate pudding, it didn't matter that I was alone-I was in heaven.
I'd discovered a pleasant comfort m traveling by myself. I'd gone at my own pace,
hiked, swum, eaten when it suited me, pampered myself without guilt, mteracted with
only a little awkwardness. The next momlng I drove south to pick up my girls, taking
Routes 202 and 9, beautiful back roads through fannland and small towns. Outside Uuity,
a rock kicked up mto my front right tire with a deafening noise, and a few yards later I
had a fiat and a cracked wheel, Driving carefully on the doughnut spare, I reached a fork
m the road: a right turn would lead me to my daughters; to the left, a sign pointed to a
town called Freedom. I didn't mind saving that particular byway for another trip. +
WHERE TO STAY
Bar Harbor Inn
DOUBLES 'ROM '7'
NEWPORT DR., BAR HARBOR
BOO/248-3351 OR 207/288.3351
www.barharborinn.œm
Castine Inn Maine Diner
DOUBLES FROM $'0 LUNCH 'OR TWO $20
33 MAIN ST., CASTINE: 2071326-4365 2265 POST RD., WEllS
www,castineinn.com 207/646-4441
Crown 'n' Anchor Inn
DOUBLES FROM $BO
121 NORTH ST., SACO
800/561.8865 OR 207l2B2.3829
www.crownnanchor,com
Red Sky
DINNER 'ORTWO "OM '7D
14 CLARK POINT RO., SOUTHWEST
HARßOR; 207/244-0476
Thurston's Lobster
Pound
STEAMBOAT WHARF RD.
BERNARD: 207/244,7600
WHERE TO EAT
Bagaduce Lunch
19 BRIOGE RD., BROOKSVllLE
207/326-4729
Young's Shellfish
Castine Variety 3 AIRPORT RD., BElfAST
LUNCHFORTWOS10 800/464,3774 OR
1 MAIN ST.. CASTlN~ 207/326-8625 207/33B-5032
182 TRAVEL + LEISURE APRil 2004
Vermont MILES 125, DRIVING
TIMEOneday. Take a lazytouro!
several New England islands on a
loop of lake Champlain, starting in
Burlington, Vermont. Follow 1.89
north to U.S. 2 west, which crosses
the lake via a chain ofisiands
dotted with dairy farms and bucolic
villages. On the western shore,
head south on New York 98 and
then US. 9, intheshadowo!the
Adirondack Mountains. Stop to
walk or raft at breathtaking
Ausable Chasm (518/834.7454;
www,ausablechasm.com),adeep
gorge known as the Grand Canyon
of the East. From Port Kent, retu rn
to Burlington by lake Champlain
Ferries (802/864,9804;
www.lerries,corn),
Texas MilES 275, DRIVING
TIM E Two days. This route reveais
the parched, mountainous terrain
of the slate's Big Bend region.
From 1,10, lake 17 south to Fort
Davis, then drive four miles on 118
to the Chihuahuan Desert
Research Institute (432/364-
2499 ;www.cdri.org).fortraiis
surrounded by nativellora.
Continue southon 170 west, a route
with spectacular~ews along the Rio
Grande. At U.s. 67. drive north for
32 miles,and overnight in a historic
fort on the highly civilized Cibolo
Creek Ranch (866/496-94óO;
www.GÍ b~/ocreek ra nchcom; dou bIas
From 5450. a/í.;nc!us;ve).The next
day, return to 1.10atyour leisure.»
J",tB,iI,y
MEXT DRIVING
California: Green Acres
BY MARY TONETTI DORRA
Visiting California gardens in the spring is like
visiting Paradise; At least that's what financiers,
industrialists, and railroad tycoons believed in
the early 1900's. The Huntingtons, Blisses,
Armours, and other wealthy families were totally
sold on the Golden State once they'd viewed
th,e¡iaci1ic Oc~an,below San,Francisco, the rolling hills of San Luis Obispo
County, the toweri~g redwoods in Monterey County. the jagged moun-
tain ranges along the outskirts of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.
!, too, ha"" alw¡¡ys been impressed by the state's natural beauty. But in
the 25 years! ha"" been writing and lecturing about America's horticultural
heritage-its diverse climates and topography, its love of planted areas em-
braced by the land's majesty-! have never spent much time in my own
backyard, ! recently decided to explore the gardens of California, from
Los Angeles to San Francisco, to find out what made each one unique, yet ali of them
distinctly American.
My tOUI began just 20 minutes from downtown Los Angeles, andniy travel com-
panion was John Irving-or rather, the characters in the Books on Tape versions of his
158-Pound Marrioge, TheWater-Method Man, and, most appropriately, A Widow for OneYeor
(that w¡¡s my state at the time). My first stop was the 160-acre Descanso Gardens in the
subUIb oHa Cañada Flintridge, where I found thousands of cameIfus growing in such
healthy abundance it almost took my breath away. in 1948 E, Manchester Boddy, a news-
paper publisher and camellia enthusiast, helped bring Camellia "tleulata-enormous
six-inch ruffled blooms from China'sYunnan province-to the
West. In addition to the reticula" camellias, the sClSanqua and
japoniea varieties complete Descanso's collection of more than
40,000 tree-sized specimens, which produce blooms from De-
<pnber to April. unlike many walled EUIopean public gardens,
fencing at Descanso is cleverly hidden by grass and plantings~
This creates the illusion of an unplanned unlimited space, in
keeping with the open-garden tradition exemplified by Jens
Jensen and the Prairie Sch,ool Movement.
! returned to my car and enjoyed another 15 minutes of Irving while heading to-
ward Pasadena, where I'd be spending the Dight. Then I remembered how
close !w¡¡s to the town ofAitadena and Nuccio's NUIsery, one of my
favorite haunts, The Nuccio family has been growing camellias since
1935 and produced many of the first camellia hybrids developed in
the UDited States. A> ! wandered through the nursery, ! recognized
Queen Bee, which resembles an old-fashioned powder puff, the
type 1940' s movie stars used in thcir dressing rooms.
, ,'>'", "",:,':." The next morning, I drove a few miles south to San
({~;."jð,'.,',',"",:,-,,'..',..'.":".".,:,.,.,',',,,"",:,:,""'",.:,."",,',O.,',~" Mar, ino and the Huntington Library, Art Collections &
"', ;-'~'~ ;'. ',::,' Botanical Gardens, Henry Huntington, a New Yorker trans-
. ,'.~.~.','r :" planted to California-and heir to his uncle's Southern
<."-,,,-,~, , . Paci1ic Railroad Co.-purchased the San Marino
\ " "'.". Ranch in 1903, realiz-
~'-'(t~,>:: ;-.,. :I'~s."!-v""'o- ing that the nearby
-;r.1::!'",.6:, "". San Gabriel Mountains
.. ~ ,-"" <:> ' "" ' . would add nnmeasUIably to his
~'- ":,->" "j\<. ::;-_1\)..'),' . property's allUIe. Together »
VS- (~~/
184
COIOl'ìÏdo'.MILES 150.
DRIVINc;TIME One day,
Allowa'ri'~ntiredayforthis scenic
tr~kthrough Colorado's Rocky
Mountain National Park
(9701586-1206;www.nps,
govlromo), where you'll find
flower-strewn meadows and
weather-ravaged peaks, From 1-25
at loveland, Colorado, follow
U.s. 34 west (it's called Trail Ridge
Road in 1he park). passing through
alpine tundra, Bring sunscreen
and a jacket-some peaks along
the route top 12.000 feet.
Beginning at Granby, U.s. 40 east
traces the back side of the
mountain range. linking up with
¡,70atEmpire.
Indiana MIleS 150, DRIVING
TIME'Twoday~ The architecture is
what surprises amid the rural
landscape 01 these back routes
through Indiana. Take 1-65 south
from Indianapolis to Columbus
(800/468-6564; www.ca/umbus.
In.us), a small city with a huge trove
01 Modernist buildings-a 1954
bank by Eera Saarinen and an I. M.
Pei-designed library are among
the 21 architecturally significant
structures. Meanderalong sleepy
local roads-46 west, 135 south,
and 56 west-to West Baden
Springs, Stay overnight at the
nearby French Uck Springs
Resort&Spa (800/457-4042;
www.lrenchlick.com;doublesirom
S 126), built in 1902, The following
day, take U.S. 150easllo louisville,
Kentucky. -JONATHAN LERNER
TrojUlo/Paumi.,
Transderm SCÕp.
scopolamine 1.5 mg
........."..-,.....
--.-'.""-"""-""'-"'P
""""""""""""'._...e",.......
""1Om0N3A" """'T_""",_",.""""",
~"""'_""""I""'~'OO"""""""",,.,
-"~""""'."""'-"'"""'-
"'NT3A"""""""'T.",.~'",,~---,p,"
.~"'mhyp~_."",-"",.",."""""",oo,
""".".""'._""",.'""..,-....
.......-.".-.-...-..,,-.
""""",T"""...""_."""".-",,,,,,
."~~"""_."_SuPlla:Alm0N3.
"..........-""""",".,,,,-.....-.
-""""""_~m"",...,--.~-
-'"""""."-"",'.m_.~....."",,_.
m~'_._",--,""
_'.'00","_._.."""".""""",-
.""-.,,,...-
PIIa:AIm'"
"""S"'-".."""""._"P""~"'"'"
'-.""""".,...-...c..,...",,,..-.,
w""'""_,""'m"'..."~"""".""""",,
""""",--,,,"
T.",.ooS"-'"""""".~oo."_"",,
-""'....""""".r", "....""",.,.."-,,..
""""'~"'CNS-
c._.................""",.-......"...
--.--,....-......."".-.
...........""'.. "..",._~,_........-..
"."'."""""'ft,~...,-"....._,P.'"
-"-"""""--""-."""'P'"
--..,..-..-,.,,-..........
."-"'-"""""""""""'-'.~
"""'-"-"'-"P""'-""'.'"""O'
'_..m.."__".~"";""""""«"",,,,
~'",,"'-"..m"""""....,......._,....~...
"-~~~-""'._'-"""'.~
'.""~"_.""""
,....._........._'....~....,".._....
'_N'_""._"",.", ,.-... ""","'u
.......""..... ~... -"'-.~""-
-""""~""'~"'-'-.ø.w~-,
-",."-""."",,,P~""'-"""_.
~~-'AH"".~~'-
"""'-""-""'~"""U.'-"'".
'--'-""""-'CNS""""""_-
"""""'.""""'--"""."",'d.-
-"~-~-"~-""'-..m.~
"""'--'-"""'."""""""--".
"""""wP""""""_*o"""-""'"
_..__._.~""'_....._....'"
-"~~""""H.__""'~-~
"""'""_H""""""""""""""-""",,.
"""'","n.""""""."'~n""""'"",,,,"-
_d_,,~...,.._,-
""""'_..T_"_n_."'..".""...~
""..""...._--~""--
"""oN, ~.~ _M. """"'... ,~. .........
-""..-,......-ø,"",""..,..........
""'m..... """..... -.1«'" ......... ~d._"
.._,...~r~"'HS"-~H"""_"'"
""o.""....;-~.....~""",.....,
-".'~""'"---'="'."-
""""'.m"""'n_""'"_.,,-"-~
D'--T"""..""..",..",,......,-~
""""'",........--........,,-.....
-"'_T..._,.._..~.....~...........
...-..-..-......"..-""=........
="""'""'-"""""'.-
""""'AI""""""m"""""""N"'.""'.m
s.o"'_......k """-'""""""'.""""
"""_""'m_"""",_"""""."",
...... "",.--. "'".......,'" "".,"'
""'-""-.""""""-
"""".""~~"""H""""""'m"",,"...
"","",",~......T_""'_m_'-
..,~-_.""",""",,,-_..~..
-"""""""'"~~'""...,_.....,""""..
""",,_s"-"""'_"='_ffi"
'H""""""'."""'H"",~""".""""."M
--""-'."."'H,'..rl""~""_~
Th.'...-....",...'m...."...................".
"",_"""""'"
""""""",.,."""",..""..~,_.._,,"
N""""_'",""".-=-""--,,,
-"-"'~-"'_"_""m."'"
-~"""'""'-"'.."T..._,..p,,,,-
~ """" ...-... ~.-......, ~."... m.'.""",
....~.,,"..~~_._.
"'no. ".....-,.-.-,,-....
mo.....,
""""""-"'"
-,,"'..,.,.,
....
NEXT DRIVING I CALIFORNIA
with his first overseer, a young German
landscaper named William Hertrich,
he began to transform the ranch into
a grand garden.
Huntington and Hertrich wanted to
showcase the desert's diverse botanical
specimens, and I soon realized why.
When the Puya bromeIiad begms to un-
furl its petals, birds are drawn Ù"resistibly
to its teal blue, chartreuse, and purple
blossoms. I marveled at the gentle
berms studded with various sIzes of
golden barrel cacti and interspersed
with natural fountains of aloes, pin-
cushion cacti, and succulents.
The Huntington gift store is among
the best, particu1arly for its book selec-
tion-I was delighted to see they had
both volumes of my work-and I
couldn't help browsing its shelves be-
fore going into Pasadena to shop, The
recently opened Anthropologie sells
furniture and found objects from
around the world; I admired the
1930'S French garden chairs and huge
cast-iron birdbaths that had just ar-
rived, I spent a good half-hour trying
to figure out how I could fit one of
the latter into my car,
I continued my spending spree at
Botanik, just down the road in Sum-
merland, which has one of the state's
top selections of plants and garden or-
naments. Cast-iron stepping stones in
the shape ofliIy pads caught my eye,
as did the large handmade pots painted
with moss spores; once planted, moss
grows decoratively on the pot's exteriœ:
After driving up 101 from Pasadena,
I arrived at the Santa Barbara Botanic
Garden. Not all botanical gardens
are created equal, Many try to do too
much-rose gardens on top of water
gardens next to hothouse.--but the one
in Santa Barbara narrows its focus splen-
didly with a collection of more than
1,000 native species, some of which are
in bloom or bear fruit much of the year,
including Arctostapbylos, Ribes, and pen-'
stemon. There's a spectacular display of
wjJdflowers-buttercups, bush sunflow-
ers, carpets of orange and yellow Cali-
fornia poppies-in its meadow.
Leaving Santa Barbara, I began the
five-hour drive north to San Francisco
with not only John Irving to keep me
company but also spellbinding views
of mountains, ocean whitecaps, and,
finally, massive redwoods. On the way,
I stopped in Woodside, 30 miles south,
to see Filo ¡, another example of man's
passion for gardens, Filoli is the for-
mer estate of William Bowers Bourn
II, who owned the largest producing
~
gold mine m CaJifurnïa (its name comes
from Bourn's persona! creed: Fight for
a just cause, love your fellow man, and
live a good life), Spring is undoubtedly
the best time to visit: The Sunken Gar-
den bursts with 70,000 tulips, the Daf-
fodil Field is covered with 200,000
blossoms, and the Woodland Garden is
filled with pink and lavender rhodo-
dendrons and azaleas. The spot! Jove the
most is the Chartres Garden, which has
spring flowering annuals planted m pat-
terns inspired by the stamed-glass win-
dows of Chartres Cathedral, m France.
After leaving Filoli, ! returned to the
road and made my way to San Fran-
cisco; ! very much wanted to see the
newly reopened Conservatory of Flow-
ers. The oldest public conservatory in
North America, its 12,000-square-foot
Victorian greenhouse. dating to 1879,
contains colorful orchid collections and
a lowland tropical garden, but my
favorite area is the one that houses the
Nymphaeac",e. or water lilies, One of the
stars here is Victoria amazonico, an enor-
mous water lily with leaves that Call
grow to six feet wide, ! loved the jux-
taposition of natura! alld mall-made,
gigantic flowers inside a fanciful struc-
ture of glass and metal,
k ! began the return drive dOWIl the
coast, ! thought back on each garden, !
saw the vistas around Filoli alld how
cleverly Bourn had, m the American tra-
dition, mcorporated his surroundings
mto his beloved garden. ! remembered
how Huntington and Hertrich merged
landscaping and horticulture, how they
used native plants so effectively m their
desert garden. how the native live oaks
at Descanso complemented the camellia
collection, ! thought about how pas-
sionately the origmal California garden-
ers Joved their plants at all seasons and
m all cycles of growth, and how care-
fully the gardeners of today work to pre-
serve their visions of paradise.
t also thought about that birdbath,
In went another Irving tape. If! raced
south, ! could make it to Pasadena be-
fore the shop closed. +
11":1:81#::'1"'"
WHAT TO SEE Santa Barbara Montecito Inn
Descanso Gardens Botanic Garden DOUBLES FROM $129
1418 DES CANSO DR., LA CAÑADA 1212 MISSION CANYON RD. 129S COAST VilLAGE RD,
FlINTRIDGE: 818/949-4200 SANTA 8AR8ARA SANTA 8ARBARA
www,J"'an"g"J'",~<g 8DS/682-4726 8DO/843.2DI7 DR
Huntington Botanical wwwõbbg.o<g 805/969,7854
Gardens Filoli www.monloclt<>inn.com
1151 OXFORD RD., SAN MARINO 86 CAÑADA RD" WOODSIDE Old Monterey Inn
626/405-2100 650/364-8300 DOUBLES FROM $240
www_hon!;,...,."g www.filolL"g 500 MARTIN ST., MDNT!REY
Conservatory 800/350-2344 OR
of Flowers 831/375,8284
IF!( DR.. GOLDEN www.oIJmoot",yin,.com
GATE PARK
: SAN FRANCISCO WHERE TO SHOP
3 415/666-7001 Nuccio's Nursery
www.coo"rv'¡oryol 3555 CHANEYTRAIl
0 ßow",~<g AlTADENA
626/794-3383
. WHERE
0 TO STAY Anthropologie
"
0 Casa del Herrero Westin Pasadena 340 S,lAKE AVE., PASAOENA
z
r A 1920's Andalusian DOUBlES FROM $139 626/796-5120
fantasy with seven acres 01 191 N,lOS ROBlES
formal gardens, PASAOENA Botanik
" 1387 EASTVAllEV RD, 800/937,8461 2325-2329lllUE AVE.,
MONTEClTO; 805/565,5653 OR 626/792-2727 SUMMERLAND
z www.""Jolh"roro,com www,wosHn-com 805/565,3831
E
BEST WAY
TO EXPLORE
CHINA
aIi5
Discover China:S fasdnating histo¡y, rich
culture and exotic architecture as you cruise
along the picturesque Yangtze Rivet
. 9-16 night Cruisetours
. New luxury ship
. All balcony cabins
. 5-star hotels
. Fully escorted vacation
. GOUl1TIet Chinese and Western cuisine
. All-inclusive Cruisetours from $1649
For a Free Brochure
Call your Travel Agent
or 1-800-510-7635
vikingrivercruiser.rom
~
VIKING
RIVER CRUISES
Exploring th, Wo,ld in Comfo".
To be honest, I never really considered Dubuque a travel destination,
That is, until I heard abour the new Amerids River development
project at the Porr of Dubuque. Then the wheels in my head starred to
turn. Port revitalization usually means improved access, and since I
was visiting Chicago on business, I figured it was worth the four-hour
drive to check our Dubuque's new offerings, & worst ir could be a few
wasred days, at best a real hidden gem. Of course I hoped for the best.
Located at the Port of Dubuque, Ametids River is a $188 million
tiverfronr development ptoject that celebrates the historical, environmental,
educational and recreational majesty of the mighty Mississippi River,
The cornerstone of this extensive projecr, the Grand Harbor Re-
sort, was unveiled in 2002, Ir was followed shortly by the National
Mississippi River Museum and Aquarinm, the Mississippi Riverwalk
and the Grand River Center. Today the completed project makes
Dubuque a very accessible and affordable tourism destination.
A Unique Combination
The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium (563-557-
9545, tivermuseum,com) is worth rhe cross-srare drive by itself. This
unique exhibition highlights the cul=! and na=! history of the
Mississippi River, Ir's as if somebody combined the besr parts of an
aquarium and the best parts of a narural history museum, focused
them on the Mississippi River, sprinkled in some unique rotating
Woodward Wetlands boardwalk at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium
'fIG
exhibits and placed it all at a great vantage point on the Mighry
Mississippi. It's more than a museum - it's an aquati-suem.
Access at the museum is excellent. Standard access features - a
level entry, accessible resrrooms, spacious galleries and elevator access
to the second floor - are of course all present. But beyond the basics,
some additional thought was put into access ar this museum, For ex-
ample, there are a number of access-extras such as wheelchair-height
ranks and interactive exhibits that can be used by everyone. In short,
it's a very inclusive faciliry,
As an affiliate ofThe Smithsonian Institution, the National Mississippi
River Museum and Aquarium features some top quality exhibits,
Downstairs there are five large aquariums plus an indoor wildlife exhibit
. which showcases the creatures of the Mississippi, including sturgeons,
snakes, birds, turtles, alligators and giant catfish. Upstairs the focus is
on the history of the river; the eady explorers, steamboats and the builders
and inventors that made river trade and transportation a reality,
Outside there's another wing to the museum, one that features some
of our feathered ttiends. The elevated Woodward Wetlands board-
walk is nicely accessible and it offers visitors an opportunity to see the
native flora and fauna and also get a great view of the museum boatyard
and rhe Mississippi River.
Plan on spending at least five to six hours at the museum. Start
early and stop for lunch in the Depot Cafe, which is housed in a reno-
vated 1892 train depot on rhe museum grounds.
Rolling On The River
There's no better way to get a real feel for the Mississippi River than to
actually cruise on it. And as long as we are talking abour history here,
you may as well cruise on an authentic paddie wheeler like the Spirit of
Dubuque (563-583-8093, spiritofdubuque.com). Docked at the Port
of Dubuque, just down the road ttom the National Mississippi River
Museum and Aquarium, the Spirit of Dubuque offers lunch, dinner
and afternoon sightseeing cruises,
Considering that the Spirit of Dubuque was constructed in 1976,
the access on board is pretty good. Granted, some power wheelchair-
users will not be able to make it past the 28" doorway to the main
deck dining area, but once you are on board there is plenty of room to
roll around. Boarding of the vessel is via a ramp, and there is a two-
inch lip at the entrance, but assistance is available. And once the Spirit
of Dubuque sets sail, it's a calm and srable cruise experience.
It should be noted that the onboard toiler is not wheelchair-acces-
sible at all. In fact, you have to be able to stand and walk a few steps to
use ir. Still, the sightseeing cruise is only 1.5 hours long, so with a little
advance planning the bathroom situation is workable.
Casino and Riverwalk
If you want to talœ advantage of a. ttee cruise, then check our the
~ Diamond Jo Casino (563-690-2100, www.diamondjo,com). This
~ riverboat casino, which is docked right next to the Spirit of Dubuque,
,g routinely cruises the river between 7-9 A.M, every morning.
~ The Diamond Jo Casino is a very large riverboat, and there is level
~ boarding and elevator access to the upper decks. Access is good
throughour the casino, with ample room ro navigare a wheelchair and
plenty of ;¡ccessible bathrooms. The slor machines don'r have those
botþersome chairs attached, so it's easy to move the stool over and roll
right up to the machine of your choice, The three-stoty casino is open
24 hours a day and it features a widé variety of slot machines and table
games. There is also a deli on board, in case you work up an appetite
from all that gambling.
If you'd like a breath of fresh air after your cruise, then check out
the Mississippi Riverwalk. This quarter-mile paved trail connects all
of Americis River attractions. It's wide, level and vety accessible. A
5,000 square foot pavilion is located along the riverwalk and it serves
as the docking site for the Delta Queen Company riverboats when
they call on Dubnque. It's a very pleasant and accessible area.
Trolley Tour
If you'd like to see a little more of Dubuque, hop on the trolley for a 1-
hour narrated city tour. Trolleys of Dubuque (563-552-2896) offers
several depanure points, including the Diamond Jo Casino.
Co-Owner Charlene Nauman gives an excellent historical presen-
tation about the Ice Harbor (so named because the locals used to har-
vest ice from the tiver) and the old city area. Highlights include Cable
Car Square, the courthouse, Five Flags Theater, the clock tower and
the beautiful Victorian mansions in the hills overlooking the harbor.
If you like old architecture this is the tour for you,
Access-wise you have to be able to climb up the four steps to the
trolley, as there is not a Iift, Assistance is available ~d there is room to
carry a folding wheelchair on board. It's a good option for slow walkers.
Nightlife
AdmittedIythere isn't a lot of nightlife in Dubuque, but if you lookaround
and check the local paper you can usually find something to occupy your
time, Of course you can go to the Diamond Jo casino, but if you want
something mote you'll have to venture into downtown Dubuque.
We spent a few evenings at the Bricktown Brewery on 3rd and
Main Streets. Nothing fancy, but it offers some good brews and great
people watching. Don't be dismayed when you see the steps at the
front door, as there is an accessible entry around the corner.
Another evening we attended a community theatet ptesentation of
Suddenly Last Summer at Five Flags Theater. The entrance was hard to
find (it was in the back at the Bijou Room) but there was elevator
'access and front tOW wheelchair seating. Even though it wasn't the
most stellar rendition of this classic play, it was an opportunity to do
something different. So look around, you never know what you'll find.
They Will (orne
We made one slight detour on our way back to the Wmdy City; to the
Field of Dreams movie site (563-875-8404, fodmoviesite.com) in
Dyersville, The site is located 25 miles west of Dubuque on the 91-
year-old Lansing family fann. It's a little out of the way, but there are
spÒradic signs. I would say, "You can't miss it,» but we did, and to be
honest finding it was half the fun. .
Field of Dreams movie site
Admission is free and the site is fIat and fairly accessible, If you like
movie locations, this is a good one to take in, as it hasn't changed since
the fìIming. Plus, lets face it, you haven't really seen Iowa unless you've
visited a corn field!
Information
For more information about America's River visit
www.AmericasRiver.com. Local tourist information is also available
from the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce at DubuqueChamber.com.
And while you're in Dubuque, stop by the Iowa Visitors Center at 3rd
and Main Streets .for tourist information about the whole state,
7'fI