Convention & Visitors Bureau Report
li~-l)- L_.B~~!~- L~\;{~~. (~1~\~lBLR ':I~:()~-.\;~-~~
. 'lY CO]\;\TNTION 8<. VISITORS BUREAU I
----.-------.--------.-- - -.--.-------.- -_._._-~
October 11, 2004
Jeanne Schneider
City Of Dubuque
50 W. 13th Street
Dubuque, IA 52001
Jeanne:
The Convention & Visitors Bureau is requesting to be placed on the agenda for the
November 1,2004, City Council meeting to go over the Convention & Visitors Bureau
report. Thank you!
»~
Sue Czeshinski, Director
~ ~u~!-~~~-~~~
'lY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
October 27, 2004
Memo
To:
Mayor Duggan
City Manager, Mike Van Milligen
Jim Waller, Chair
City Council Members
Eric Manternach, Chair
County Supervisors
Mary Ann Specht, Administrative Assistant
Denise Dolan
Fr:
Keith Rahe, Chair
Sue Czeshinski, Director
Re:
Quarterly Report July-October 2004
The Dubuque Convention and Visitors Bureau has worked on many key projects during
the third quarter (July-October 2004) and has seen significant growth in visitation during
this quarter. Consumer marketing programs were implemented and advertising continued,
group sales efforts were aggressive including sales blitz trips, F AM tours and servicing,
and group tour business peaked with many motorcoaches coming into Dubuque and
securing dates for the next two years. Travel media continued to visit Dubuque to gather
information for upcoming travel features on Dubuque and state wide visitation numbers
were released by the Governor showcasing Dubuque County as one of the top Iowa cities
with significant growth over 2002 in visitation and spending by visitors.
Consumer travel was strong during the third quarter. July and September saw record
occupancy numbers. This was the strongest they have been since 2000 which was
nationally a record year. The Bureau worked with industry members to finalize
consumer packages featuring the Arts, Family Fun, Outdoor Adventure, River Adventure,
Winter Getaways, Romantic Get A ways, and Wine Tours. These packages have been
targeted to past visitors and are being promoted through the internet to consumers
interested in coming to Dubuque. The Dubuque CVB also continued to film for the new
video that is being created thanks to the ORA grant that was received this year. The CVB
will make major changes and updates to the current CVB video and convert it to a DVD
format this year.
Group Tour Travel was also strong during the Summer and Fall. Many groups came to
enjoy the day long river cruises and big band cruises that the Celebration Belle makes
300 MAIN STREET SUITE 200 P.O. Box 7°5 DUBUQUE, IA 52°°4-°7°5 (563)557-9200 (563)557-1591
E-MAIL: OITICE@DuBUQUECHAMBER.COM WEB SITE: WWW.TRAVELOUBLJQLJE.COM
available. Other boat tours have also expressed interest in future over night dates in
Dubuque. The Delta Queen continues to bring travelers to Dubuque as well. All of these
tours are weekday business that has helped the community to generate new business.
Convention sales and marketing continues to produce results. The CVB has attended
many large shows during the past several months. These include American Society of
Association Executives, the Destination Showcase in Chicago, the Affordable Meetings
Show in Washington D.C. and Affordable Meetings Show in Chicago. The response
from these shows were positive and the sales committee members continue to make
follow up sales calls to these potential leads. The committee also did a sales blitz in Des
Moines recently calling on over 25 meeting planners. The response to this effort was also
very positive. It will be followed up with calls and a 2005 Spring FAM tour of Dubuque.
The group also hosted a Fall FAM tour for meeting planners from around the region. The
response to this was very positive and several larger groups have interest in coming to
Dubuque as a result.
The travel media continues to visit Dubuque and write favorable stories on the area. Dan
Archer, Editor and Chief of Midwest Living Magazine was one of the many that came for
a tour. Dan is writing a book on the best Midwest destination visits. Sections of the book
will be worked into upcoming articles also featuring Dubuque. Other writers and
stories are attached for your review.
The most recent statistics regarding travel in Iowa were released at the last Vision Iowa
meeting in Des Moines at a press conference hosted by the Governor. Dubuque County
leads the state in increased travel expenditures by visitors with an increase in spending of
6.3 over 2002. The total spending in Dubuque County was $186 million, almost a dollar
for dollar return on the America's River project investment which only part of the project
had been open during 6 months of that time.
f-
Publication
AAA Home & Away
Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota,
lllinois
American Banker
Anew Magazine
Madison, Wisconsin
Association News
Back on the Mississippi
Des Moines Register
Endless Vacation
Gayle H:Il}Jer Photography
Page 1
Editorial Information Submitted
Update October 27, 2004
Amy Link, Marketing Manager
Publication Date
July/August 2004
September 1,2004
October 2004
July 2004
June 27-29, 2004
August, 2004
September 26, 2004
July/August 2004
September 2004
Information Sent / Article
Description
Celebraing the Mighty Miss: New
river museum and complex are part
of$188 million project along
Dubuque's riverfront
As a City Battles for Talent, Lender
Offers (Student) Aid
Galena & Dubuque Weekend
Getaways for Women
Destination: The Heartland States
Cedar Rapids & Dubuque: Small-
Town Charm & Big-City Service
PBS Special on the Mississippi,
fihned a portion in Dubuque
Minnesota PBS in June
Iowa PBS in August
Boat & Breakfast
The Midwest's Best Bets (riverboat
gaming)
I Completing Photography Series on
[Life in our River Town
Date Sent
Notes
3/28/03 -
January
2004 I CVB Input
8/29/2004 [CVB Input
ICVB Input
CVB Input
7/1/2003
CVB Input
CVB
Input,
Mike
Whye
5/21/2004
Circulation
788,000
20,000
254,820
I
I
ICVB Input[ 1.5 million
I
LCVB Input
Editorial Information Submitted
Update October 27, 2004
Amy Link, Marketing Manager
Information Sent / Article
Publication Publication Date Description Date Sent Notes Circulation
Upcomill!! Features:
Indoor Waterpark Feature, includes Still
AAA Home & Away January / Februuary 2005 Grand Harbor Planning CVB Input
What's New for Group Tour in Visited
Destinations Magazine November or December 2004 Dubuque 8/23-8/25 CVB Input
Fishing in the Midwest TV Visited
Program October 2004 Walleye Fishing on the Mississippi 10/6-10/8 CVB Input
Road Trippin' with Dan, Editor-in- Visited --
Midwest Living May / June 2005 Chief 9/21-9/22 CVB Input
, Featuring What to see on Vacation Visited
Discovery America I in each State, visited Museum 9/10
-
To date have worked with 30
media inquiries this year. i
Page 3
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87
Leg 4: Sept 13-Sept 24
Mtdwœt Living
a Return
Home
aBack to
Story
Leg 4: Sept 13-Sept 24
MINNESOTA
The fourth leg of the trip is set
for September 13 to the 24th
from Brainerd, Minnesota to
Des Moines, Iowa, Here are a
few of the places Dan plans to
visit along the way:
Page 1 of 6
http://www.midwestliving.com
+ ENLAAGE IMAGE
Leg 4 of Dan's trip,
. DAYS ONE & TWO: Monday,
September 13 and Tuesday,
September 14
Brainerd area (Grand View and
various resorts, Nlsswa shops,
Paul Bunyan statue,
Kavanaugh's resort where lance
interviewed the chef) and Darwin
(world's largest bail of twine)
+ ENLAAGE IMAGE
Brainerd Lake
"I began my journey in the north
woods of Minnesota on Sunday
with a stop in Darwin to see the
world's biggest ball of twine created by one person, You've gottta'
see it to believe it, I stayed at the historic Grandview Resort on
beautiful Gull Lake in the Brainerd Lakes area, I experienced
some fishing with legendary fishennan Ron Lindner, Of course,
while you're in the Brainerd Lakes area, you have to see Paul
Bunyan, so I stopped to see his 5,OOO-pound talking statue, I also
visited the popular area resort towns of Nisswa and Pequot
Lakes, Then I did a little walleye cooking with Executive Chef
Tom Cavanaugh of Cavanaugh's Resort on Sylvan Lake,
"Tomorrow it's on to Stillwater and the Twin Cities area,"
. DAYS THREE & FOUR:
Wednesday, September 15 &
Thursday, September 16
http://www.midwestliving.comlmwl/printableStory ,jhtml ?storyid=/templatedatalmwl/stor.., I 0/12/2004
Leg 4: Sept 13-Sept 24
Twin Cities (various attractions in
Minneapolis and St. Paul
including Minneapolis lakes,
Calhoun Square, downtown
Minneapolis, Hmong district of
St. Paul, cathedral and state
capitol, Grand Avenue
neighborhood, Swedish
American Museum, St. Croix
River and Stillwater bookstores,
Mall of America)
Page 2 of6
+ ENLe""E 'Me"E
Downtown 51. Paul
Wednesday:
"After I started out with a hearty breakfast and a tour of the new
Glacial Waters spa at Grandview Lodge, it was off to the Cross
Lake studio of metal sculptor Jeff Kreitz, who draws inspiration for
his creations in stainless steel, copper and brass from the moose,
eagles and fish olthe north country he toves so much.
"Then I headed to Stillwate~ Minnesota, which is on the National
Registry of Historic Places and sits right on the St, Croix river in
the beautifui St, Croix valiey, While exptoring the shops, I visited
with Thomas Loome about his antiquarian bookstores, and I
actualiy got to page through an Italian volume that dates back to
the 1500s, Then I wrapped up the day with dinner at the St, Paul
Grili at the Sf. Paul Hotel, What else would I have but Minnesota
walieye?"
Thursday:
"I'm here in historic St, Paul Hotel in the heart of this revitalized
and older of the Twin Cities, What a day I had yesterday, packed
with visiting the wondetful attractions in this Minnesota state
capital city, I toured the capitol building itself and went ali the way
to the top to explore close-up the refurbished quadriga statute
with four horsemen atop the building, I also visited the city's
mammoth cathedral and the incredible James Hill home across
the street, representing the Gilded Age tycoons of Americen
history, Then I drove down the longest stretch of Victorian homes
and mansions in America, Summit Avenue,
"Exploring the history center, I "sUlvived" a tomado in a wondetful
exhibit about Minnnesota's weather extremes, During a stop at
the children's museum, I tried hands-on attractions like the
popular giant anthili,
"Then it was a visit to two theatrical centers, the Fitzgerald
Theater, where Garrison Keilior's live weekly petfonnances of '~
Prairie Home Companion" take place, and the Oops Dinner
Theatre in north St, Paul, where DIy and Lena hold forth with their
folksy Norwegian humor, Dinner was at historic Forepaugh's in
the Irvine Park district near downtown, It's a purportedly haunted
Victorian mansion where we had a superb dinner to cap off a
superb day,"
. DAYS FIVE & SIX: Friday,
September 17 & Saturday,
http://www.midwestliving.comlmwVprintableStory .jhtrnl ?storyid=/templatedatalmwVstor... I 0/12/2004
Leg 4: Sept 13-Sept 24
September 18
Austin (Spam Museum) and
Root River Valley (Lanesboro,
bicyclinglhiking traii, other towns
along traii)
Page 3 of 6
"Yesterday was the perfect blue-
sky, sunny day for exploring
Minneapolis, the younger and
larger of the Twin Cities, Of
course, I had to start at the Mary
Tyler Moore statue, recalling that famous TV show, The statue
stands on Nicollet Mall, the main pedestrian artery downtown, I
also visited the Mill City Museum, which recalls the flour-milling
industry that made Minneapolis such a great city along the
Mississippi River, On the arts side of things, I explored the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the famous Spoon With Cherry
sculpture in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden,
+ ENLARGE '"AOE
Lanesboro
"I ended my day of touring at the Mall of America in Bloomington,
where there's more "stuff" than you could ever imagine, along
with Camp Snoopy for the kids. I had a great lunch at Brit's Pub
and a perfect dinner at the sleek Cosmos restaurant in the new
Le Meridien hotel downtown"
WISCONSIN & IOWA
. DAYS SEVEN & EIGHT:
Sunday, September 19 and
Monday, September 20
Milwaukee, rescheduled from
Leg Two (iakefront attractions,
new art museum, a Mexican
restaurant that shows the newly
diverse ethnic character of
Milwaukee, Riverwalk, Villa
Terrace, Pabst Mansion) and
Cedarburg (the mill building)
+ ENLARGE '"AOE
Riverwaik
Sunday:
"'Sunday in Milwaukee' might have been my theme yesterday as I
started at the Milwaukee Art Museum and its beautiful bird-like
structure on the Milwaukee lakefront, I We watched the
mechanical "flaps" open and close and visited the museum's
wonderful collections of folk art, modem art and Haitian art, I
strolled the riverfront downtown and stopped at a sidewalk café
for lunch and watched fishermen, kayakers and other boaters on
this river that floats right through the heart of downtown with all of
its modem, as well as fanciful German, architecture,
"Dinner was Le Fuente in the Fifth & National Latino district,
representing the new ethnic character of Milwaukee with more
than a dozen Latino restaurants and bars. In contrast, I'm staying
http://www.midwestliving.comlmwllprintableStory .jhtml ?storyid=/templatedatalmwllstor... 10/12/2004
Leg 4: Sept 13-Sept 24
at the grand old pfister Hotel, The city's German heritage is also
represented by a visit to the Pabst Mansion, where Capt,
Frederick Pabst ruled his brewing empire here in Milwaukee, "
Monday:
"Today I explored more of Milwaukee's historic neighborllOods
including the Villa Terrace Mansion with its beautiful gardens
overlooking Lake Michigan from a blufftop near downtown, I also
visited the Warehouse District and historic Third Street and had a
proper German meal, including wienerschnitzel and sauerbraten,
at Maders,
'Then it was off to Cedarburg on the northern edge of Milwaukee,
This historic German settlement dates back to the mid-185Gs and
was founded as a mill town, At one time, Cedarburg had five
mills, Iwo of which stand today as places you can visit, shop for
crafts, meet artisans or spend a lovely weekend at local inns and
enjoy several restaurants, The distinctive limestone buildings of
Cedarburg have survived thanks to the craftsmanship of the
German stonecutters who built these houses and mills, "
IOWA Days 9 & 10
. DAYS NINE AND TEN:
Tuesday, September 21 &
Wednesday, September 22
Great River Road (Lansing to
Dubuque, including houseboat
rental concession in Lansing,
Effigy Mounds national
monument, Pike's Peak state
park, Balltown Inn restaurant,
and Dubuque's new National
Mississippi River museum and
aquarium, Fenelon Place
Elevator and other attractions in
Dubuque)
+ ENCAAOE IMAGE
Dubuque Museum
"In Dubuque, I visited the National Mississippi River Museum and
Aquarium, where Ileamed about all kinds of topics related to this
great river and its significance to the United States as a whole, I
saw exhibits relating to history, the people along the river, issues
affecting the river and lots of wildlife, including very scary-looking
alligator turtles and some paddlefish.
"Then it was off to Our Lady of the Mississippi River Monastery
fora taste of some of the heavenly caramels made by the sisters
here at their cloister overlooking the river,
"In Dubuque, I rode to the top ofthe Fenelon Place Elevator, The
world's longest and steepest incline railway in operation since the
188Gs led us to a fantastic view of the steeples and rooftops of
http://www.midwestliving.comlmwllprintableStory.jhtml ?storyi d=/templatedatalmw 1/ stor. . .
Page 4 of6
1011212004
Leg 4: Sept I3-Sept 24
Dubuque,
Page 5 of6
"I returned to Lansing for a wonderful ride on the Mississippi River
Explorer Cruise with Capt. Jack Libby, a true river rat, who
showed us the serenity and beauty of the river's backwaters
above Lansing, A great dinner in Galena at Fried Green
Tomatoes capped off a wonderful day, "
ILLINOIS & lOW A
. DAY ELEVEN: Thursday,
September 23
Galena (main street, historic
homes, Grant's home, Eagle
Ridge resort), dinner at Amana
Colonies (specifically, Ox Yoke
Inn restaurant)
"I began the day at Eagle Ridge
Resort & Spa, a part of the vast
Galena Territory Development, I
explored the golf courses and resort property in this beautiful
wooded area near Galena, This was a lead-mining and
steamboating town that time forgot; vacationers discovered it in
recent years, I visited the home overlooking the Galena River
Valley that President Ulysses Grant was presented with after the
Civil War as a thank you, I toured shops offering all kinds of
wares along Main Street and the historic De Soto House Hotel,
where President Abraham Lincoln once spoke from the balcony
and Presidents Grant and McKinley were guests,
+ ENCAROE 'MAOE
Grant Park
'Then it was off to Iowa's Amana Colonies, where I visited this
historic communal vii/age and had dinner at the Ox Yoke Inn"
IOWA Day 12
. DAY TWELVE: Friday, September 24
Pelia (Dutch heritage sites, bakery) and Des Moines (Living
History Farms including 1850s farm, 1875 Town of Walnut Hili
and Wallace Center)
"The finale of my trip was back home in central Iowa, where I
visited the towns of Boone, Perry and my hometown of Des
Moines, In Boone, I took a gO-minute round-trip on the Boone &
Scenic Valley Railroad line over the high bridge that handles
trains 15 stories above Bass Point Creek. I also viewed the
Shelley Bridge, which is named for a local girl who saved the day
by warning an oncoming train of a bridge washout,
http://www.midwestliving.comlmwllprintableStory .jhtml ?storyid=/templatedatalmwllstor... 1 0/12/2004
Leg 4: Sept 13-Sept 24
Page 6 of 6
"Then in Perry I visited the Hotel Patee and the various
attractions associated with Hometown Perry Iowa, a project that
highlights small-town lite in Iowa,
"Finally, it was home again to my own thriving town of Des
Moines, where the big industries are insurance and financial
services, but fanning remains a strong influence, In the Des
Moines suburb of Urbandale, I visited Living History Fanns,
where I toured a fann from the 1850s and the re-created town of
Walnut Hill and took a look at fanning in the future and fanning's
impact on society around the globe,
"After eight weeks on the road, I owe a big "thank you" to
everyone who helped make my joumey such a success!"
netic!'
1f<.!':~:!!t'1:! ~ Copyright 2004 Meredith COI:poration. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.midwestliving.comlmwllprintableStory .jhtrnl ?storyid=/templatedatalmwllstor... 10/12/2004
MIDWEST
IoitmJ j~ay ltgiøUr
TRAVELER
ABBOTT, Assistant Managing Editor
-B029/email: jabþott@dmreg,com
SUN
September 26.
OLIDAYS
h rides,
dog tours
n a horse-drawn
n a five-day family
tour to Finland and
hat begins Dec, 16,
will see a ballet at
insky Theater in Sf.
Irg, attend a
al holiday party at a
palace, then fly to
An overnight train
them to Lapland,
ley will take a
,d sled tour near the
olari. Cost $1,849
on, double
cy including hotel
] accommodations,
to St. Petersburg and
are not included, Call
17-1136; see
yond
iestravel.com,
VENTURES
19 expedition
uth Pacific
, the South Pacific
Massachusetts
] Society Dn a
k birding expedition
ns Nov, 13, The
;enger Clipper
will saii to the Fiji
Jatu archipeiagos and
,donia, The cruise
from Nadi, Fiji
and ends in Noumea,
by two days in
Australia, Cost:
] rate from $4,820 per
lcluding
odations, meals,
cursions and
Is In Sydney, Airfare
tnd Sydn'eyis not
, Call (800)
4, or see www,mass
.org/NH Travel.
mNATION
'beat trip
gh Japan
In offbeat ànd
leaten-path road trip
southern Japan on a
our that departs Nov,
group will visit
i Gorge; Mounts Yufu
I; naturai hot springs
s the Hells; Mount
ke, .an active volcano;
Kintaikyo Bridge over
iki River in Iwakuni,
,iroshima.
ipants also will visit
, of Hiroshima,
, i and Kyoto, Cost
Jer person, including
ip airfare from
cities, bus, boat and
air transportation,
most meals,
Jos, hot springs and
th an English-
1 guide, Call (310)
6, see www,hermes
ine,coni,
NEWS
fees
rline tickets
'ing the recent lead of
st Airlines, four other
.Iines - American.
tai, US Airwavs and
cheaper,
latest tips before packing your bags
It's moose,
elk season
in the West
Book a villa in Jamaica
The G!'andTe!on Lodge
Ço.(q¡ll (800)628-9988
or see WWW.gtlc.com)
bas a Moose Lover's
Special on select dates
through Oct. 5. Pay $128
a night and see some o(
",- ..", n. on ~~oø "'0' 1;"0 ;~ ("_.~" .,..~~- "..,.--,
If Jamaica's your pleasure, book a villa through
Dec.l4 with savings of as much as 40 percent. There are
villas for honeymoon couples, families and large groups,
Each comes with a cook, laundress. hou'ekeeper and
butler, Rates per bedroom, per night, start at $110, Find
out m"r~ at wwwiamaiNWilla<mm
Travel bag
has $palc:iOIiS
ÇQrnpall'bnents
)3agg¡¡!!jnj's spacious,
newO!1ly!3agg bas so
many storage compartments
you're less IikeJy to run 0\It of pockets than things to
in them. The 1O-inch-lJigb, 5.5-inch-wide, 7.5-inch'-<leel
shoulder bag bas a center compartment willi three
~~~:n~_~ca:en..-,,~~l)ol~,~ fol
round-trip from Des Moines ~
other cities
$287 AA CO OL NW UA
AA NW UAUS
'co
:hlng!on, D.C. $214 YX
JAu~..
Omaha
$218 co
.#'¡'¡F~fNi.~L'.""H'
$320 CO DL NW UA US YX
!;Ii' ~ ~à þ~ ~u~ W~
,g'iNiUSWNH
lAÜS'.'.'.'"
les to Las Vegas. Fares in September
, TIckets not sold through Fly-4-Less.
nericanAirlines tickets. See www.aa.com for fare prices on American Airlines.
Dls.lalme~ Fares are meant World destinations
as a guide only, Fares were
researched at 11:17 a,m, Sept.
22 for departure on or after
Ihattime and date: Fares are
out prior noti.e, and are also
ty and restrictions on flight
n some cáses, Extremely limited
es, may. not be included, Taxes
>n the most up-to-date fares,
;) FLY-4-LESS or visit
FL Y-4-LESS,
Tt-opicat Round-trip rom De, Moines
CancunMexico $678 CO
¥.!i~i~ii9.~~~;:¡~m~¡;;;;......if5.1?:..HWiii~...'
Nassau, Bahamas $513 Dl/EV
si:"Ïiïöñïäš;ü:s:ïij;'" ""$72i""'Ü¡;;".."'"
European: Round-trip rom Des Moines
-'\!!1S.t~!]i1>m"" """,~),~"""~(N"1,fJ@1,)""
~@.~!!f!!,~"""". ",J6~~"",!,IAJt~..1,g!i?:n",
t.~,qQ~..,,' ".,mz.."9.~,(tQ..1.gJ:19,,L,
t,1~d,ctd". ""$,6!~"",PW,Q..1Q!3..!)",,
P~m>,.". ""'!61!!"""u,AJt~"1.fJ@1J",
Rom. $550 DL(to 10131)
big bang for travel buck
If budget is an over-
riding issué, there's
no better place to
wheel and deal to
Ime- stretch your cash.
,ing hosteJs and guest houses cooled by
~Ies fansinstead of air conditioning. But ,
rmg now average Joe travelers atriving
.star with luggage on rollers are dis-
you coveringthatfor $50 or $5Oanight,
bath it's pqssible to bathe surrOlmded in
, marble and lounge on. a private
I.Sta, deck overlooking the ocean.
-bit For those who like to have all the
or :,a deWls planned out in advance, log
10re on for limitless bargains. Sites like
I get wwwJatestays,cotniare great for
: put booking hotels in Thailand, Ma,
and, laysia and Indonesia.
hou- But if you like to see exactly
For what you're getting before hand-
¡uals ing over your credit card, then of-
: to ten the best deals can be had simply
,uro by showing up and haggling.
r, 12 Once you get settled, a little
legwork can save a lot more. In-
f 11 stead of asking the hotel to book a
East driver or excursion for you, in-
,sia, quire at independent tourist agen-
Sin- cies on the street. But even then,
am), never book at the first place. For
ture instance, a British traveler on a
perb tour òfVietnam's and
lund Cat Ba Island recen for
ions. a two-day tour - er-
g is- ican couple on the same trip paid
'heel $13 apiece.
The lesson learned is that it's best
tin1y to shop around or try to cut the
:ized middle man out altogether by
>asic booking with the company actually
)Ian-
lead
yis
jjng
running the tour,
Many booking agents, how!Ner,
will insist that you take "tourist"
boats, ferries, etc. True, that'sof-
ten the easiest way to get from
here to there, but local boats are
great for short trips or crossings
and they. will save you a bundle.'
Forexari1ple, posh tourist. boats
froínBali, IndMesia,tôneighbor-
ingNusa LerIlbongan can cost up
to $40 each way for an hour ride.
The local boat (theonJy locals on
board are usua1lythecaptmn and
crew) costs about $5 eách way for
'about 30 minutes longer on a more
basic vessel. .
Since the tour companies d:wì-
ousIy don~ want you to. know
about this, how do you find out
about these âeals? Easy: Think and
ask
Guidebooks like Lonely Planet
are helpful and there are tons of
Web sites with. prices, schedules
and lots of other useful informa-
tion including cheap domestic
flights, trains, boats, etc. Travel
chat rooms and message boards
can also point you in the right di-
rection.. But when in a pincl1, ask a
local. Drivers can be very helpful
- especial1y if they think you
might be looking for a ride to the
place you're asking about.
One thing is essenti,ù, though-
negotiate a price upfront. Too
many visitors make the mistake of
hopping into taxis and expecting a
metered fare onJy 10 have the
driver tell them they owe $20 for a
$5 ride.
Again, always ask ¡ Ind bargain.
MIKE WHYE I PHOTOS SPECIAL TO THE REGISTER
Creating quite a stir: A mannequin stirs a pot in the boat's galley, or kitchen,located between the
crew's mess and the officers' mess.
Stay overnight in ship's quarters
BOAT, from Page 3E
guests staying in the staterooms
must trot down the interior pas-
sageway to use the head - that's
sailor talk for hathroom.
Despite the lack of amenities one
would find at a typical B&B else-
where in Dubuque (plush beds, fine
antiques, private baths), the Black
,has its fans.
'We've been getting rave re-
views from the people who have
stayed here, They love it," said
museum spokesman Jeff Holmes,
Holmes added that the museum.
does not pretend to be a luxurious
B&B or even a hotel.
"If people are expecting some-
thing like a fancy hotel, they're
going to be disappointed," he said.
"So we tell them upfrortt what's
here, and those who have come
and liked it are the adventurous
typeS. They write letters hack that
they carI~ wait to tell thêir friends
they. . stayed overnight' on a
riVerboat"
Some folks even like that the
Black has no televisions, radios or
phones.
"One has to rememberthatwe're
an authentic riVerboat, not the
Qt:teenMary.We're a bit Spartan,
although we' do have. electricity
, and water," said Holmes with a
laugh.
After checking in between 6 and
7 p.m., overnight guests on the
'Black are given a behind.fi1e-
scenes tour of the boat, unlike any
tour given during the day to reg¡>:
Jar museum. visitors.
"Theygetto go into the boweJs of
the boat - the engine room, the
boilers and such. They get to see
the idiOSyncrasies and minutiae of
the boat not covered irì the regular
tours,"explained Holmes. An
evening snack is provided, al-
though guests usually have supper
on shore.
During the nigl¡t, guests occa-
sionally hear the mournful sound
of riVerboats' deep and drawn-out
horns and the quick toots of their
whistles as they pass the Ice
Harbor,
In the morning, they are treated
to what Holmes called a "hearty
riVerboat breakfast" in the mess
(dinirlgroom) next to.theboafs
galley (kitchen). Checkout is usu-
ally scheduled between 8 and two
bells (8 and 9 a.m.).
Besides ac:cominodatingpenple
in the staterooms, the Black can
handle groups of up to 32 people in
the crew's quarters at the rear of
Dowllthehall: A typìéal officer's stateroom has doors leading to
the deck and an interior passageway.
the upper deck. Although the bunk Aquarium, that plans were put into
beds have mattresses, theguesta motion to permit visitors to stay
are expected to suppIytheir own overnight on the Black
sheets and coV'ers or sleepirig hags. The work included improve-
Although the galley and messes ments to the Black's electrical and
separate the crew's quarters and water systems. At the stern, an eJ-
the staterooms, to afford those in evator was installed SO those with
staterooms privacy from the noise pbysical handicaps carl access the
that can accompany-groups stay- upper deck.
ing in the CtØ\Vs qiliu'!êfs;me mu- "We figure we'll be open prima-
~..~,ngf,~4<I\i!!?'<Í$itors in riIy during the warme¡: months,
tj)e_ØpÍílS'¡l!idc:r-.~ers from spring until fall. We're a bit
mthê$!!etin1è; '~;"'H. weather-dependent," said Holmes,
WI1iIe the Black has been an ex- who added that the musewn wants
-ìn'bit at what was origina1ly the to keep the Black open through
Riyerb<¡at Musewn after it retired October before shutting. down its
in 1973, Holmes.said itwasn~t untiL--15Vernight operations for the
the tnUSeun1 expanded, opening winter,
. !l!styear as the new National Mis- Mike Why. Is a freelance wrller whn
sissippi River Museum and lI'as 'n Cn.ncil Stull..
LORADO CRUISE ONE LAKESHORE rentat in
10 RENTALS #1 ;nC,u;s;ng ~~-'tI'a~3Jj~'¡,r",7
t.\frg~A~~m \,;l~£i~!~~;};l~ 515.293-2486 (E,in)
. Day..trip~
ThiS week We uncover.
the best of York
PAGES 1-4,5
August 2
SEC
Pl
thern-style eateries cook up taste, ambience
small, customers wait in line to peer at the buffet
of sausa¡œ, biscuits with strawberry or fig jam,
jambalaya, chopped steak, fried chicken and pork
~hnno ---...- ..." -
1-0 ,UNIJAY PATRIOT-NEWS SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2004
RIVER: Waterway
offers a great' story
Continued IroO) Page 1-1
OTHER THINGS TO DO
"
encountered.
Way before Spanish explor-
er Hern¡¡ndoDe Soto, the fIrst
European knoWn to have seen
it, crossed the Mississippi in
1541 near what now is Mem-
pms, Tenn., the river was a
magnet for man. Its pristine
waters, .in spots deeper than
100 feet and teeming. with
food, doubled as a mghway
. for the ancients.
The banks thàt hosted hap-
py reunions also ran red with
the blood of battle.
The waterfront attracted
thirsty game for hunters to
stalk and e>;posed" stones'
prized " for arrowhead . making.
The river's banks were among
this continent's ori\>ÎJ1al corri-
dors of commerce.
Man's era on the Mississip,
pi .Riveris well-documented
in the museum's interactive hauled sand and gravel on the
theaters and eJdûbits. Its main river. Not so unnsual - until
fe.atures are the National'Ri.v- yoir learn..that they did it on à
ers Hall of Fame, five aquari- barge that also was their
urns, a riverboat niuseum, , home.' .
wetlands, boatyarq and refur- The river also is home to a
liished train depot. myriad of wild creatures; and
, The museum salutes the the museum has a heavy ac-.
early river people- and chroni- cent on nature. Its aquariumS
cles the exploits of the build- and displays are devoted to
ers and inventors who made dozens and dozens of life-
their marks, as well as the art- forms that appear in an array
ists, writers and musicians of aquatic-environments.
whose. inspiration flowed. The big stars in the Main
from the river. Charinel aquarium are the
The Mississippi's system of lake. sturgeon, which reaches
29 locks and dams, erected 9.feet in the river,. and the
largely during the Great De- paddlefish, which grows to 7
pressidn, symbolizes the. feet.
works of the fornier. The rich Other fish in the aquarium
literary legacy of Mark Twain (mrodmum lengths as record-
(did you know he earned a ed in the river) are: .
riverboat pilot's license in Freshwater drum (3 feet),
1859?) speaks eloquently. for flathead catfish (5 feet), blue
the latter.. catfish (5. feet), longuose gar
Mostly, though, there were (54 inches), black buffalo (30
minor players: the riverboat inches), largemouth bass (38
gamblers, dock workers, me- inches), channel catfish (3
chanics, merchants -.. the" feet), wmte bass (15 inches),
working men ánd women, northern hogsucker (I8
Among these crews of com- inches), shorthead redborse
merce were three generations (I8 inches), American eel (40
of the Logsdon family who inches) and bowfin (30
. Ride;:enelon Place Elevator,
in Dubuque, ,.the world's
steepest, shortest sCenic rail-
way: 296 feetlóngål1d ele.
vatingpassengers 189 feet,of,
feringan overlook ófDubUque
andthecomersófthreecstatilS '
'. (round trip: adults$l5Ö,thii.
dren 50 tents or free under .
ageS). ' ,
. Måquoketá Caves State' .
Park, less than an. hour's drive
from Dubuque south ,along U.S.
RoutE! 61. Free admission.
. The John Deere complex, 1V¡
hóurs,bycarfromthetaves
via Iowa Roùte61, then. Inter-
state.74to Moline, III. Free ad-
mission.
inches). Also found in the riv-
er's deepest waters are the
spiny soft-shelled. turtle (22
inches) and the common
snapper (20 inches).
In the Bayou Swamp, a
32-inèh alligator snapping tut-
tle shares the water with a
full-grown gator., In size, the
turtle's head. appro>;imates a
human baby's.
Nearby, at the Touch Table,
visitorsc.anfinger the pelts of
various mammals that dwell
along the river, including foJ<,
coyote, otter, opossum, musk-
rat and wmte-tåiled deer. '
B,ut the MIssissippi River is
niore than a home to wildlife;
One of the' river's greatest
gifts to'Mother Nature's,crea.
tures everywhere was in. help-
ing to ,pawn the National
Wildlife Refuge System.
In 1903, a place called.Peli'
c¡¡n Island was a battleground
pitting conservationists
against an army of feather
hunters. President Theodore
Roosevelt parlayed this dark
chapter in U.S. environmental
history into an effective legis-
lative tooLtomeetfutnre
threats to wild An,,;rica;
One of the current threats
to the river's health is theze-
bra. mussel. A chat with an at-
tendant at the Wetlab reveals
that'the irpper:Mississippi had
approximately 40. fteshwater
"
EATERIES: Patrons enjoy s~Jè
Contlnuedfiom.Pagel-l
IF YOU GO '
ban professionais in ~outhern
Italy and the southern United
States,and found striking simi-
larities.
Southern professiona!~ who
spent the most time trapped
in offices preferred comfort
foodJunches from mom-and-
pop restaurants over salad
bars or fast-food chains.
The white-collar workers
said the rustic food provided a
sensory escape,
BJlt most of these yuppies
have a yogurt or fruit on Fri,
day, Fiorellino found, for fear
of looking pudgy in their
swimsuits. and ,.shorts on the
weekend.
While Country Boy is
unique in. its setting and
stand-up-and-order style, as
in most Southern cities, office
workers can find more than
orte source. for flour-coated;
fried delights.
,Not far away. is the timeless
Elite Restaurant, famous for
mouth-watering rolls that re-
semble. plate-bound clouds.
. Nearby, the aroma of.catflSh
pulls. hung,y politicos and
lawyers into the Mayflower
.- Cafe.
But those restaurants also
offer broiled scallops and en-
chiladas.
At Country Boy's, there is
room - literally - for only
one cuisine.
. Co~ntry'80y: At lamar. and
Capitol; (601) 594-t1243,Hours:
8:30 a;m.'5 p.m.,Monday-Fri-
day; open 4ntil3:30 p.m.Sàt,
urdays. C,QßJplete lunch plates
for $5.
. Elite RestáUrant: At 141 E.
Capitol St.; (601) 352-560&.
Hours:? ~.m.-9:30 p.m.,Mon-
day-Friday; 5 p.m.'9:30 p.m.,
Sat~rd¡jy. Dinner entrees
$6-16.
. Mayflower Cafe:At123 W.
Capitol St.; (601)355,4122.
Hours:luni:hserved II a.m.-
2:30p.m., dinner 4:30 p.m.-
9:30 p.m. Dinneientrees
$11-$20.
gling, Steen decided quick
comfort food meals might reel
in crowds. Steen pitched his
idea to real estate developer
Leland Speed, nowe>;ecutive
director of the Mis'issippi De-
velopment Authority;
Steen convinced Speed that
Country Boy's shack would be
a tourist magnet. And Speed
convinced the Jackson Rede-
velopment . Authority, wmch
owned the corner. ,. ..,..".,.".
"The Redevelopmen! 1\1J.'
thority said Mr.. Steen could
build whatever he liked on
thàt corner as long as it -was
attractive," said St~Y~,',Martin
of the MDA. ..,:'!iJ:~;,
In exchange for creating an
attraction tourists love, Steen
uses. the lot rent-free.
Flandsome, wiry Nicholas
Dickerson. is a guitarist in
town with the touring compa-
ny ofth.; musical "Cats."
"We heard about this place
at the 930 Blues Club when
we were looking for real
southern cooking;" Dickerson
said as he paid for his jamba-
laya plate and bag of straw-
berries. "When you're on the
road, a place like this is niuch
more cool than room service."
Just then Dickerson's cell
phone rang. It was a musician
buddy craving Country Boy's
monster spicy pickles.
But Country Boy isn't
Steen's only enterprise.
, "I invented an apple sundae
machine that carves an apple
into a flower," he said as he
fanned his fmgers out like pet-
als.
mnssel species inthe days be-'
Jore pollution and the zebra
mussel combined to cut their
number tol8.
But the zebras, which in.
vaded the river in . the late
1990s,seeni to.be on the de-
cline, victims 'of a mystery
IDilÎady thàt appears.to affect
°t¥Y theEÎIfopean import......
3Jîother example of the cycli-
:eoflife. . .'
Its A-to.Z. (alligator,
iting oneoftheriv<ir's
surviving species,(o
zeb.ra mussel, a newèomer)
history lessons,. the niuseum
illustrates thàt the river ~is a
living, evolving thing. Heracli-
tus got it right whert;.as ,e.
corded by Plato, he said: ";..
Yòu cannot step.into ~e sarile
rivertwice." '
;pe,haps more.. importántly.
the .mJlseum bears withessto
the wisdom of Tanaka Shozo,
Japan's pioneer conserVation';
ist, who taught that "The care
of rivers is not a question of
rivers, but of, the humart
,heart."
DOUG DOHNE: ddohne@patrlot-
news,coO) or 257-4757
Disn~y~~gort . 8c\"inê
com~ in all giå~: .
\ ,
.",..
Whatever ¡I
' budget,:you1
saVIngs ¡
Resor
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