Added: 04/06/2006 |
Cedar Rapids and Des Moines -- Things to See and DoIowa is a great place to live and travel. For people who have never been to Iowa, the state may seem like nothing but a maze of cornfields. But there's much more, there's enough to see and do in Iowa that tourism is now the third-largest industry in the state. What brings in the visitors is the mixture of enjoyable attractions: historic sites, including Native American burial grounds, frontier outposts and 19th-century towns; museums, such as the Des Moines Arts Center and one-of-a-kind collections focusing on everything from Norwegian immigrants to farm toys; and nostalgic journeys by riverboat, train or country road.
And the farms and corn can be attractions in their own right: well-done sites such as the Living History Farms in Des Moines offer glimpses into the way agriculture has developed in Iowa over the past 300 years. Today the city of Des Moines is the world's third largest insurance center, behind London and Hartford, Connecticut. Illustrious former denizens of Des Moines include Ronald Reagan, who started out as a sportscaster on Radio WHO, and John Wayne, born and raised in nearby Winterset.
Among top cities in Iowa is Cedar Rapids. The city offers many numerous attractions and lots of things to do. The Cedar Rapids area offers a wide variety of cuisine from casual to elegant and an international array of selections. A number of area restaurants boast their own pastry chefs. A visit to a local brewery is fun, educational and may be topped off with sampling the wares. The Amana Colonies seven German villages that make up one of Iowa's top visitor attractions are located just 19 miles southwest of Cedar Rapids via U.S. Highway 151. Tour the museums, furniture and clock making shops, wineries, bakeries and woolen mill. Based at CSPS, a century-old, renovated former Czech social hall, Legion Arts is an award-winning and nationally recognized presenter of contemporary art, music and theatre.
Built in 1928, the Paramount Theatre of Cedar Rapids offers an intimate ambience complimented with ornate architecture, comfortable seating and great acoustics. The Theatre plays host to a Broadway at the Paramount series, the Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra, CRATOS, and the Community Concerts Association. Other offerings include national touring concerts, fine art performances, speakers, and family shows. Visit Marion Heritage Center, a new site of the Marion Historical Society that features temporary and permanent exhibits of Marion and Linn County history, cultural events, workshops and more.
Mount Vernon/Lisbon, 15 miles east of Cedar Rapids, is known for its historic homes, gardens and quaint shopping districts. Walk or drive through these friendly communities to see the uniqueness of these 2 Midwestern towns.
If you're looking for some entertainment, pay a visit to Planet X Extreme Entertainment center. Laser tag, miniature golf, arcade, space ball, rock climbing, space bikes, batting cages, bumper cars and party rooms are all featured there.
Be that Cedar Rapids or any other Iowa city, your spirit of adventure is sure to be awakened.
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