Sunday Drive 12, A Tour of Italy - In the Spring of 2018, I was privileged to document a touring group’s trip through Italy. It was a challenging 10 days, with an extraordinary opportunity to share it as a Sunday Drive; The narrow canals of Venice; the city of Pisa and it’s intriguing leaning tower; Florence, the birthplace of art, science, architecture and music; winding through the breathtaking cliffs and coastline of Sorrento and Amalfi; the ancient ruins of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius; and finally, the Vatican City galleries and Saint Peter’s Basilica, the magnificent Colosseum, and infamous Forum in the City of Rome. We’ve significantly slowed down the whole trip so you can enjoy the beautiful “Tour of Italy”. Enjoy!!
Sunday Drive 11, Canoeing on A Lazy River - The Maquoketa river meanders through the rolling hills and farmland of Eastern Iowa. The Meskwaki named it, Maquaw-Autaw meaning “Bear River.” As we float down river with the gurgling water flowing beneath us and birds chirping above, we see the rich green and red foliage of fall that makes this time of year so magical. Nothing could be more relaxing.
Sunday Drive 10, The Arboretum - Ever been to an Arboretum in the fall? Quiet paths with chattering waterfalls. Lush canopies of red and gold and succulent greens pale to a mix of cool yellows. There's a shiver to the air, whispering cooler days, and yet, tiny, winged foragers grace the brightly colored corolla of mums and belated roses for remnants to accomplish their life task. The frusty, fresh smell of sumac and hostas bring back childhood frolics through a garden forest.
Sunday Drive 9, Biking on the Nature Trail - A whole day biking on the Sac & Fox Nature Trail, crossing bridges, peddling along Indian Creek, and enjoying the fall colors. Slow and easy with calming music all the way.
Sunday Drive 8, The Flower Gardens - Flowers, flowers, flowers....all kinds. We arrive at "The City Gardens" and walk through "The Arbor Garden", stroll along the "Walled Gardens", and take a break in "The Sitting Gardens". Home favorites grace "The Old Time Gardens", and as we walk "A Garden Path", we'll witness the elegance of "The Butterfly Gardens". Relax and imagine the smells from all the "Beautiful Flowers" as we unwind with delightful music.
Sunday Drive 7, Classic Cars and a Small Town Parade - We'll take two drives today beginning with a trip to "Classic Cars, LLC", a museum and restoration company in Okoboji, Iowa. We'll drive through the beautifully recreated streets of the 1950's downtown Spencer and look at all the restored classic cars. Then, We'll Travel through the summer countryside ending the day watching floats, old tractors, a marching band, and events of a small town parade in Alburnett, Iowa. How much fun!!
Sunday Drive 6, A Sunday Boat Ride - Let's go for a boat ride on the lakes around Okoboji, Iowa. While listening to winsome music, our drive to the lake takes us past the original settler's log cabin, then we arrive at the dock where our pontoon boat awaits. Passing through the Okoboji Harbor, we'll see hundreds of charming small homes, and glamorous mansions. fishing boats, sport boats, and cruisers line the banks as we float under bridges leading to Garr, Minnewashata, and East Okoboji Lakes. We'll return to the dock, stretch out legs, and watch the lovely orange sun set over our lake of memories.
Sunday Drive 5, The Museum of Art - Today we'll walk through Green Square Park to visit the Grant Wood gallery and more in Cedar Rapids Museum of Art. The vibrant, modern entrance and foyer leads us to the Grant Wood Gallery. While listening to entrancing music, we walk through the "Restless Spirit" and "The Art of Labor" on the first floor. Then trek upstairs to see "Mauricio Lasansky", the "Ladies of the Club", Art in Roman Life, and Diego Lasansky galleries. We'll visit the 1905 Italian Renaissance style of the North Carnegie Library and complete our journey taking in the spring countryside.
Sunday Drive 4, Sweden - The country of Sweden is like one big, national park. Mountains, forests, oceans, lakes, farmlands and cities abound with a smiling culture of old and new. We'll visit the villages of Torsas, Gullabo, Stenbeck, and Bidalite, on our way to the cities of Gothenburg, Helsingborg, Malmo, Kalmar, and of course Stockholm. While listening to our favorite music, we'll watch as farmlands and forests yield to the North Sea, and Lake Vänern. Medieval castle ruins, museums, and early settlements are marvelous sites to appreciate.
Sunday Drive 3, The Madison County Bridges - We've all heard about the "Bridges of Madison County." Can you name them all? Cedar Bridge, Holliwell Bridge, Cutler-Donahoe Bridge, Roseman Bridge & Pummel Park, Imes Bridge, Hogback Bridge. Let's put on some music and visit them. Maybe we'll find a one room schoolhouse on one of the country roads. On our way home, we'll drive by the Iowa State Capitol building and take in the beauty of fall colors on some residential streets and parks.
Sunday Drive 2, The Yellow River Forest - On our second Sunday Drive, we'll turn up the tunes and take a drive on some farmland roads, through Pleasant Creek Park, the campgrounds, and around the lake. Then we'll go to the Yellow River Forest and drive through their fall campsites along the Yellow River and up into the forest hills. The Mississippi River isn't far away, so after we stop over at a friends farm, we'll drive along the hills and look down to the river. Just a relaxing fall drive.
Sunday Drive 1, Eastern Iowa Parks - It's our first Sunday Drive, and we're just going to drive around and see the local sites. We'll start in our hometown of Alburnett and head over to the always delightful Amana Colonies, drive by Lilly Lake, and High Amana and Homestead. Lots of tractors and harvesting going on as we approach Hannen Park and Lake where I hear the fish are biting. Palisades Park on the Cedar River is always magnificent, and the fall colors in nearby Mt Vernon is enhanced by the yellows of the surrounding harvest roads. We'll end up traveling through Strawberry Point on our way to Backbone State Park. There's always good hiking and camping there, but we'll just slowly drive through and see what's happening.