July 2006 - Posts
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Carly
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The party started early in Coralville Friday. With only 48 miles to cover between Marengo and Coralville, riders on the annual RAGBRAI bicycle trek across Iowa rolled into town well before noon. Coralville's S.T. Morrison park was the ride's second to last stop before the cyclists dipped their front wheels in the Mississippi on Saturday in Muscatine.
On Friday, riders knew they had the worst behind them after Thursday's 77-mile leg, more if they opted for the century ride loop that rounded out the ride at 100 miles. And, with only 50 miles to tackle Saturday, it's easy to see why one young man I talked to said he thought the biggest party of RAGBRAI 2006 was going to be in Coralville Friday night.
I wish I could have stuck around for it. Despite the heat, the atmosphere at noon was already exciting. Riders pulled into town in spurts. Some bee lined for the food. Others set up their tents right away. Still others headed for the Coralville Recreation Center's showers. By 1 p.m. the line for the showers was longer than for the food. Given the choice, I'm not sure which I would have headed for first. In 90+ degree temperatures, a shower or dip in the center's pool sounded tempting and I hadn't just ridden more than 40 miles on a bike. But, then again, the aroma of kettle corn, turkey legs, pizza, gyros and more from the food vendors was awfully appealing as well.
It was all almost enough to tempt me to try a leg of the ride myself next year. But, I haven't been on a bike in years. So, don't count on it. I'll just show up for the party.
Next week I'll be checking out the scene at Jazz Under the Stars at Noelridge Park in Cedar Rapids. See you there!
Nicole
I interviewed a woman in Washington, D.C., a couple of weeks ago, and she made small talk by asking me how I planned to spend the upcoming weekend. I told her I was going camping at a park near my house. Her response was, "Oh. We don't have places like that around here." That's sad, I thought. She's missing out. Well, I bet she doesn't get many chances to hit county fairs, either. And she's missing out there, too.
Fairs are a summer staple for Iowans, and I had the good fortune of being sent to the Great Jones County Fair & Food Fest for work this week. If you haven't been to the Great Jones County Fair, you're probably wondering what makes it so great. That's what I aimed to discover when I milled around at the fair and stayed to hear Brad Paisley last night. (The concert, by the way, was great. Check out my review in Saturday's paper.)
The fair won my heart because it took me back to my country roots. I grew up on a farm near Hudson, a small town in Black Hawk County, but I've been a so-called city slicker since I moved to Iowa City for college in 1999 and took this job at the paper. It's not like I live in Chicago or New York now, but my life now is definitely a far cry from the days of riding along with Dad in the combine, washing the gravel dust off my car every week and spending more time outdoors than in. I found myself thinking back to those days when I saw a slew of pickups in the parking lot, smelled the livestock, heard the country music and watched families have old-fashioned fun at the midway rides and games.
I also found the fair to be great for people watching. You see teens on dates, good ol' boys in the beer tent and wide-eyed kids darting from ride to ride. There are thrill-seekers who can't wait to strap on bungee cords and feel their stomachs drop, and there are reserved types who'd rather snack on footlong corn dogs or tenderloins twice the size of a bun while watching other people fall from the sky.
But I have to say it's the music that impressed me most about this "Great" fair. It's pretty darn cool that Jones County brought in country stars like Paisley and Montgomery Gentry this year. They had Rascal Flatts last year. It's not just the big names that wow me, but the fitting venue. A grand stand, bleachers on a dirt track, stars overhead, midway lights in the background and fireworks just complete the country concert experience.
Read Monday's Gazette to find out what other young adults liked about the fair.
The fair runs through Sunday, July 23. Visit www.greatjonescountyfair.com/ if you want to go.
Tune in next week, when Carly will be checking in with RAGBRAI riders in Coralville. Her last name is Weber now - she just got married - so be sure to congratulate her.
Nicole
Rain must like me. I went camping last month; it rained. Twice. I went to an outdoor musical, "The Fantasticks," at Brucemore Thursday night; it poured.
Classics at Brucemore started off just dandy. I chatted with people who had arrived early to stake out a good seat on the hill facing the stage. They arranged their lawn chairs like auditorium seats and dug into picnic baskets and coolers filled with wine, sandwiches, veggies and other snacks. Programs served as fans as the audience adapted to the sticky summer weather. The setting was woodsy, with tiki torches and evergreen trees surrounding the stage. Locusts hummed in the background, and the fireflies made an appearance when the sun went down.
Then came the sprinkles. As the first drops fell, the audience stirred, looking at the sky. We knew we were doomed when a chilly breeze picked up, causing acorns to drop from the trees. People started to bail out, and pretty soon, a downpour drenched those of us who had stuck around.
Hopefully the weather will cooperate for the rest of the shows, which run this weekend and next weekend. I'm headed back tonight (Friday) to finish asking people what's in their picnic basket, so if you see me, say hi. Check out the answers in Monday's paper. Next week, I'll be at The Great Jones County Fair in Monticello asking what people like best about the fair. Afterward, I'll stick around to review the Brad Paisley concert.
Carly |
It's not often I get to say this, but I should have brought a 2-year-old on assignment with me Thursday night to the Iowa City Parks and Recreation's weekly free Family Fun Night. He would have had a blast. The kids I saw certainly were. They could color on tables covered in butcher paper, make beaded jewelry, toss bean bags or Frisbees and generally romp around the slides and other playground equipment. Their parents seemed to be having a good time too, catching up wtih their neighbors, making new friends and chasing the kids around. The young couples I talked to loved the fact that the free event provided an opportunity to get their kids out to play with other kids and burn off some energy.
Most lived in the surrounding neighborhoods and had walked, biked or pushed a stroller to the event. Some found it on accident but happily took a break from their evening family exercise to check out the games. One woman didn't live in the neighborhood yet, but she's moving there soon and took the opportunity to meet her soon-to-be neighbors ahead of time. With today's busy lives there isn't much time to meet or chat with neighbors and this event was a refreshing change from that, she said. It definitely had the feel of a neighborhood block party and after being there for a while I found myself wishing it were my neighborhood.
The event was at Kiwanis Park off Teg Drive in southwest Iowa City. This Thursday they'll be at Happy Hollow Park near downtown Iowa City. Plan to stop by if you live in the surrounding neighborhood. Because if the event at Kiwanis Park is anything to go by, you'll be sure to catch up with neighbors and the kids will have tons of fun playing with friends and bopping between arts and crafts tables and yard games. There's live music and free ice cream too.
As for us, Nicole will be at Classics at Brucemore on Thursday. See you there!