Visiting the Amanas... and then some

Monday, Linda and I started out for the Cajunfest in the Amana Colonies. Yes, there is a cajun themed festival at the Amana RV Park over Memorial Day weekend; has been for years. This year, we went to check it out. Along the way, we thought we'd work in a couple of items from the lists of things to eat or things to see in Iowa.

Our first stop was in Grinnell to try the Cream-filled Coney at the Danish Maid Bakery; it was closed for the holidy. Just up the street is the Merchants National Bank building that now houses the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce offices; also closed for the holiday but still impressive from the outside. The stained glass in the center of the design on the front looked like it would be interesting to see from inside the structure; we found a much larger wall of stained glass on the east facing wall of the bank as well. It must be pretty dazzling to be inside on a cloudless morning. One of the "Jewel Box" banks designed by architect Louis Sullivan late in his career, it's certainly treasured by the community as many of its elements are repeated in recent construction and enhancement of an already attractive downtown area. We admired much of the architecture and then moved on.

We arrived at the Amana Colonies and took some time to soak up some of the color of this National Historic Landmark community. An entry on the one hundred places to visit, it hosts four of the things to eat (or drink as you'll soon understand.) The first place we stopped was the Millstream Brewery to sample their entry to the list, Schild Brau Amber beer. Served in tiny mugs, the various samples were popular with a group of cyclists who'd stopped in ahead of us. We walked around the community and saw the various well preserved shops and outbuildings. In time, we found the home of another list entry, Rhubarb wine, at the Ackerman Winery. Again, tiny samples of many of their products were available.

We decided it was time to head out to the Cajun Festival and, to be honest, were a bit underwhelmed by the the experience. The food was tasty enough but nothing to really say much about. There was a pretty standard small town fair carnival and some pretty decent live music with some Louisiana influence but that was about it. Probably as entertaining as much of anything else was one wiry gray haired gentleman with a impressive tray of crawfish remains beside him. As you can see in the bottom right photo of the colage, people were coming up to take pictures of his accomplishment.

After our Cajun experience, we returned to the Amanas to see if we could score the third and likely last food item we'd check off here. We'd seen the Colony Inn on our drive in but couldn't put our finger on it for a while. When we did, we were pleased to find it open and receptive, even intrigued, by our mention of their item on the list of things to eat: sauerkraut salad. We were able to purchase a small order and went outside to sit at a table in the shade. Our first bites were pleasant surprises. Not at all like what you'd put on a frank or brat, this left a pleasing sublty sweet aftertaste I found very enjoyable. Put that alongside some barbecued ribs and I'd be set. It was excellent!

While we were finishing up our salad, the woman who'd served us came out to talk with the lady caring for the patio plants. We expressed our appreciation and she thanked us for stopping by. Both she and the flower woman were curious about what other area entries had shown up on the list. We shared a few that remembered and explained that we were eating our way through the various featured items. The flower lady was very interested in that idea and asked a couple of times if we were really doing that and that she thought that sounded fun. It was a pretty good stop.

Of course, Cedar Rapids was only about twenty miles further and there were places to see and things to eat there too. After a wrong turn, we were soon on the right path and heading for yet another brush with Iowa greatness.

Our first objective was the kolaches of the Sykora Bakery in the Czech village portion of Cedar Rapids. Unfortunately, when we got there, the bakery was closed and not just for the holiday. We may have to remove that from the list of things to do just because it can no longer be done. Curious, I checked Wikipedia and found

A kolache is a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits to cheeses inside a bread roll. Originally only a sweet dessert from Central Europe, they have become popular in parts of the United States. Several cities, including Prague, Oklahoma and Caldwell, Texas, hold annual Kolache Festival celebrations, while Montgomery, Minnesota claims to be the "Kolacky capitol of the world" and holds an annual festival known as "Kolacky Days". Verdigre, Nebraska stakes the same claim, with a similarly named festival. Prague, Nebraska is commonly known as the home of the world's largest kolache.

They sound good!

We looked for other items on the lists and found no small food items but did see three places we could try to visit. The African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa was closed for the holiday as was the Grant Wood Studio and Visitor Center. We did peek in the windows and take a photo but that was all we could do. The last place, the Brucemore, was also closed but the grounds and gardens were accessible and actually travelled as part of at least one of the locals walking routes.

Not to travel the same roads on the way home, we went west to Marshalltown, home of two more food places. Taylor's Maid-Rite, one of the original Maid-Rite franchises, one of the first fast food chains, is housed in a small boxy bulding with a three counter setup and a good little business. The loose meat sandwiches are much as they ever were when I've enjoyed them at other stops but this setting has to be one of the best. An understandable entry on the list. Just up the street, Stone's Restaurant is home to a Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie but we were unable to try it as they were closed for the holiday.

Tummy's full and late in the afternoon, we headed for home. We tallied up the list of things we'd done and tried to do:

Cream-filled Coney at the Danish Maid Bakery... closed.
Merchants National Bank... closed but impressive.
Amana Colonies... check!
Schild Brau Amber at the Millstream Brewery... check!
Rhubarb wine at the Ackerman Winery... check!
Sauerkraut Salad at the Colony Inn... check!
Kolaches of the Sykora Bakery... closed for a while.
African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa... closed
Grant Wood Studio and Visitor Center... closed but will check it off the list.
Brucemore Mansion... closed but will check it off the list.
Maid-Rite at Taylor's Maid-Rite... check!
Mile-High Lemon Meringue Pie at Stone's Restaurant... closed

Seven items off the list! What a day?!