Like many other states in the US, Iowa is packed full of the “world’s biggest” things, yet after looking a little further we found some more treasures that are sure to delight all those eager to come across something wacky.

So come along for the ride and discover what is so weird and wacky about Iowa.

1. Albert the Bull

The best (and biggest) place to start is no doubt at the statue of Albert the Bull; the town of Audubon’s claim to fame. Albert is the world’s biggest bull, standing 30 feet tall and 33 feet long, with horns that span for an impressive 15 feet.

Albert’s proudest feature is undoubtedly his giant gonads, which are made from solid concrete. These features are the only part of Albert that gets painted frequently, mostly the colors of football rivals, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “blue balls”.

2. Grotto of the Redemption: West Bend, Iowa

What many states have tried to do, and failed, Iowa has successfully mastered. The Grotto of the Redemption in the small town of West End is a true display of the lengths one man will go to in order to demonstrate his commitment to his faith.

This masterpiece is essentially a well structured heap of rocks, stones, cement and precious minerals; but it can’t help but inspire awe. Although the upkeep hasn’t been carried out as frequently as it should have, the grotto is still a spectacle to look at and is definitely not one to miss.

3. World’s Largest Strawberry: Point Strawberry, Iowa

While many American towns claim to be the “Strawberry Capital of the World”, if statues are anything to go by, Iowa’s Point Strawberry is sure to take the cake.

The 15-foot tall sculpture of a strawberry was constructed entirely from fiberglass and in comparison to all the others speckled across the country, is by far the most realistic.

4. Castles of Ida Grove: Ida Grove, Iowa

In the words of Ida Grove locals, “Orlando has Disneyworld and we have Byron”. While this comment is a slight exaggeration, Ida Grove is most definitely starting to resemble something at least out of a Disney film.

Byron LeRoy Godbersen is Ida Grove’s local millionaire and has made his love of castles pretty well known across town. Visit the local shopping mall, newspaper office and skating rink to embark on a journey back to medieval times, or simply to discover out-of-place architecture that sticks out like a sore thumb.

5. Pinky the Elephant: Marquette, Iowa

While the idea of a pink elephant may not sound so appealing to many, Pinky is a much loved civic symbol that simply cannot be missed. She currently stands out the front of the Isle of Capri Casino, and looks as bleary-eyed and unsteady as some of the drunkards that stumble out of the casino’s doors.

Chrissy Barton is a blogger and content writer for Jurnii Car Rentals, America’s new travel focused online rental car company. She writes frequently for the Jurnii Car Rentals Blog, and enjoys travel in the U.S and abroad.

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Did you know there there is a fossil park nearby? You don’t have to wander out to Colorado’s dinosaur park to see fossils, they are right in Iowa at the Devonian Fossil Gorge. This gorge was created by flooding in 1993 and was expanded by the floods of 2008. The flooding washed away soil, trees and roads to reveal a 375 million year old fossilized ocean floor. You can start at the park entrance and walk around with thousands of fossils at your feet.

For another great nature setting visit the Gazebo on the Green. Iowa City is lucky to have such a large botanical garden outside of a large metropolitan area. There are fifteen formal themed gardens with a 22 acre prairie. The variety of gardens are Crabapple Alee Garden, Grove Garden, English Perennial with a gazebo, French Allee, Moon Garden with all white flowers, Arbor Garden with a sixty five foot arbor, Water Garden, Rose Garden, Perennial Cutting Garden, Southern Courtyard Garden, Herb Garden, Grass Garden, Cottage Garden with charming English country cottage and the Le Grande Finale Garden. Take a break for tea time with three different teas at morning, lunch and candlelight. A beautiful location for wedding, portrait and nature shots.

Another great nature photography location is Coralville Lake with bald eagles spending their winters by the lake. January and February are the best months to go with lots of eagles roosting in trees. Last year 30 bald eagles were counted just below the dam at Coralville Lake. The best way to see or captures the eagles on film is to sit in your car below the dam with field glasses, binoculars or a good zoom lens. The eagles will generally just sit in the trees but every once in a while one will swoop down to the water with talons extended and catch a fish. That is a sight well worth the wait. Other great eagle watching locations nearby are River Junction Access and by the Iowa River Power restaurant in Coralville.

Take a look at the bald eagles in a warm car from Billion Auto. They are the Iowa City Honda dealer for the Eastern Iowa region.

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Iowa is beautiful in the fall, especially along the Mississippi River. Take a trip on the Great River Road, which runs along the Mississippi River. You will have a wonderful view of the bluffs, the fall foliage, and the Mississippi River. If you do go on this trip, be sure to stop in Dubuque, Iowa, and visit the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. This museum is wonderful, and if you have children, they will enjoy it. There are a lot of hands-on things for children to do.

While you are on your trip, you can stay at one of the many bed and breakfasts that are available in that area. You will have a wonderful experience, and you will be served an incredible breakfast, usually including eggs, waffles or pancakes, toast, bacon or sausage and many other choices. You will get to eat your breakfast with other people who have stayed there, and this is a great way to get acquainted and see where everyone is from.

I grew up on a farm in northeast Iowa, so I have lived here all of my life. Our farm included 200 acres. We raised pigs, guernsey cows, and chickens. In addition, we had a lot of cats and a dog. We had a big woods on our land, so the deer and other animals would occasionally come close to the barn. Sometimes the deer would drink water with our cows early in the morning. I would not have traded that time in my life for anything. I believe I learned a lot of values from living on the farm.

In addition to rural living, Iowa has three state universities. We have the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa State University in Ames, and the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Our state has a lot of basketball and football fans, and we are very proud of our athletic teams. In addition, all of our state universities are nationally-known.

We are a very friendly state, and the crime rate is low compared to many places in the nation. Our schools are always ranked high in the national rankings. Iowa is a great place to raise a family.

The winters here are cold, and we get quite a lot of snow sometimes. It gets below zero sometimes in December, January, and February. The summers are sometimes hot with temperatures in the 90’s, but this is usually just in July and August. Our spring and fall seasons are very comfortable with temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s.

I hope you will visit us sometime.

C. Macon
july081996@yahoo.com
http://cmacon.blogspot.com/

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The Cyclones nickname first came about in 1895, after Iowa State routed Northwestern 36-0, to which a Chicago Tribune reporter remarked that Northwestern would’ve had more success playing against a tornado. Iowa State immediately adopted the name, which was also fitting given the area’s propensity for tornadoes, and created Cy the Cardinal to be their mascot. Their logo has undergone several revisions, with the most recent version of a graphically intensive and busy logo of a half-cardinal, half-tornado, a style of logo popular in the 1990’s, being scrapped in favour of a more distinguished logo featuring a capital I superimposed over the word State, in a new font type the school is calling cyclone.

During a men’s football game at Jack Trice Stadium in 2005, Cy the Cardinal famously took a backseat as the team’s mascot when a real tornado touched down in Ames, Iowa, very near to the stadium. Fans were evacuated to the parking lot or the nearby Hilton Coliseum until the danger had passed. Iowa State would use that as motivation is the game, as they would upset the favoured Colorado Buffaloes 30-16.

Iowa State competes against Kansas State, the University of Colorado, the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri, the University of Nebraska, Baylor University, Oklahoma State, Texas A & M, Texas Tech, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Texas. Iowa has won 14 conference championships over the years, but none in more than a dozen years, as the school has slashed funding to its sports programs.

Iowa State has few major rivalries, with the most notable being their clashes with the University of Iowa, in which the Cy-Hawk Trophy is put up for grabs. The trophy features both schools mascots, Cy the Cardinal, and Herky the Kawkeye, emblazoned on the front of the trophy, with a football player running with a ball atop it, much like the Heisman Trophy.

One sport where Iowa State receives national attention is their wrestling program, which has won 8 national titles, and produced a number of world class wrestlers and Olympians. Most recently, Cael Sanderson, the current head coach of the Iowa State wrestling program, won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens following a four year collegiate wrestling stint in which he went undefeated with a record of 159-0. Cael has led the current program to three straight conference titles, and a 2nd place finish nationally in 2007.

Writer and editor, Freddie Brister, is a former high school football coach of 25 years. His love of the game of football is reflected in his words and memories of growing up in the South and playing football in the back yard with his brother, cousins and neighborhood friends. His biggest thrill is watching former high school players he has coached play at the college level. His favorite pastime is watching college football on tv and attending the games in person every chance he gets. Freddie Brister is ah big fan of Iowa State and college football. Check out his Iowa State Watch or his Alabama Belt.

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