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Family Friendly Fun: Welcome to Iowa

1/7/2018

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When traveling to a new city, it is important to consider what the city and state has to offer for the entire family. Although the state of Iowa is not a traditional family vacation hot spot, it is a great place to gather with family. Located in the heart of the Midwest, most of the state is just a day’s drive from the major population centers of the region, think Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and more. 

Larger cities, such as Dubuque and Des Moines feature many of the same conveniences of major cities, but also offer the slower pace associated with smaller towns. Despite its reputation as an agricultural powerhouse, the state of Iowa has much, much more to offer. ​
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In Iowa City, Friday night is the night to be in the Pedestrian Mall for LIVE music. Bring a chair and a picnic basket or grab some food from a local cafe.

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Garp Fest @ Codfish Hollow

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Entertainment 

Though the “Hawkeye State” is known for its corn production, Iowa’s entertainment scene is nothing to scoff at.

The state offers music lovers of all types the chance to see a concert, with country, classic rock, hip hop and pop stars all making stops throughout the state.

Iowa has a few amazing family friendly venues, such as Codfish Hollow, which is a converted barn that hosts both local and national indie bands, as well as GARP Fest, a 2 day music festival with 30 bands that occurs each September.

​Located in a fairly rural part of the state, a visit to Codfish Hollow is an adventure in itself.
 
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Another top entertainment venue in Iowa is the Hoyt Sherman Place Theatre. The theatre hosts top music acts of all types, as well as dance and art performances. Located right in Des Moines, the venue is a must stop for families looking for a fun experience. The venue enhances listener’s experience is by the visually stunning and auditory enhancing architecture. 
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Iowa Cubs Taylor Davis is known for his long running "sight gag" and fans hope he makes it to the The Big Show soon.

Sports & Family Fun

Though Iowa does not have a major professional sports team, the state is home to a variety of college and semi-professional teams, each of which have a dedicated following. Iowa is home to a number of single A minor league baseball teams, such as the Quad City River Bandits, the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and the Burlington Bees.

​The Iowa Cubs are the Triple A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. An Iowa Cubs game is a great chance to catch top, young, up and coming Chicago Cubs prospects, as well as star players returning from injury.

Minor league baseball games are notoriously quirky, with many teams having specific game time traditions. Games are cheap and can be a great family bonding opportunity. 
At the college level, Iowa fans are notoriously passionate. The bitter rivalry between the University of Iowa and Iowa State is always a fun game to watch, no matter the sport. The school’s football teams have been meeting since 1894, which is one of the older rivalries in all of college football. Because the two schools are in competition so regularly, a traveling trophy, called the Cy-Hawk Trophy was created. It goes to the winner of the most recent athletic competition between the two schools, whether it be for soccer, basketball or football. If you’re unable to catch one of these amazing in-state rivalry games, don’t fret. Both schools have long running rivalries with out of state schools, such as the Minnesota/Iowa football rivalry, the Iowa State/Missouri or Iowa State/Kansas State rivalry, which always make for exciting contests in their own rights. 

Outdoor Recreation

​For families looking for a more wild experience in Iowa, the state does not disappoint. Iowa is home to an unexpected amount of mountain bike trails with everything from more extreme downhill tracks for experienced riders to crushed gravel paths for those just getting into the sport. Bike rentals are surprisingly affordable and are available at a variety of locations throughout the state. The state also offers miles and miles of paved and gravel bike paths that are perfect for a mellow family outing. 
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Check out Sidetracks Bike Trail RATINGS
Looking to cool off in the heat of summer? Look no further thanIowa’s Charles City Whitewater Park. Constructed in 2011, the park offers visitors lots of recreation options. From kayaking, to Stand Up Paddleboarding, to tubing, the park also has a few non-water related options as well. A disc golf course, art walk, amphitheater, and play area make this a must stop for families visiting the area. 
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No matter age or interest, Iowa has something for everyone. With lots of art walks and concert venues, families can find a few ways to enjoy Iowa’s entertainment scene. Sports fans can be treated historical rivalry games in nearly any sport. Adventurous families can head to the trails or the river to get their adrenaline fix at one of Iowa’s many outdoor recreation hotspots. Music lovers can attend live shows and immerse in a variety of genres. Although not a tropical destination, Iowa has everything you would want in a family vacation, and more!

​Contributed by: 
Haley Kieser
haleyskieser@gmail.com
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Celebrating 75 Years at the Morse Museum

11/9/2016

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ORLANDO / WINTER PARK: The Morse Museum of American Art, located on Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida, celebrates 75 years of offering beauty and art this year. As part of the celebration a new exhibition was officially opened to the public on Tuesday, October 18th.

This phenomenal showcase of the Morse Museum’s entire collection is solidly diverse and continues to bring beauty and continuity to its audience.

It effectively applauds many additional outstanding artifacts which have been added to an impressive array of amazing art which already make up this fascinating collection.

Founded in 1942, the Morse Museum is probably best known for its collection of Tiffany lamps and artifacts dating back to the early 1900’s. Louis Comfort Tiffany (1948 - 1933) began collecting pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded glass windows and lamps. The industrialist housed much of his art and architectural objects in his Long Island estate, “Laurelton Hall,” which included 20th century American paintings, graphics, decorative art, stained glass windows, art pottery and more.

Tiffany died in 1933 and much of the vast collection was actually sold at auction due to the original foundation’s financial instability.

The original estate, which consisted of an impressive 37,000 square foot estate home, along with majestic gardens, was set on 600 acres of Long Island’s North Shore. Sadly, Laurelton Hall burned to the ground in 1957, but much of the art collection had been sold by then.

Tiffany's granddaughter, Jeannette Genius McKean, along with her husband Hugh, founded the Morse Museum, in Winter Park, in 1942 . She and her husband, Hugh McKean developed the Morse Museum beginning with many artifacts from the estate of her late grandfather. The museum began with an unprecedented amount of works from his original estate which, over the past 50 years, have developed into an impressive array of amazingly enduring art pieces.

Available for viewing with a distinct emphasis on diversity and originality, the collection is both beautiful and contemporary without compromise.

Dr. Laurence Ruggiero, Director of the Morse Museum, stated “there is no right or wrong way to enjoy art. There are no rules and art is both sensual and intellectual before you start to talk about it.” He then added sagely, “it is more important to experience art than to ‘know’ about it because art ‘speaks’ to everyone regardless of race, sexuality or ethnicity.”

The most recent works of art to complement the Morse collection include a wonderful array of Three Face glass, iridescent carnival glass, portraits, landscape paintings, pottery and works on paper. Sixty new objects will highlight the eclectic array of artifacts presented by the McKeans over the past five decades. There are also plaster art pieces, sculptures, prints and impressive windows of stained glass.

Incredibly, “The Chapel”, created in 1893 by Louis Comfort Tiffany as a pavilion for exhibition at the 1983 Chicago World’s Fair, now sits intact at the Morse Museum. Although it was officially called "The World’s Columbian Exposition," which brought the already successful designer even more popularity both in America and abroad, its beauty and relevance still hold true. After the World’s Fair, The Chapel was reinstalled in the crypt of the newly built Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City. This breathtaking structure fell into disrepair after some ten years and Tiffany reacquired it, restored it and transported it back to his Laurelton Hall estate on Long Island.

Twenty six years after Tiffany's death, Jeannette and Hugh McKean acquired the remains of the chapel. They painstaking reassembled all of the windows, furnishings, etc . Today, we are able to celebrate the original elements which have been included in the Museum’s chapel exhibit (much of which dates back to the original Chicago 1983 construction). The Chapel continues to be a stunning tribute to faith, art, history and perseverance.

​The Morse Museum of American Art is located at 445 North Park Avenue, in Winter Park, Florida. Parking is free.


​The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Museum hours on Sunday are 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Fridays hours are from 1:00 until 8:00 p.m. . Curator tours are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Note that museum entry is free from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Fridays from November through April.

#WinterPark
#Orlando

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Originally published in The Florida Sun
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Call 407-645-5311 for additional information or visit the website www.morsemuseum.org.

​During the Holiday's enjoy LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, free admission and guided tours on FRIDAY nights. (get more here)

by Linda Y. Walters

reprinted from The Florida Sun
Contact Linda at: ​lyw2001@aol.com

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