2catlover

I would like to know where a good B&B is in the Amana Colonies. My DD and Myself will be traveling .

Thanks so much

Melissa

iowagirl

Melissa: I'm from the general area, so haven't stayed in the Amanas, but have heard from others around here that Annie's Garden and Rose's Place are two lovely B&Bs.

You might try this website, which will give you links to most of the lodgings available in the Amana Colonies:

http://www.amanacolonies.org/lodging.htm

And welcome to Iowa!

2catlover

Thanks , We are from NC and are eager to see your state.

Melissa

2catlover

ANy suggestions for restaurants and things to do


Melissa

iowagirl

Hi Melissa: when will you be here?

You might enjoy walking through the Amana Colonies - lots of interesting little shops and a couple of wineries.

Depending on the weather, you might enjoy a walk through Gazebo on the Green - a beautiful garden tour area: http://www.iowacitycoralville.org/me...ails.asp?I=523

I would also have suggested a hike and drive through the Coralville Lake area, but it's all underwater - again. Eastern Iowa has had more rain in the first week of July than we normally have all month.

As for restaurants, it all depends on what you like and how far you want to drive from where you're staying....??

2catlover

Hello we are staying July 25 and July 26 at Rose's place. We are coming from Rock Island IL and driving towards Hannibal MO so if you know of any places to see on the way please tell us of those as well

We do not mind driving to see what is unique to the area. We love history .We have been to 30 states. We are coming from NC on a road trip, just myself and my 17 year old daughter. We started this as a 2 week road trip and it is now a 3 1/2 week and we may not get home by that point yet.

japw82

The Ox Yoke Inn Amana Colonies has good food and a dessert called "Death by Chocolate" that is delicious!! Also in Coralville there is a shopping mall called Coral Ridge that has an indoor ice skating rink and replica antique carousel. Might be a unique option for you.

Keith

I have found the Colony Inn Restaurant‎ to be the most consistantly good.

Iowagirl, has the Barn Restaurant closed?

Keith

2catlover

Iowagirl, i called the Gazebo on the Green and talked with the Gardener.Her name is Mary Ellen and she is wonderful.I left her a message on her phone and she called me right back and we talked for at least 15 minutes about many other places to visit in the area. She told me to call her about any other questions that I might have.

Thanks again

Melissa

2catlover

I just checked the OX Yoke Inn Web site and it seemed like what we were looking for.

The Colony Inn Restaurant did not get good reviews. It said that it had been sold and went down hill after the sale.

Keith, The Barn Restaurant that you speak of is this it?

Amana Barn Restaurant
Category: German
4709 220th Trail, Amana, IA 52334
319.622.3214

That was all the information that I could find on it
Melissa

iowagirl

Keith: yes, the Barn closed - not sure when, and I believe it's a sort of theater now. The Ox Yoke is famous for their Sunday morning brunches - believe me, you won't want to eat for a week afterward!

2cat: so glad you found someone at Gazebo on the Green! It's really pretty. I hope the weather is fit for your visit.

If you're coming later in the month, I'd say go ahead and try to drive out around the Coralville Lake area. There's a fossil gorge there that was uncovered after the massive floods of 1993. No one knew they existed until Mother Nature washed away tons of concrete, top soil and trees to uncover them. Hopefully our current flooding will have abated by then!!

There are also some very good restaurants in Iowa City/Coralville. Mondo's, Blackstone, and numerous little cafes and bar/grill places in downtown Iowa City are wonderful locally-owned eateries.

If you enjoy history, the Herbert Hoover home is on the way from Rock Island, in West Branch.

If you like the outdoors, you might want to check out Geode State Park, way down in southern Iowa, near Burlington. That would be right on your way to Hannibal. Once in Hannibal, I'd suggest seeing the Mark Twain museum. I was a kid when I visited there, but I love Twain's stories and remember being fascinated by the place.

2catlover

Thanks so much for the great information. We can not wait for this trip to start.

Any body have any information on Pella,IA?

Melissa

iowagirl

Good morning 2cat! Yes, I love Pella! Didn't realize you were willing to drive over there (but it's just a couple hours west of Iowa City).

It's a large Dutch settlement and home to Pella Windows. It's a very clean, very pretty little town. There are several small art galleries and a winery called Tassel Ridge that's very pretty to visit. And you HAVE to take a tour of the Dutch windmills - look for the Vermeer Mills. You'll be too late in the season for the annual Tulip Festival, which is always beautiful - you'll never see so many tulips in you life. But you should enjoy it if you love history. Lake Red Rock is also gorgeous, but again, is currently pretty well flooded - hopefully that will abate by the time you arrive.

Oh, and you must stop by the Jaarsma Bakery for some Dutch letters and other incredibly wonderful pasteries. (They have a website to get your taste buds excited:www.jaarsmabakery.com.)

2catlover

It is not out of our way at all.It is on our way to our next stop any way .Just trying to decide how to work it all out.
I am trying to decide if it is worth a night to stay at the Royal Amsterdam Hotel and give up a day in Hannibal, MO.As I stated before we are coming from Rock Island IL then we would go to the Amana Colonies as we have planned and then go to Pella and then head to Hannibel, MO.

How long do we need to spend in Pella? Is there enough to do there for a full day or just a couple hours after we leave the Amana colonies on July 27 Tuesday?

It is so hard to plan when you do not know what is in the area. That is why Fodors is great!!. We do love history and eating.

Melissa

2catlover

You folks are the best Thanks to the nice person that I have been talking to that I meant thru your link to the Gazebo on the Greene We are know going to Decorah iA to this great Looking B&B

Melissa

iowagirl

Wow - you will be indeed be putting some miles on the car!

You can easily do Pella in an afternoon.

If you're going to Decorah, you might also want to allow yourselves some time to drive east about 1.5 hrs to Harper's Ferry, IA, right on the Mississippi River, and visit the Effigy Mounds. Another place I haven't been to since I was a kid, but it's really cool. The history of the whole place is kind of eerie, in a really fascinating historical way (if that makes sense).

http://www.nps.gov/efmo/index.htm

iowagirl

Topping for 2cat - how was your trip?

2catlover

We have just gotten home . We were gone for a month. My DD drove . She said we put over 4000 miles on the car
A few quick notes
We stayed at a Rose's Place . It was in the middle Amana Colonies. It was OK , not great.I know everyone loves it. We just did not love it. What can I say. I do not want to knock it here on a public place. It was not terrible.
We loved the Amana Colonies. We walked around the buildings . We learned all about the history .
We stayed in Decorah IA one night in a great B&B that I loved.It is called Little house on the farm B&B. It was so relaxing and the woman who ran it was wonderful. When I asked her where to have dinner, she invited us to eat with her.
We did not get to Pella . However, we did get to Effigy Mounds which were fascinating as you said they would be.I am glad that we got there.
We ate at both the Ox Yoke Inn and the Colony Inn and both my DD and myself liked the Colony Inn better.
We did not get to the Gazebo on the Green as it was so Hot when where there.
We did stop at the Herbert Hoover House on the way and we liked seeing it very much.
General Information that I received from the owner of Roses Places regarding The Barn Restaurant is that it closed because the owner did not want to run it any longer and neither did any of his family.

Thanks to all of you for the great information. When I reread my notes, if I come across any thing else I will post again.

If you have a question,please ask

Thanks

Melissa

iowagirl

Bummer about Rose's Place, but I'm glad you enjoyed the B&B in Decorah - it's a pretty little town. Yes, the heat was nearly intolerable while you were in the area. Blech. I'm sure that put a damper on your travels. I'm glad you enjoyed the Effigy Mounds - they are amazing.

Ah, the Herbert Hoover homestead... Everybody who grew up within 50 miles of the place visited at least once when they were a kid. Nearly every school around does field trips there every year.

Glad you made all 4,000 miles and back safely. You're always welcome to come back to Iowa.

2catlover

We would love to come back to Iowa but next summer we would want to visit some of the 14 states that we have not been to

Maybe one day

Melissa