When I have a day away, it means the girls get a day with Dad. Read about their adventures from guest columnists here.
These two could have stayed on the lake all day, especially once Nervous Nellie’s jitters were calmed!
Finally brave enough to get a closer look!
This little gal wanted to share her Dad day adventure story too!
Although it wasn’t in Iowa, we found adventures near the Missouri River in Omaha, Ne this summer! Read more here.
These animals are amazing! We watched them bathe in sand!
The Children’s Adventure Trails area is a great addition to the zoo!
We all loved the lions! They were so fascinating to watch!
A view of the hidden gardens in Old Market. I love the art and culture of this area!
We had fun ‘bobbing’ and checking out the Missouri River.
Waiting and reflecting at the Durham Museum.
Our accommodations were perfect! We got lots of Foosball practice!
The girls getting sworn in as Junior Park Rangers!
We enjoyed the Mississippi River and the Dubuque area this summer! Read more here.
We had fun getting all dressed up for the wedding. We had great family time exploring Dubuque and the Mighty Mississippi!
The view of the Lock and Dam from Eagle Point Park.
We enjoyed getting a closer look at the Lock and Dam.
Making wood curls in the blacksmith shop.
The kitchen inside the William M. Black steam -powered dredge was neat to see. The boat is one of four surviving United States Army Corps of Engineers dredges.
A hands-on kids area was super fun to check out at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. We learned many interesting facts and got to see inside a beaver dam.
Flying kites can be done in any Iowa small town. Read about our adventure here.
Getting pointers from Dad on flying a kite.
BVU provided beautiful views in every direction!
This view was just breathtaking. I loved the chapel steeple as a backdrop.
These two enjoyed conversation as the girl in pink flew her kite for over 30 minutes.
Omaha, Nebraska isn’t a small, Iowa town, but is sure is full of fun places to explore. Read more about our adventure with art at the Joslyn Art Museum here.
The girls showing off the art they created as part of the KicksART Saturday event.
‘Painting’ pottery at Art Works. This was one of the many fun hands-on activities for kids.
The Art Pack inspired this little gal to create her own ballerina art.
An afternoon at the Sanford Museum and Planetarium in Cherokee, Iowa left us seeing stars. Read more here.
These rocks glowed in the dark! Head to the Sanford Museum and Planetarium to learn why this happens!
This mini village of early settlers was very impressive. It is hard to image Iowa looking like this!
Using stamps to make animal tracks was just one of the many hands-on activities at the museum.
We ran out of time to explore the area about space travel. The girls and I will definitely be back to see it!
The Sioux City Public Museum and Palmer’s Candy Company were two great stops when exploring Siouxland History. Read more here.
An interactive map was a fun way for all of us to learn more about the past and present.
This girl is a true Iowa girl and loves the animals! Sioux City’s history was rich in agriculture.
The tipi was a fun place for the girls to explore and learn more about the Native Americans that once lived in it.
We all learned new things at the Sioux City Public Museum.
A fire destroyed many Sioux City businesses years ago. The city rallied to rebuild.
This was actually used to make the yummy goodies at Palmer’s in the past.
What should we get? It was fun to look at all the different kinds of candy and treats!
Checking out the amazing goodies at Palmer’s. She wanted to try everything!
A surprise trip to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railway was a great way to celebrate the Christmas season as a family. Read more about our adventure here.
We took a step back in time when we entered the train station.
The girls loved turning pennies into commemorative tokens. What a fun collection to start!
Trying to fit in the little train inside the train station.
Another view of one of the trains at The Boone & Scenic Valley Railway.
Waiting for the train to roll down the tracks!
We all enjoyed our ride on the Santa Express.
Just imagine this area filled with beautiful leaves in the fall!
We lucked out with nice weather for our Santa Express ride.
Our family had a blast on our first ever sledding adventure. Read more about it here.
This little one loved to go fast! She was all set and ready to go!
Making it up the hill with a sled proved to be pretty tricky!
On the second day of sledding, this little gal and I ended up in a tangled heap of laughter at the bottom of the hill!
The sun started to set on our fun-filled afternoon, making the snow sparkle!
The girls had fun shopping at Santa’s Secret Workshop in Downtown Storm Lake where Christmas Spirit is abundant! Read more here.
Many kids did their Christmas Shopping at Santa’s Secret Workshop!
Gifts were wrapped by a group of great volunteers. The girls filled out the gift tags on their own!
With money in hand, the girls paid for the gifts they picked out.
After shopping at Santas Secret Workshop, we spent time in Downtown Storm Lake exploring the local shops.
We found many fun fall adventures in our area. Read more about them here.
Finding their favorite pumpkins at a very special pumpkin patch.
Carving pumpkins! They weren’t sure about digging out the insides.
Even I had to play in the pile of leaves with the girls!
Patiently waiting for trick-or-treaters to show up at our house!
Making crafts during Chills and Thrills in Downtown Storm Lake.
She fills up a whole tractor tire!
My farm girl! The girls seem to love harvest as much as their mom!
This little gal just loves riding in the tractor with daddy. She also likes the snacks!
You need to head to Storm Lake to watch one of BVU’s many athletic events! Read more about our day at BVU’s 2015 Homecoming game here.
We all had to get our photos taken with Buford! We are all proud to be Beaver fans!
We came home with an extra mouse and kitty! The girls loved the unique creations!
The girls loved trying out all the games during the pre-game festivities at BVU’s Homecoming Celebration.
Isn’t this campus just beautiful? It is one of the things that got me to campus in the beginning!
There are so many great pumpkin patches to check out in Northwest Iowa. Find a list of 10 must-see pumpkin patches here.
This was just one of the several fun activities we tried at The Community Orchard. We spent many hours playing there!
Putting air in the tires of a pedal tractor at The Community Orchard in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Trying a caramel apple for the first time at The Community Orchard.
The treats and the activities were so much fun. This little one loved her witch hat cookie!
Buena Vista University is full of fun things to explore and discover. The Estelle Sieben’s Science Center is one of our favorite places on campus. Read more about our adventures here.
This sheep along with several other mounts, line the walls on the second floor of the BVU Science Building.
Mr. Crocodile is one of our favorites! Where else can you get this close to a crocodile in this part of Iowa?
The girls love to see the bear’s claws and teeth up close. This is one of two bears that guard the second floor.
Sac City, Iowa is the home to the World’s Largest Popcorn Ball plus many other interesting attractions. Read more about our impromptu trip here.
The school house had a sand table ready for play. We visited this building several times!
This little one was right at home with the piano in the old school house.
Checking out the globe and pretending to be the teacher.
This little church was equip with tiny pews and a bell the girls just had to ring!
We all had fun figuring out what this was! Look how far technology has taken us!
The pharmacy building was full of interesting things.
The Albert City Threshermen and Collectors Show allowed us to travel back in time and see farming done without modern-day technology. Read more about it here.
The girls were excited to ride on a wagon to the show grounds!
We watched corn shelling in the field. It took several people to accomplish the job.
The barn housed the FFA Petting Zoo and the diggers provided entertainment. I just loved this silo!
The blacksmith shop kept busy during the day turning iron into useful things.
The girls loved the gunny sack races-and liked the sucker prize even more!
The flour mill was very interesting-especially because we do a lot of baking at our house!
We enjoyed watching straw turn into brooms.
The girls all dressed up for the Civil War.
We all had fun watching the horses do their jobs while threshing.
Picking up the potatoes the horses helped plow was one of the highlights of the day.
Her bag was starting to get heavy!
The potatoes were huge! This photo out-take shows just how big they were!
The Wood, Wine, and Blues Festival on August 14-16, 2015 is full of family-friendly events. Check out the details here.
This larger than life dragonfly is located on the corner of 5th Street and Vestal in Storm Lake.
This is just one of three beaver wood carvings found on the campus of Buena Vista University.
The girls loved this sculpture of owls. It is off the beaten path in a residential neighborhood, so the map came in handy!
These cardinals watch over passers-by on the bike path near Circle Park.
The Iowa Great Lakes provided hours of family-friendly fun! We didn’t even scratch the surface on the adventures that can be found and will have to go back again! Read more about it here.
We all had so much fun at Treasure Village! The girls were excited to meet the cast outside after the show!
Gull State Park had the perfect picnic spot overlooking the lake. We had fun exploring the area.
Despite the high temperatures, it was a beautiful day in the Iowa Great Lakes!
One of the girls’ favorite things at Arnolds Park Amusement Park was the Tipsy House!
The girls thought it was pretty fun to look out the window at the Tipsy House.
Playing checkers in the Okoboji Store at the Maritime Museum was a highlight of the day-the girls keep asking to get the game at home!
Old Arnolds Park Amusement Park ride parts could be found at the Maritime Museum.
Checking out the turtle at the Dickinson County Nature Center. There were so many neat things to explore there!
Elma, Iowa proved to be a “Great Place to Visit” when we found ourselves there on a trip across Iowa. Read more about our impromptu visit here:
This covered bridge in the center of Elma was so neat! I just had to stop to walk across it myself!
Several bronze statues can be found near Elma’s Old Roundhouse Trailhead and School House Museum. My girls loved them all!
This beautiful monument along with flowers and flags pay tribute to Elma’s heros.
Bully Bullhead Weekend in Ruthven, Iowa proved to be full of Small Town Iowa fun! Read more about it here.
The girls enjoyed the car show just as much as their dad and me!
The girls were ready for the parade to start. While they waited, I checked out an antique store on main street.
We found a great spot to watch the parade and collect candy!
The Shriners were one of our favorite parts of the parade. They sure knew how to get the crowd’s attention!
The girls posed with this fire truck from Spencer, Iowa after the parade.
We enjoyed yummy s’mores before watching the fireworks over the lake. The lake was the perfect backdrop for the shimmering fireworks.
RAGBRAI will be rolling across the state July 18-25, 2015. Read more about Storm Lake, Iowa’s preparations here.
The official logo for RAGBRAI’s overnight stop in Storm Lake.
We found this bike at King’s Pointe Resort in Storm Lake, Iowa counting down the days until RAGBRAI riders ‘Give our Shores a Spin.’
This painted windmill blade is located near Highway 110 and will welcome riders to Storm Lake.
I attended the Buena Vista County Relay for Life in late June and helped spread HOPE for all those affected by cancer. Read more about the event here.
Relay for Life 2015
Carroll County Relay for Life 2005-10 years ago!
Plan to attend a Relay for Life Event in 2016
Meeting the Storm Lake Police Department at the Cool Down with the Cops Event was a great way to meet our local heros. Read more here.
The sno cones were super yummy-it was a great way to break the ice with the SLPD!
This little gal was very excited to have her picture taken with the police cars!
The K-9, Cesar, was a popular dog with all the kiddos. He is one of our community heros too!
Getting ready for Storm Lake, Iowa’s Star Spangled Spectacular 4th of July celebration by making festive shirts. Read more about the celebration here.
Paint, pencils, and a couple other supplies made these shirts simple and fun.
Even the littlest kiddo enjoyed making dots on her shirt.
The shirts are done and ready for the festivities on the 3rd and 4th.
The Fishing Derby hosted by Gone Fish’n in Storm Lake, Iowa was a huge success! Click here to read more about our fishing adventure.
Working hard to get the fishing poles ready to catch a big one!
I loved to fish in our farm pond while growing up and now love sharing the adventure with my girls.
Someone is super excited to use her new bobbers when we go fishing again!
Waiting, waiting, waiting…and more waiting! No fish were caught, but memories were still made.
Our family attended the 2015 Cherokee PRCA Rodeo in Cherokee, Iowa at the end of May. Check out the fun we had here.
She loved looking at the goats but didn’t want to get too close!
For $1 kids could feed the goats a cone full of food. There was no shortage of goats to feed.
The mower train was a fun attraction for the little ones at the Cherokee PRCA Rodeo.
My girls and I had some Small Town Iowa Fun at Fiesta Latina in Storm Lake, Iowa. Read more about it here.
Watching the Mariachi Band and waiting in line at the dunk tank. They were in awe by it all.
Getting ready to race in gunny sacks. No matter how many times they fell, the giggling never stopped.
This little gal hit the target on her second toss. That totally made her day-even when we all got splashed!
