Day Trip Adventure: Two Small Towns in Iowa



You know I hate nothing about taking a Day Trip Adventure. It is an adventure, after all. But, it's even better when you can take one with family or friends - or even meet up somewhere. It's this last option that I took part in back in mid-March. My daughter and I drove up to Coon Rapids, Iowa, to meet up with my dad and stepmom for the day.



Coon Rapids is a small town - population 1,279. It has a sculpture park on the edge of town, which is where we met. We wandered around and looked at all of the sculptures, although I only took photos of some.




This one is called "The Dancers" and was created by Zach Bowman.




This sculpture of a woman's face is named "Irene" and was created by Jamie Burmeister.




This one was my favorite. It was made by Matthew Farley and is named "Shaping the Landscape"




"Bike Arch" was commissioned the year RAGBRAI came through town and is the creation of Denny Wurr. For more about the art at Coon Rapids' Sculpture Park, click on this link.




I happened to catch this deer running through the woods. I thought it was neat so included it here.

After our brief walk through the art, we headed to Whiterock Conservancy, also located in Coon Rapids. This 5,500-acre area of protected land really showcases the natural beauty of the area. It was created on the heels of one of the largest land gifts in Iowa's history. Given to the state by the Garst family, their hope was that the land could be preserved and enjoyed by the people for generations to come.




There are plenty of trails to explore, with the Main Loop being nearly 10 miles, although there are more than 40 miles of trails overall. This day, we opted for a short hike as it was breezy, cold, and my stepmom was waiting in the car for us. The short trail we chose leads you to a river overlook.




This lean-to shelter was near the crossroads of the three trails we came upon, so Nature Girl decided to pose for us. Funnily enough, my dad (who's very much into geocaching) found a random geocache right around here.




Even though it was a brisk day, it was beautiful and the sky was a deep, crystal blue.




You can see more of the Main Loop trail dead center in the distance.




We finally got the river view.




Here's an even better shot of it.




Might as well zoom out a bit and take it all in.

After a short, yet gorgeous hike, we went back into Coon Rapids to get some lunch. After that, we drove about 15 minutes west to a place I really wanted to check out: Templeton, Iowa. With a population of 343, it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of place. There's really not much to do there.




But, it does happen to be the home of Templeton Distillery. Yes, that's right, Templeton Rye is distilled in a large plant smack dab in the heart of a podunk Iowa town.




Outside, right at the side of the road is this cool whiskey barrel "tree". I took a picture of my dad and daughter standing in front of it.




The large entrance is impressive and seems so massive in comparison to where it lives.




Inside is a mixture of a museum, storehouse, and bar. This room demonstrates how barrels are stored in the storehouse, but these are for show.




You can sign and date them if you'd like, which Nature Girl was all too happy to do.







A view of the bar area. I did order an amazingly delicious drink. My dad tried it and loved it!




After I finished my drink, the four of us wandered around the museum. Apparently, this area was quite the hub of moonshining during Prohibition Days. This photo is of a still that is used to distill whiskey/whiskey rye from grain.




The museum also gives some history into the town of Templeton, as well as of the period, in general.




I thought it was pretty cool of the Distillery to make their establishment an actual point of interest and showcase the history, not only of the area but of how important whiskey was to the town.




After we finished our walk through history, we stopped at the gift shop. Dad and I both purchased a bottle of rye, and I made sure to nab a recipe sheet for fun drinks I could make using it. After that, we made our goodbyes and headed off to our respective homes.

The next day I went for a hike with my bestie and my daughter. Afterward, we reconvened at my house for a few Templeton drinks and snacks.





Rebecca had an Iowa Mule and I had a Shirley Templeton. I'm sure glad I picked up that recipe sheet.  



Honestly, when I did the research for this DTA, I wasn't expecting much. I was pleasantly surprised at how many interesting things there are to do in such a low-populated area. If nothing else, it makes an interesting detour on your way to other Iowa destinations, like Madison County or Des Moines. So, if you live close by, or at least within a day trip distance, check it out. 









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