Blue Meadows Farm in Mitchellville has lessons for riders of any skill level, ages 4 and up. “I am so excited to keep growing the lesson program and help young riders develop and recognize their talents and love for the Saddlebred and Hackney breeds,” said co-owner Lauren Brannon in an interview with The Saddle Horse […]
Recreation
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Pickleball meets you where you are’: Iowans of all stripes are picking up the paddle, launching leagues
No matter the question, the answer is always pickleball. “Pickleball meets you where you are,” said Emma Clark, a career coach at Cornell College. Clark grew up playing racquetball in Illinois, but the sport isn’t as popular today, so she searched for a racquetball-adjacent activity instead. When the Smithfield Tennis and Pickleball Center in Cedar […]
Posted inRecreation
From sled hockey to RAGBRAI, Adaptive Sports Iowa wants to give all athletes a team
Wheelchair tennis is kind of like traditional tennis, but with wheelchairs. That sounds obvious, but the two sports are remarkably similar. The only adaptation is wheelchair players get two bounces instead of one. “Maneuvering your chair around and taking the figure eights and stuff on the court is really what I’ve learned, how to hit […]
Posted inRecreation
Fossil Gorge, uncovered 30 years ago, preserves a 375 million-year-old ocean floor in eastern Iowa
Sixty-five million years? Please. You want to see something old, head to the Coralville Dam. It’s not the dam that’s old, though it has survived almost seven decades and two near-apocalyptic floods. In fact, it was the first of these floods in 1993 that breached the 712-foot spillway and inundated the campground below, washing away […]
Posted inRecreation
Next stop for Sioux City powerlifter Mitchell Betsworth: the 2023 Berlin Games
When the 2023 Special Olympics World Games begin in Berlin on June 17, there will just be one Iowan on Team USA, Mitchell Betsworth. The 27-year-old powerlifter from Sioux City isn’t worried about the competition in Germany. He already knows what it’s like to compete at the highest levels, and he has the medals to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Tips for growing a more natural lawn (that you can still play on!)
“In environmental circles, lawns often times get a bad rap,” observed Fred Meyer, director of Backyard Abundance. The Iowa City-based nonprofit, founded in 2006, is dedicated to helping individuals connect with and appreciate nature. Grass lawns offer little environmental benefit, reduce biodiversity and don’t do anything for local pollinators. That’s made traditional lawns a contested […]
Posted inPrint Edition
Little Village — Rec’d 2023
Read Rec’d 2023 » Stretch first, then jump into Rec’d, Little Village’s 2023 recreation guide! Pickleball is all the rage with all ages, and LGBTQ Iowans have gravitated towards the inclusive sport. Meanwhile, Iowa’s longstanding tennis and table tennis leagues aren’t afraid to rethink (some of) the rules, and Adaptive Sports Iowa makes dozens of […]
Posted inCentral Iowa
Pride Sports League ensures every athlete in Central Iowa has a league of their own
Rich Rumsey is an active guy. He likes to play volleyball, dodgeball and go biking. But when he joined Pride Sports League in 2019, it wasn’t for sports. It was for the community. “It’s an organized way to find other people that are similar to yourself,” he said. “It’s a great way to meet people.” […]
Posted inRecreation
No swimming at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area ‘due to level of E. Coli’
There will be no swimming permitted at Terry Trueblood Recreation Area, “due to the level of E. Coli detected in Sand Lake,” the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department announced on Monday afternoon. The ban “will last indefinitely until water quality improves.” Updates on the situation will be posted on the department’s Parks and Trails […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Bears bare all at this adult-only, LGBTQ-friendly campground in ‘middle of nowhere’ Iowa
Sloshed on Busch Light and a little sun-dazed after my first pool day in ages, it was 11 p.m. when I finally went to set up my tent at the L.V. Campground in Coggon, Iowa. My sister, two friends and I had rented a cabin ($135/night) — sturdy, spacious and best of all air-conditioned, with […]
