As the 2022 Winter Olympics draw to a close, one of the most popular sports in the Games — curling — is drawing to a close as well. But its return the international spotlight has once again launched a curling craze, sweeping many Americans off their couches and onto the ice. Curling originated in 14th […]
recreation
Posted inCommunity/News
What’s next for Iowa City’s aging recreation facilities?
The City Park Pool is reaching its 73rd season. The Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center is now 58 years old, and the Mercer Park Aquatic Center is 34. Iowa City’s recreation facilities are getting old. Since last fall, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department has hosted a series of in-person listening events, community focus […]
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 […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Canoe the Cedar River
There are 18,000 miles of river trails in Iowa, but the Cedar River is easy to access, wide enough to maintain a safe physical distance from anyone else there and can be done in an afternoon. Getting started If you’re new to the canoe, take one on a lake or pond to practice balance, paddle […]
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A quick guide to birdwatching in eastern Iowa
2020 has been a fraught and fractious year. It seems like every morning we wake to find ourselves beset by a new calamity demanding our full attention. While it is our duty as decent human beings and good citizens to be informed and to put our minds and bodies to the task of creating a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Hiking Kent Park, home to prairies, ponds and picturesque views
F.W. Kent Park in Oxford is one of eastern Iowa’s most picturesque and diverse parks — 1,052 square acres of forest, lakes and prairie and an ideal spot for hiking, camping, picnicking, birdwatching and (in non-pandemic times) letting your kids loose on the park’s playground or at a youth summer camp. Kent Park’s most popular […]
