Make your Memorial Day memorable

Every year, veterans from across the country make a pilgrimage to the Freedom Rock over Memorial Day weekend and you can, too. To honor veterans, Ray “Bubba” Sorenson has painted a different war veteran’s tribute on the same huge rock every year since 1999. Sorenson paints the rock as a way to give back to our veterans, and as a reminder that “Memorial Day isn’t just a three-day weekend.”

Our family visited Freedom Rock over a Memorial Day weekend once. I anticipated stopping at the rock, glancing at the painting, hopping back into the van and heading home. What I didn’t anticipate was being truly humbled by the presence of veterans of several U.S. combats, and seeing first hand how honored veterans feel about the painting.

When we stepped out of the van, we heard motorcycles, lots of loud motorcycles. We looked towards the road and witnessed a caravan of at least 50 (and probably more) motorcycles with Vietnam Veterans pulling up to the parking lot. We watched as they lined up, dismounted their bikes and then quietly visited Freedom Rock. I realized in awe that the paintings on the Freedom Rock have an incredible power to help ease the pain of so many veterans. The sincere tribute of “Bubba” isn’t just about the art, but understanding the sacrifices our veterans have made for our country and how honored they are by the paintings.

The Freedom Rock is located south of I-80 on Hwy. 25 near Greenfield. Check out photos from previous years.

Want some other Memorial Day weekend ideas? Check out these events:

 

• Celebrate John Wayne’s birthday May 25 – 26 in Winterset.
• The North Liberty Blues & BBQ - named the Attraction of the Year by the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau – is slated for Saturday, May 26, and is free to the public. 
• The first ever Bicycle Festival will take place in Jefferson on Saturday, May 26, and feature bicycle education, fashion, art and food. 
• Tivoli Fest is a Danish-American celebration held in Elk Horn May 26 – 27. Experience Danish history, hospitality and, of course, food. 
• Remember the War of 1812 at Old Fort Madison’s Bicentennial Memorial Dedication in Fort Madison. A re-enactment, memorial and interpretive sign dedication will be featured from May 26 – 28.

 

LuAnn Reinders, Iowa Tourism Office

Biking with a twist - and five major turns

Looking back on my childhood, I can remember every nook and cranny of our yard. I spent all the time my mother would allow gallivanting around our yard dressed as Wonder Woman and frequently rolling down the hill in our front yard. I still love to be outside and the rolling hills of southeast Iowa are a calling card for adventure seekers like me.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not named Snake Alley in Burlington the world's crookedest street. Biking enthusiasts should check out the 30th annual Snake Alley Criterium, slated for Saturday, May 26. It tests the skills of even the most seasoned of cyclists as they maneuver the five major turns while they ascend 60-feet on the 276-foot-long alley. I’m more of a runner then a biker, but every time I see Snake Alley, the kid in me imagines rolling down it.

The area has other great outdoor adventures like Starr’s Cave Park and Preserve with its massive limestone bluffs rising from the creek, and, of course, the Mighty Mississippi River. There are several great restaurants with picture perfect river views.

If you are traveling with kids, you may want to pay a visit to FunCity. The complex includes indoor/outdoor water parks, bowling, go-karts, laser tag, restaurants and a hotel all under one roof. Not far from FunCity, you can sit back and enjoy America’s favorite pastime as you watch the Burlington Bees, a Class A affiliate of the Oakland Athletics. Every game features a fun promotional event like Dollar Mondays to Community Basket Day, with this year’s basket including a $10,000 prize!

Want to see more in southeast Iowa? Check out these nearby destinations:

• Old Fort Madison, Fort Madison – Rebuilt in the likeness of the 1808 original, Old Fort Madison features living history demonstrations and costumed interpreters.
• George M. Verity Riverboat Museum, Keokuk – Check out a retired paddlewheel steamboat that was built in 1927 along with photos of 19th century riverboats and artifacts of the steamboat era.
• Villages of Van Buren – A unique cluster of towns offering antiques, historic lodging, bed-and-breakfast inns, wineries and specialty shops.

 Colleen Murphy, Iowa Tourism Office