Amana Colonies/Pella IA

[ajwolfe]

I know it's probably a stretch but I thought I would check and see if anyone has visited the Amana Colonies/Pella area in Iowa and has any must do's (trying not to bust the budget on this) and restaurant/winery suggestions. My sis wanted to take a trip there over July 4th so we are heading up as 4 families together for 4 nights. This is not our main vacay this year since we are doing Disney so I'm not wanting to spend a ton but wanting to see/do the highlights. There will be 14 of us ages 11-52. We are into outdoor/nature, museums and area attractions within a reasonable driving distance of Red Rock Lake area.

Thanks!!

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I know it's probably a stretch but I thought I would check and see if anyone has visited the Amana Colonies/Pella area in Iowa and has any must do's (trying not to bust the budget on this) and restaurant/winery suggestions. My sis wanted to take a trip there over July 4th so we are heading up as 4 families together for 4 nights. This is not our main vacay this year since we are doing Disney so I'm not wanting to spend a ton but wanting to see/do the highlights. There will be 14 of us ages 11-52. We are into outdoor/nature, museums and area attractions within a reasonable driving distance of Red Rock Lake area.

Thanks!!

Yes, my husband and I have visited the colonies when we were visiting his family in SE Iowa. I'm not sure where the Red Rock lake area but I would check the website with the calendar of events for summer activities at the colonies to see what's going on over the holiday. My husband has friends who go on occasion and take their kids, babies to high school aged kids but their visits are just day trips. They usually do the cheese shops, ice cream shops and on the way home stop at Kalona. I think there is a museum or guild in one of the colonies but beyond that and special events, it's a pretty slow pace. Mostly just antique stores and artisans. With several other families, you'll have a good time but it's not an extremely action packed vacation spot. We have never done the wineries but I'm sure those would be a nice visit. Have fun!

 

[ajwolfe]

Thanks! We are camping on Red Rock Lake - so assuming we will spend at least a day on the water, if not more. So a couple day trips from there will be great.

 

[TonyS20]

I spend a week in Pella, IA every summer. I enjoy wandering the square and going into all the shops. If you stumble upon Van Veen chocolates, be sure to buy some (the chocolate covered caramels are delicious!). They are homemade and unlike anything I've had before. Speaking of food, you can not take a trip to Pella without having a Dutch letter which is an "S" shaped flaky pastry with an almond filling. I prefer the ones from Jaarmsa Bakery. They sell lots of other treats as well, so they make a nice afternoon stop.

Right off the square is the Klokkenspel (free!) which is a clock that has a show telling this history of Pella. Check the times and make sure you cross the street to see the backside of the show. As for tours, I really enjoyed the Historical Village and Vermeer Windmill tour. It was very reasonably priced and seeing the working windmill was really unique. It is located less than a block from the klokkenspel. Another tour I have taken is the Scholte House. It was ok, but the highlight for me was the garden which is free to wander through. Another unique garden to see is the Sunken Garden. I have walked there from the main square but it was a bit of a walk in the summer. It is such a pretty spot in town and would be a nice spot to picnic.

As for food, the Windmill Cafe has breakfast and lunch and is good and reasonably priced (I don't believe they take credit cards so keep that in mind). Smokey Row Coffee is another good spot to grab lunch. I like getting meats and cheeses from the meat markets (Ulrich or In't Veld) and making a meal out of that. If you will be grilling at your campsite, this would be a great spot to pick up your meats. Nearly everything is made on site and delicious.

While I haven't been there, I hear the Aquatic Center in Pella is really nice. I have talked to lots of people who take their kids there for the day and they have positive reviews. Pella is a cute, quaint town and it is unique to see all the buildings in town that must adhere to the Dutch guidelines. I'm pretty sure you will not see another Wal-mart facade that looks Dutch!

 

[ajwolfe]

Thanks so much TonyS20, that's exactly the type of info I was looking for!! I will add those to my list of things to try out!