Ariel-Foundation Park

Ariel-Foundation Park is an excellent example of creative reuse of a closed industrial site. In 1898 a steel mill was built on the location using beams and tresses from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The steel mill failed and buildings were bought by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company in 1907. The glass factory, which used the abundant local natural gas and silica sand, was much more successful, operating until 1976.

Creating the park from the ruins of the glass plant took years of negotiations to buy the land, get donations, draw up plans, demolish the unsafe structures, and clean up the site. A day long grand opening in 2015 attracted 10,00 people. 

Two buildings, the carpenter shop and the clock house, were renovated and are available for events. A large factory building has been converted to an open-air community event center that can also be rented. The 280' smokestack built in 1951 has a spiral staircase around the outside that goes to an observation deck. Paved paths wind through the park past ponds, interpretive signs, and sculptures created from discarded beams and chunks of glass.

86 acres of the former Goodwin Sand and Gravel Company was purchased which increased the park to 250 acres. The quarries are now scenic lakes used for fishing and kayaking. Paved and dirt paths circle the lakes. 

The paved paths are accessible, but a few sections are steep. Most wheelchair users will need assistance. The quarry area is accessed by a steep road. Walking/rolling down the road can be avoided by parking in one of the lower parking lots.

The upper lots are large enough for any vehicle. RVs will fit in the lower lots if parked across the spaces. Park  40.38219, -82.49505 

Vermeer Museum

The small city of Pella, Iowa is a prosperous place and will most likely stay that way due to two family-owned businesses - Pella Windows and Doors and Vermeer Corporation. Pella Windows is a familiar name but we had never heard of Vermeer. In 1943 Gary Vermeer invented a hoist to unload his grain wagon. When the neighboring farmers saw it, they wanted one too and that was the start of the Vermeer Corporation. Today they make 100 agricultural and industrial products such as trenchers and hay balers. 

The small museum is located at the east end of the large manufacturing and office complex east of Pella. The exhibits cover the history of the Vermeer company and have information about all the different types of equipment the company has made including the ones that didn't work or were so unpopular that they were discontinued. 

The museum is accessible.

RVs won't fit in the lot in front of the museum. Park across the spaces in the lot on the left side of the building.  Museum  41.4081, -92.87288

Pella, Iowa

Pella was founded in 1847 by a group of emigrants from the Netherlands who, after crossing the ocean and landing in Baltimore, began a journey to Iowa that involved trains, canal boats, steamboats, and finally wagons pulled by oxen. They arrived to find a wide-open prairie and began laying out streets, building houses, and clearing farmland. As the years passed, they realized that they were losing their Dutch culture and the first Tulip Time was organized in 1935. It has grown into one of the biggest festivals in Iowa. In the 1960s, the city of Pella began renovating many of its buildings’ facades to resemble that of architecture seen in Dutch cities. Buildings were relocated and replicas were made to create an historic village. The crowning touch is a 125-foot tall windmill built in the Netherlands, de-assembled, shipped to Iowa, and re-assembled in 2002.

We didn't have time to tour the windmill or the historic village but we did take a walk/roll along the streets of the charming downtown. We'll have to come back and visit again to learn more of the history.

The sidewalks and curb cuts are good condition. Many of the stores have accessible entrances. The windmill and the village are not totally accessible. Details here.

We parked in a lot on the corner of Washington Street and 1st Street, one block north of the windmill. We didn't fit in the lot very well but the town was not busy and we weren't blocking anything. Most of the parking in the major tourist area is angle-in. Parking for large RVs can be found on the residential side streets.  Pella  41.40764, -92.91504

Rock Creek State Park

We stopped at Rock Creek Park specifically for the dump station but it made sense to stay overnight because Iowa state park campgrounds are incredibly inexpensive when compared to other states. Electric sites are $20 and non-electric are only $12. Amenities include picnic tables, fire rings, boat ramp, restrooms, showers, a dump station, a boat ramp, and a playground

We opted to stay in a non-electric site. The 100 electric sites are lined up side by side with little space between them while the non-electric sites are randomly scattered over a large grassy field. There aren't parking pads and it's hard to tell which table goes with which site. We found the most level site with a nice view of the lake. 

The non-electric sites are not accessible due to the thick grass, lumpy ground, and hilly terrain. There was also a lot of geese poop where we camped. Two of the electric sites are designated accessible but we did not check them out. Campground  41.75437, -92.83949

Reiman Gardens

Over 6,000 types of plants, a butterfly house, a conservatory, and sculptures make this small well-tended garden a pleasant place to spend an hour or two. 

Most of the paths are paved and both the butterfly house and the conservatory are accessible.

Park in lot S2 which is large enough for any vehicle. Garden   42.0119, -93.63733

Camp Algona POW Museum

German prisoners of war were housed in Camp Algona from April 1944 to February 1946 after which they were sent back to Germany. Most of the prisoners worked outside the camp filling jobs that would normally have been done by the local men who were fighting in Germany They worked on farms and in canneries, nurseries, milk processing plants, box factories, brick factories, and chicken processing plants. 

Exhibits cover the experiences of the prisoners, their daily life, and the activities that they participated in to keep busy. Other exhibits give details about the soldiers and local community members who worked at the camp. 

The museum entrance door has a push button that may be out of reach for some wheelchair users. It also has a ramp with an odd slope. Museum  43.06815, -94.23805

Devine Wildlife Area Camping

There are three separate areas each with a dead-end, access road off of 130th Street. From US 169, going west on 130th Street, skip the first one and camp in either of the other two.  Both are roomy with trees and are next to the river. We camped in the second one which has a picnic table and a boat ramp. 

The grass and uneven ground makes rolling a bit difficult. That could be solved by parking closer to the road.  Devine  42.95051, -94.23316