I traveled through the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area a few weeks ago on my way to Chicago. It looked like a very nice area but I didn’t stop. I was in travel mode and didn’t think twice. After visiting the area for my son’s 13u AAA Iowa Baseball Tournament it will be a must stop every time I’m through the area from now on. It’s just 3 1/2 hours from us in Northern Missouri and I couldn’t believe all the amazing things we found to do in the area.
Kernels Baseball. The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a class A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Until doing some research on the area, I didn’t even know the Kernels existed!
This was a highlight of our visit. The stadium is incredible! We couldn’t have been more happy with visiting the stadium and have plans to go to a game in the near future.
It’s the perfect stop for any baseball fan. They have affordable seats and concessions. I love that they’ve made it budget friendly for every family. They often have special nights like Harry Potter night or fireworks.
We happened to be able to see an outstanding fireworks show. I can’t say enough good things about the Kernels baseball!
An added bonus was getting to watch their mascot Mr. Shucks have a fun time.
Freedom Festival. I wish we’d had more time to enjoy the Freedom Festival. We had planned to go to the Freedom Festival Friday night but due to games we had to visit late Saturday afternoon before the Kernels game.
It was such a fun festival with great BBQ and beer tents. I highly suggest you check out the activities going on downtown when you visit Cedar Rapids!
Outdoor & Family Fun. Cedar Rapids is perfect for summertime family fun. There’s plenty of camping and cabins available in the area and even watercraft rentals. Or, try the Speedeezz Indoor Karting for more family adventures!
Arts & Culture. Take a trip back in time and visit Cedar Rapids’ 19th century mansion, the Brucemore estate. Or, who knew… Cedar Rapids holds the most Czech people in one place other than the Czech capital of Prague. The National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library inspires people from every background to connect and learn more about Czech and Slovak history and culture.
Downtown. I couldn’t believe how clean Cedar Rapids was in the downtown area. It was not at all what I had expected. It was a very clean city and so beautiful with the Cedar River flowing through it.
The DoubleTree by Hilton was the absolute perfect place to stay in the heart of the city!
Iowa City. Just a short drive south is Iowa City sitting on Interstate 80 that runs east to west through Iowa. There’s so much going on in Iowa City such as the Downtown Iowa City block party, Museum of Natural History or the first capitol of Iowa on the University of Iowa Campus. For the adventurous, The Devonian Fossil Gorge lets you travel back 375 million years ago with climbing and fossil hunting. For the young at heart or the young on the run, the Iowa Children’s Museum is the perfect place.
During our visit we had supper one night at the Mexican restaurant, El Bandito’s in Iowa City. It was delicious and highly recommended! I wish we’d had more time to spend in the Iowa City and Coralville area. My son wanted so badly to visit the Museum of Natural History. History is his favorite subject and I’m sure he would have loved it! Definitely a must see for our next visit!
You’re probably wondering how my son’s team did in the 13u AAA Iowa State Tournament. They placed 6th in the silver bracket out of 45 teams! Not too darn shabby! They were super excited!
Have you visited or thought about visiting Cedar Rapids? If so, we’d love to hear your comments below!