Our
daughters during Orange City’s Tulip Festival, in the late 1990s.
They’re
all grown up now.
We’re aware the Midwest states are often considered
pass-thrus while people are on their way to more “interesting” places. We’ve
been Texans for almost 18 yrs. now, and it’s probably safe to say our state is
in a class of its own. Still, we have a soft spot for our former home. We
enjoyed a few local specialties and businesses as a part of daily life, and
still miss them. One is relatively new to the area, developed several years
after we moved. Most of them are on our list when we visit, and you might enjoy
trying them too.
Starting near Lake Pahoja, Grand Falls Casino/Golf Resort
is on Hwy 9 just a few miles SE of Larchwood, IA. It does have a 14-site RV
park next to the golf course (link below). We haven’t stopped there, but Karl’s
brother & sister-in-law enjoy the casino occasionally. It’s a just few
years old, and looks very nice. Gambling isn’t our thing quite so much (Kristal
thinks she sucks at it.) But there is also dining and entertainment. We might
be tempted to visit in the future.
Our Rock Island post provided some info on Rock Rapids in
2016. So, we’re going to travel south on Hwy 75 from there.
Take a little side trip to the small town of Hull, IA. It’s home to the Foreign Candy Co. (E on Hwy
18. to the town. FCC is at SW corner of town.) Their core business is school foreign
language teachers, but the public can purchase goodies at the Warehouse Outlet.
In researching this attraction to determine what they’re up to these days, I
came across a reviewer who was underwhelmed by the outlet’s selections. They
complained that the inventory was found just about everywhere. Which is
actually true, but I don’t think this individual knew Foreign Candy Company was
one of the importers responsible for bringing gummy bears from Germany to the
US in the 1970s. (Were marketed to high school German language teachers).
Haribo is a German brand. To be fair, anyone who is the same age or younger
than our daughters, probably believe these candies have always been in the US. When our kids were young, in the 1990s, FCC
was the
place to get interesting candies and other goodies for birthday parties.
Kristal took the girls there once, as a special treat for a streak of good
behavior she really appreciated.
Return to Hwy. 75. Your next stop is Sioux Center and Casey’s
Bakery. It’s in the Centre Mall, located in the middle of town on Hwy.75.
Kristal used to treat herself to an occasional lunch at the bakery deli, when
she worked in Sioux Center 20 years ago. Can’t think of anything we wouldn’t
recommend there, but if you’re looking for a regional specialty try the almond
patties or soft rusk buns (6 in pkg.) They also have a gift shop stocked with
kitchen items and Dutch imports such as Delft pottery. If you’re passing thru Sioux
Center in the summer, keep your eye out for folks selling sweet corn at the
city park (north side of downtown, also on 75.) The town’s summer festival is
coming up at the end of May.
Of course, we almost always go to our home town of Orange
City when in the area. The Dutch fronted downtown is popular with visitors. No
surprise it’s the setting for the Tulip Festival, which is coming up very
shortly. (Usually the third weekend in May.) Difficult to say if the tulips
will be blooming in time due to the cold spring. But they can be surprisingly
hardy plants, often coming up under the snow. Our favorite store, Woudstra Meat
Market is a must-stop to stock up on cured smoked beef, brats and Saucijsjes (sa-saw-shees
- AKA pigs-in-a-blanket.) If you ever do attend the Tulip Festival, yes, it is
worth it to stand in line for the brats. Fresh meats can be ordered at the meat
counter if you’re looking for something to cook right away. However, if you’re
like us and don’t live close by, we recommend buying from their storefront freezers.
Kind of handy to put already-frozen items in the RV freezer. The ready-to-bake Saucijsjes
are only available frozen. (Can’t speak for anyone else from the area, but one
of our favorite meals is still Woudstra’s cured beef in cream sauce on sliced
rusk buns from Casey’s.) Orange City does also have a small bakery downtown, on
the block just to the north of Woudstra’s. If we happen to be there with either
of our daughters, we get cream filled long-johns and Care Bear cookies.
It is
possible to get small pumpkins and winter squash as edible souvenirs.
These
beauties made it all the way back to our house,
even
though we traveled for a month after their purchase.
Just
make sure there is no damage to their hard skins.
Otherwise,
they should fit in an RV oven or Dutch Oven, if you enjoy campfire cooking.
Planning a late summer/fall trip? Be sure to visit
Pumpkinland, just north of Orange City. They started in the 1990s with an
assortment of pumpkins and squashes, including several heirlooms; at a time
when many people were just starting to rediscover the almost lost diversity of our
ancestors’ gardens. Now, they not only have the pumpkins, but a community craft
fair; Alpaca products from a nearby farm; a variety of treats including preserves,
caramel corn and whole pies; a corn maze and farm animals to visit. Kristal and
Kristen stopped by while we stayed at Lake Pahoja. If it works with your travel
plans, we definitely recommend going on a weekday. They’re very popular on the
weekends.
The last website is for the Sioux County Conservation
Board, in case you’re looking for more camping and rec options.
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