Historical tours in Boone, Iowa, capture honored past
digg it!
Facebook
del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit
BY SANDI WITKOWICZ / For the Lincoln Journal Star
All aboard! The whistle blew — one long and two shorts. The bright yellow and red caboose contrasted against a crisp blue sky interspersed with puffy white clouds. “The colors of summer,” I thought as the clickety-clack sound of the wheels indicated we were beginning to pick up speed. The early 1900s train, composed of an engine, three passenger cars and caboose, was embarking on a 15-mile, round trip that would descend into the lush and leafy green Des Moines River Valley. Traveling over tracks that were once part of the Chicago & North Western Railway, Fort Dodge line, the ride featured a breathtaking view of the valley.
The open-air “skyview” car offered a dizzying look at the creek from the Bass Point Creek High Bridge that is 156 feet above the valley floor and one of the highest railroad bridges ever built in the United States.
This guided tour, along with others offered on the Boone and Scenic Valley Railway (B&SVRR), attracts more than 45,000 railroad aficionados, history buffs and family members from all over the world to Boone, Iowa.
From the moment I drove onto the vintage railway property, I was wrapped up in the historic charm of the railroad heydays. My visit was midweek, and I was surprised to see so many groups queuing up to purchase tickets at the old-fashioned ticket window. The waiting room, decked out in early 20th-century style, was alive with adults, tweens and younger children. The cadence of their voices relayed excited anticipation of the train’s 1:30 p.m. departure.
This historic railway runs at least once daily from Memorial Day through October. In addition to the daily excursion train, the operating schedule includes weekend steam locomotive, dinner and dessert train rides. Ride prices vary from $14 for the afternoon excursion to $50 for a weekend dinner-train ticket. An electric trolley runs from the depot on weekends, $2 per ticket.
The railroad will be the site of three exciting weekends this month. Pufferbilly Days, the city’s annual railroad festival, takes place Thursday through next Sunday. Pufferbilly is a term used in reference to the area’s coal-mining history. The festival features a model train display, spike driving contest, parade, train rides, craft fair, arts festival, carnival and memorabilia.
Thomas the Tank Engine-smitten kids will have an opportunity to step into the world of the Magic Railroad and ride on a train pulled by Thomas on Sept. 17-18 and Sept. 23-25.
According to the Thomas Web site, kids get to have their pictures taken with Sir Topham Hatt, the Controller of Thomas’ Railway. Other features include a viewing station for Thomas & Friends videos, story time and temporary tattoos of the Island of Sodor friends. Tickets for the 25-minute Thomas ride are $14.
Boone, referred to as the Railroad Capital of Iowa, is located about an hour northwest of Des Moines on the historic Lincoln Highway (Highway 30). While the railroad is the center attraction of this charming community, the area also offers great outdoor activities, historic sites and museums.
One of the highlights of my trip was to drive out west of Boone on Highway 30 to see the Kate Shelley Bridge. This railroad bridge was completed in 1901 and stands 185 feet above the Des Moines River. It is 2,685 feet long and is the longest and highest double-track bridge in the world. In 2002, its 100-year-old structure was reinforced to allow it to continue to carry the approximately 40 freight trains that pass through Boone each day.
The bridge is named after national heroine Kate Shelley. In 1881, during a storm that flooded out a railroad bridge near her farm home, the then-15-year-old girl crawled across a railroad bridge for more than 200 yards to reach the depot in Moingona and warn that an oncoming passenger train must be stopped.
The park and the depot museum depicting her story are small, but young rail enthusiasts as well as older folks may enjoy a stop at this peaceful, historic spot in Moingona. The Kate Shelley Park is easily found by following the signs off Highway 30 west of Boone.
Mamie Doud Eisenhower, first lady of the United States from 1953-61, was born in Boone in 1896. Her birthplace home at 709 Carroll St. offers a vast collection of family furnishings and information. The Boone County Historical Society museum, 602 Story St., offers even more information about Boone’s coal mining and rail history with two floors of artifacts and displays.
Historic homes line Story Street and other thoroughfares within this community that has a population of 12,803. The Chamber of Commerce visitors guide offers a walking tour and a wealth of other information.
Sandi Witkowicz has been writing and advising about travel and tourism for more than 15 years. In occasional columns she offers anecdotes, travel tips and destination reviews from the local perspective.
If you go
* Directions: I-80 east to 169 North to Highway 30 East. Allow at least four hours driving time from Lincoln. Follow Story Street north to downtown Boone. The B&SVRR is located west of downtown at 11th and Division streets. Since there are so many freight trains that pass through Boone, allow plenty of time to cross the railroad before your excursion train’s departure time.
* Lodging: Hancock House B&B; AmeriHost, Super 8 and American Inn. On celebration weekends look for lodging in Ames, Iowa, about 30 miles east or the AAA Four Diamond Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa, about a 45-minute drive southwest.
* Restaurants: The Whistle Stop; Jimmy’s BBQ Pit; and the Dutch Oven Bakery, among others.
* Attractions: Kate Shelley Depot is open limited hours on celebration weekends and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m., June through September.
* Other points of interest:
— McHose City Park offers swimming, picnic and playground areas. Seven Oaks Recreation features Des Moines River float trips and canoe rental along with mountain biking, concerts, paintball and camping. Ledges State Park is one of Iowa’s oldest parks and is known for the terrain of sandstone bluffs that run from the upper portion down to the Des Moines River Valley.
— The Boone Speedway dirt-racing track hosts races every Saturday night spring through fall and the IMCA Super Nationals Sept. 5-10.
* Web sites:
www.booneiowa.homestead.com
www.scenic-valleyrr.com
www.hitentertainment.com/thomasandfriends/usa/parents/events.html
Post Your Comment
Standards and RulesYour posted comment will appear after it has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about story commenting.