Back on Campus

My favorite part of the weekend was the optional evening photography walk our instructor offered. He and his wife took those of us wanting to do night photography on a walk through the campus and along the Iowa River.

Quick Tips:

I rented a car and wouldn't really have needed to. You can get to and from the airport in Cedar Rapids (20 miles away) by shuttle or cab, and depending on where you stay in Iowa City, there are enough restaurants within walking distance that you don't need a car.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking, definitely. Even in a relatively small town, the parking can be difficult.

My room had a king-size bed plus a sofa sleeper. It was a nice sized room, with a large double dresser, seating group, small fridge and coffee-making facilities. Non-smoking rooms are available. The hotel also offers an indoor pool, whirlpool, and exercise room. A fellow workshop attendee mentioned that he was in a room located near the pool and close to the ground level where the sounds of the local college crowd kept him awake until the wee hours. I was on the 7th floor and had no problems with noise, although I was close to the elevator. For $89 a night, I''ve stayed in hotels with much more character, but it was conveniently located and comfortable. Garage parking is available at no charge. A breakfast suggestion for you. The lobby of the Sheraton has a TJ Cinnamon''s, which offers cinnamon rolls and pecan cinnamon rolls, juices, and gourmet coffees. Pick up a roll and some juice, make some coffee in your room, and you can have breakfast when you want without the high cost of a hotel restaurant. The cinnamon rolls are terrific!

A couple of us headed over here Saturday on our lunch break from class. Pancheros is close to the campus and it offered a nice alternative to more typical fast food places. Featured items include tacos, burritos and quesadillas. You have a choice of beef, chicken, grilled vegetable or cheese filling, and can add your choice of fixings and side dishes. I tried the chicken quesadillas with a side of guacamole and red sauce; very enjoyable. My classmate had the rice and beans plus a couple of side dishes. The quesadillas plus a beverage was just under $7; my companion's was slightly less. More expensive than the golden arches perhaps, but definitely healthier!

The evening I arrived in Iowa City, I decided I'd go somewhere close for dinner, go to bed early and get ready for my workshop the next morning. Just a short walk (3 mins.) from the Sheraton, I saw the Mill, and decided to give it a try. You enter through the bar area, where you can eat and drink, but I kept walking to the back to the more "formal" dining area. The Mill has sort of a pub feel to it, but interestingly, most of the seats seem to be old church pews (and maybe that's what they were in a past life!) After perusing the menu, I decided on your basic burger and beer. The server suggested I might enjoy trying a Blue Moon beer, which he said was brewed in the USA, but was much like a Belgian white ale. I tried it, and thanked him later for the great recommendation; very tasty!!! My burger was probably the best I've had anywhere. Not only was the burger good, but so was the bun - bakery fresh. How many times have you had a great burger only to have it ruined by a stale-tasting bun? Not at the Mill. The only disappointment were the fries....not at all crispy. The waiter suggested I might enjoy staying and listening to the live entertainment, which was a local singer-songwriter. I stayed for a few numbers and was most impressed. I found out that the Mill offers entertainment much of the time, and it's free of charge. A great beer and burger, and good local entertainment: total cost, including tip was $12!

"Mondo" is the Italian word for "world", and this epitomizes the business philosophy market and purpose on Mondo's. The menu and decor are ecclectic. The very open space is saved from minimalism by the rich dark wood on the bar and chairs, as well as the colors in the upholstery. Exposed pipes hang overhead, vintage-look European posters adorn the walls, and somehow it all works.

The menu offerings range from appetizers such as calamari and buffalo wings, to full main courses like filet mignon. There is a generous selection of salds, soups and sandwiches as well.

I opted for the Pasta Messina: Gulf shrimp in white wine sauce with tomatoes, garlic, onions and herbs. The pasta, unfortunately, was cooked incorrectly: part of it was stuck in a gluey lump. The sauce as excellent, but it deserved better pasta to showcase it. The bread was piping hot and delicious. Instead of butter, you're offered olive oil mixed with fresk ground pepper and Parmesan cheese - very tasty! There seemed to be a good beer and wine selection. I had to stick with tonic water as I was going out that evening for our photography walk.

Main dish and beverage was well under $20. Service was friendly and efficient; a server refilled my beverage without even asking if I'd wanted a second drink....at no charge. My only remark other than the gluey pasta was that the music level tends to be a bit loud. Undoubtedly they cater to the college crowd, but if you want a quiet romantic spot for dinner, this wouldn't be it.

Micky's does resemble some pubs I've been in, and it was a great place for a lunch break on Sunday afternoon. A classmate and I ended up here after checking out menus at a couple of downtown restuarants.

The menu offers appetizers (nachos, buffalo wings); soups; salds; burgers; and pastas. Breakfast is served on Saturdays and Sundays. I had the Turkey BLT special, which was grilled turkey on a fresh bun, topped with bacon, lettuce and tomato. A first: the mayo was on the side, which I much appreciated. My classmate had the VeggieCheez Burger, which is a burger topped with your choice of cheese, mushrooms, green pepper, sprouts and guacamole. Rene decided to omit the guacamole; it seemed an odd addition to the burger. The service was freiendly, and again, refills were given before we even had a chance to ask for them. Price was about $12 each, including tax and tip.

The Iowa Summer Writing Festival offers 136 different non-credit week-long and weekend workshops throughout June and July. The week-long workshops are $400-425; while weekend workshops cost $175. Literary genres include novel, mystery, poetry, essay and humor, to name a few. The majority of the courses are geared toward writers somewhere between beginning and advanced, although there are some specifically for beginning writers, and other for advanced writers.

On Saturday morning, all weekend attendees are invited to gather for breakfast before the orientation. It turned out to be a great time to meet my fellow classmates and find out what had brought others to the workshop. The age range was from 20's on up; and people had come from all over the USA (and even Europe!) to attend.

During orientation, I learned a bit more about the history of the workshop. This was the 15th summer it was offered. In its history, enough Pulitzer Prize-winning authors have walked through its doors to make up a football team.

I'm not quite sure how the "Focus on Photos" workshop that I selected came to be included in a writing festival, but I was glad it was! Michael Lemberger was my instructor, and he's had an award-winning career in photography; primarily newspaper photography. He was a great instructor, and obviously enjoyed his students as much as we enjoyed him. He and his wife (also teaching at the Festival) graciously gave up their Saturday evening to take us for an evening walk through campus and along the river so we could do some night photography.

Housing is available to participants on campus at the dormitory; some of these accomodations even offer full room and board. There is also a hotel on campus, called the Iowa House Hotel, where participants can stay, as well other hotels in Iowa City.

Class size is limited to twelve participants, which enables students time to spend one on one with their instructor. Depending on your course, you will spend at least 8 hours of the weekend in class, as well as possibly having assignments to complete outside of class.

In case anyone is interested, they do offer a travel writing workshop; this year I believe it was a week-long workshop.