Waterloo, IA

We ended taking an unexpected trip to Iowa. Chelsey's family made a somewhat spur-of-the-moment decision to move Chelsey's grandfather from Waterloo to Phoenix, so we went to help him pack and move out.
I was actually looking forward to it. Chelsey's parents and extended family all trace back to Waterloo, so I was interested to see what it was like. It was a quick trip, but we did get a tour of the area from Chelsey's uncle. It was a nice little town. My dad suggested a comparison to a smaller Red Deer, which seems about right for readers who know where Red Deer is. There's a river that winds through town (the Cedar River), giving it some nice scenery, a small little downtown district, and a John Deere manufacturing plant that appeared to be the main industry in town. We also drove through nearby Cedar Falls, home to the University of Northern Iowa (which just qualified for the NCAA basketball tournament). For our only dinner there we went to The Brown Bottle, apparently Waterloo's best Italian restaurant and a Thomas family favorite. It was very good and gave huge portions. I was hoping to have it for lunch the next day in the airport, but I forgot my leftovers in Chelsey's uncle's fridge.
Anyways, it was just a quick trip, but it seemed like a nice place. Someday I'm sure we'll get to go back for a longer visit.
-Jason