How to Vacation in the Amana Colonies, Iowa
Visit the Amana Colonies in central Iowa and you are liable to hear "Willkommen!" (Welcome!) in seven different towns. Settled in the 1850s, these villages became a religious communal society made up of German immigrants. Residents moved away from communal life after the Depression, and today the colonies remain steeped in history, with an eye toward the future.
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Instructions
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Get your bearings. The seven villages are Amana, West Amana, East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana and Homestead. The communities were settled on either side of a valley along the Iowa River about 15 miles south of Cedar Rapids.
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Find a place to stay. You can find anything from a Clarion Inn Wasserbahn Waterpark resort nearby in Williamsburg to a quaint bed and breakfast or a restored 1890s hotel in or near the colonies. RV campgrounds are nearby as well. Visit the Amana Colonies website for a listing of accommodations.
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Go shopping. You won't see chain or big-box stores here, but you will find enough specialty shops to keep you going for at least a full day. "Handcrafted" is the buzzword, from Amana furniture to the 150-year-old Woolen Mill, Iowa's lone operating textile mill.
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Fill up on German food. Gone are the more than 50 communal kitchen houses, but what remains are recipes the original settlers brought with them, served up in Amana's famous "family-style" dining. Try the Colony Inn, which opened in 1935 after the kitchen houses closed and is still run by the same family.
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Soak up the history of the Amana Colonies. Named a National Historic Landmark in 1965, the colonies include seven heritage sites. Among them are the Amana Heritage Museum in Amana, the Communal Kitchen in Middle Amana and the Communal Agriculture Museum in South Amana. All heritage sites charge admission; visit the Amana Heritage Society website for more information.
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Tour the colonies. All seven villages are linked by the Amana Colonies Trail -- Highways 6, 151 and 220 -- and a CD audio tour is available at the Visitors Center in Amana. Others include a tour of barns that are more than 100 years old, a monthly tour of the local artisans' studios and galleries and a GPS adventure that begins at the Amana Heritage Museum.
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Tips & Warnings
The Amana Colonies host numerous special events such as the Iowa Renaissance Faire, Gathering O'Celts and God's Grand Garden Walk. Check the calendar at the Amana Colonies website for dates.
