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oldman

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Nov 5, 2009
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Dubuque and Burlington were both settled the same year, 1833, but Burlington was incorporated first, in 1836. Dubuque was incorporated in 1857.

As a city nerd I love Dubuque. The feel is so much different (better IMO) than other Iowa citites. I love rowhouses and the feel of that type of neighbrhood.
Our radio station also touted Dubuque as a bi-centennial city (in 1976) like it was established in 1776. Hell, I don't know what the rules are for stating that sort of thing as fact. What's it based on?
 

oldman

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What? I must have dreamt all those hills growing up in western Iowa. Maybe NW Iowa for sure but anything south of Highway 30 is NOT flat. My daughter took this pic last week coming from DM to Omaha on I80 showing the red sunset. That is not flat. That is the way it is all across I80 to Omaha.

View attachment 75824
I heard that when they filmed "Field of Dreams", at the beginning when they are showing miles of cornfields, they actually went to Illinois because Iowa wasn't flat enough.
 

Al_4_State

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I heard that when they filmed "Field of Dreams", at the beginning when they are showing miles of cornfields, they actually went to Illinois because Iowa wasn't flat enough.

Dyersville area isn't flat enough.

All they would have had to do was drive 30 miles west on 20 and it's flat as hell.
 

cydsho

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Have you driven in I-29? No hills, no trees, nothing. It's like if is depression was a view it would be I-29. Contrast that to the Mississippi river area and tell us which one is more beautiful? I've been to that overlook on 80 and the view is... expansive.
I-29 follows a meandering river valley that is 5-7 miles wide and flat. If you turn the other way there is 10-20 times more land that is not a flat river valley.
 
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cstrunk

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Mar 21, 2006
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Have you driven in I-29? No hills, no trees, nothing. It's like if is depression was a view it would be I-29. Contrast that to the Mississippi river area and tell us which one is more beautiful? I've been to that overlook on 80 and the view is... expansive.

All the time. They built the interstate in the Missouri river valley, so yeah that small part is as flat as it comes. But I love the view of the Loess Hills from there. The rest of western Iowa is Loess Hills and some of that can be fairly rugged, from a hill perspective. Is it the Tennessee Smokey Mountains? No... but it's not as flat as a bunch of areas in the Great Plains. Obviously the Mississippi River has more beautiful terrain and hills, but that's not the point.
 

Cyforce

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What Cheer. I was told the founders couldn't decide on a name so they said whatever the next guy that walks in the door first words are. Dude was apparently English.
 

VeloClone

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Jan 19, 2010
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Brooklyn Park, MN
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I thought the body ended up there and the head was thrown on a gravel road after they tried to run over it.
 

Clone83

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Mar 25, 2006
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I-29 follows a meandering river valley that is 5-7 miles wide and flat. If you turn the other way there is 10-20 times more land that is not a flat river valley.
I'm not that aware of anyone interested in hiking and camping on the Missouri River bottom ground. Period. That said, the De Soto Bend National Wildlife area is interesting, with the Missouri Valley's huge annual migration of geese. And there is a previously sunken steamboat nearby, and museum (though I am not aware of the status there after last year's flood), with its contents, which was on its way to mining camps in Montana when it sunk.

Without looking it up, I imagine it wasn't that much long after it sunk, that the original Cyclones football team, and, with guns firing, Coach Pop Warner, himself taking the field against the miners up in the mining camps in Montana.

But ... literally just a mile or eight away are the steepest and most interesting and most public parts of the Loess Hills for anyone who wants to get off Interstate 29 and go into them.

And all of southern Iowa is generally covered with rolling hills (not flat), that most people never see. I think, of the (I believe) 4 ice ages/glaciers that covered all or parts of the state, that is the oldest topography (500,000 years ago off the top of my head). I think you can even see this from the state capitol grounds looking south, how the topography is so different from that on north side of Des Moines.
 
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ZJohnson

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Mar 27, 2006
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gross acres doesn't matter in this calculation. it's based on percentage of natural habitiate that has been transforredm by man. CA has gigantic swaths of natural forest and mountain areas.


That wasn't specified, but if that is the case then obviously I can't argue with that.
 

motorcy90

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Aug 12, 2018
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It's specifically 80 between Des Moines and Omaha that is so empty. I'm from Sioux City. Ames to Sioux City on more northern routes is a lot more scenic drive than 80 between Omaha and Des Moines.

NW Iowa land has some variety with lots of hills and bluffs, I've never spent much time in SW Iowa.
I think you have that backwards.. 35 north of hwy 30 is basically as flat as can be. 80 west bound has some decent hills and views, nothing spectacular but not flat.