Mason City, Iowa

Travelogue 8/29/06

This summer has been delightful. We entertain a hope that we can return to Manhattan after a year or two, but right now we are compelled by allergies to flee. We have spent the summer looking for a spot to settle. Our first trip was through Colorado, Utah, New Mexico. Our second trip was Iowa, Wisconsin. Our third trip was New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska.

Mason Iowa is postcard perfect. My comment as we drove into town was, “It looks like the set of The Music Man, and it turned out to be the birthplace of Meredith Willson; author of The Music Man.

There is a little park that has a campground and a truly wonderful water park.

Little girls wait with bated breath to be noticed so they can wave and be friendly. (They aren't pushy, they are just attentively waiting to catch your eye.)

The campground was really crowded with RV's, but there were few people. I asked our neighbor to the east if this was common. He said, “This isn't crowded. You should have seen it last week.” he then gave us the two dollar tour.

The campground is open seasonally, but when it opens, some people move in and live there for seven months, until it closes. (And their campsites show it.)

I asked about the Civil War, Union Army-style tent to our west. He said it belonged to a homeless single-mother who works nights.

A little later he walked past our tent saying, “I've got to leave for awhile. You are welcome to use my campfire. I've got two packages of hot dogs. You are welcome to one of them.”

The next morning we tried to check our e-mail but couldn't get on. When we discussed it with the campground hostess she lent us her laptop. She was apologetic because she had to go pickup her daughter at school, she couldn't stay while we used her laptop. I asked if everybody was always this helpful (“trusting” was the word I had in mind). She said, “Oh, no. But stranger things happen. Two weeks ago, during the fair, one of the vendor's hired help was delayed. It was his nephew and he couldn't get here on time 'cause of classes or something. My husband helped until the nephew got here. My husband cooked funnel cakes for two days.”

I love Mason City, Iowa.

I wish it were allergy free.