Tucked behind Casey's General Store lives this cute little park…read more It boasts a basketball court, plethora of slides, swings, spring riders, a shelter with a grill and other kiddo climbing thingamajigs. We stopped over, after my son saw it from afar. It has newer equipment, is in a good (semi-secluded) location with plenty of parking. Potter Park is definitely worth a stop if you're in the area with littles!

A pretty solid park option in Coralville. (With a pretty spiffy pavilion for rental in the middle.)…read more There are a plethora of trails... going up to the North Liberty Rec Center and down to Coral Ridge Mall. There are frequently joggers, dog walkers and bicyclists. Great people watching! This is one of the few parks in the area with fishing... it also offers picnic tables, shelters, typical playground equipment. While I can't say it is the nicest play area around-- it does have the essential sand box, slides and swings! It's a picturesque park with a beautiful pond. (Geese and frogs are seen on the regular.). Definitely a pretty spot for engagement photos or family pics. (I've done both here!)

We love North Ridge Pavillion!read more

Really nice pond in the middle of town. It has a trail around the pond that connects up easily to…read morethe bike trail and to other wide sidewalks adjacent to the park. The pond is stocked with fish, so there's usually a few people out trying their luck at that, either along the shoreline or at the fishing pier. You'll see families, bicyclists, joggers, and walkers out around the area. There's parking along the street and also a lot at the north side to provide plenty of parking. There are some delicious restaurants that back right up to the park if you get hungry while you're there or if you need a walk after your meal.

This is my happy place in town. Every bicycle path leads to it. You see families, dogs, bikers ,…read moreand runners. It is all around just a Happy beautiful place in town.

ST Morrison Park is a long-time Coralville staple. Its idyllic fishing pond is surrounded by…read moreshelters, a (semi dated) playground, a plethora of (newer) tennis courts, the outdoor pool (which boasts two slides and a diving board) -- as well as youth ball diamonds. This park is home of the Music in the Park Concert Series, Farmers Market and 4thFest. I've been going to this park for decades, it rarely disappoints. Recently I've been renting the south ballpark for youth softball practices. It's well maintained, is appropriately priced per hour and has a plethora of (nearby) parking. You can reserve ball fields through the Coralville Rec online, via a form. (Spring softball fields are insanely hard to come by and require a draft.) ST Morrison Park is a great option for softball practice, a birthday party or just a trip to the park!

S.T. Morrison park is a delightful area just off the Coralville strip that provides a great place…read moreto go for a picnic, a run or just some chill time with the fam and pets. It's located off the back of the police station and community center and has tons of fields, ponds and shelters for whatever you're in the mood for. The Coralville water park is also attached and is a great spot to go chillax while the kids enjoy an amenity that too often requires a long drive. In addition to the great gathering areas, they have tennis courts, volleyball courts and number of baseball diamonds for use whenever. A great place to get outside and enjoy an afternoon regardless of what your interests!

While I've only been here once, I've been hearing about it for years from my better half and the…read morelittle squirts. We came on over after a coffee date with the kids and it's great spot to burn off some energy before bed! My exploration has been limited to the front play area with the delightful large frog. It's free to get in and the kids are able to run around and climb on stuff to make sleep come a little easier that evening! The other available activities include swimming, a track, ball courts and plenty of other rec center type stuff. We'll be frequenting anytime where in the area and need to run off a little energy.

I purchased an annual couple's membership to access the gym equipment (no pool) for an extremely…read morereasonable price. You can purchase memberships that include the pool, too, but you can also just pay the daily pass if you use the pool sparingly. There is a diverse selection of weights and machines to choose from, as well as a well-kept track on the second level. I also really appreciate the placement of a number of mats throughout the space to allow for stretching and ground workouts. There are a few cubbies and coat racks available as you enter the second floor, which work perfectly for me to leave a few items. Locker rooms are also available on the first floor with locks for rent form the front desk (or just bring your own). The two gymnasiums are also clean and in good shape. Open gym times are posted at the front desk and online each week. You can also reserve the space rather simply. I've participated in Flag Football practice in the gym the past few weeks, and it was easy to navigate where to go.

If you are looking for something fun to do come to the pumpkin patch!! I had no idea they put in a…read moresunflower extravaganza every year, but we were very excited to have stumbled upon it and gone this year. They had three acres of the most beautiful variety of sunflowers! It's so fun because they hand you some cutters, and you get to go out and pick your favorites and take them home. The only problem is they are all so beautiful it's so hard to stop. Is that a bad thing though? If sunflowers aren't your thing, but Fall sounds more your speed then PLEASE go there for their Fall Festival. We went two years ago (last year was rained out), and fully plan on going this year as well. It's so much fun with food trucks, vendors, etc If you miss the Fall Festival that's ok! Their corn maze is open for awhile so you still have time for fun activities. I've also done the zombie paintball and holy smokes! I had no idea it would be so satisfying to hit zombies with paintballs!

How have I never written a review!?…read more Colony Acres Family Farm is an NL staple-- having been around for over 25 years! In the summer it boasts sunflowers. In the fall there's games, food/drinks, pumpkin patch picking, a market and of course, the corn maze. In the winter Colony Acres offers fresh-cut trees and Santa. I've only event ventured here during the fall-- tickets are $11-16. (*Pro Tip: order online to save a few bucks a ticket.*) My kids adored the zip line, slides, train ride, bouncy pad and corn maze. We typically don't get pumpkins here but there's a wide selection of those-- mums, corn stalks, hay bales and more. The farm is closed Mondays and Tuesdays during the fall. It allows dogs! There's plenty of parking. Staff is uber friendly. Stop by.

Sites sizes and extremely narrow turn around weren't mentioned on sites, this is No big Rig 40 ft…read moreor mor friendly. Site let us book site #4 even asking for size of rig, but once we arrived Large signage read-No Big Rigs ,narrow to no turn around for this site. We disconnected our tow car and drove around looking for a spot. We were able to locate site 30 which read 45 ft with full hook ups. However we barely at 40 ft fit,even had to back up Over fire ring to fit and park our tow. We then saw it is electric only,Not full hook ups. We are parked and staying for our original 3 nights, however we are very disappointed at the discrepancy in the description of park,it is really for for TT,Campers, tents..id say 34 ft max for sites. Make sure you scout your site first to assure you will fit

Today we started with paddle boarding and kayaking. Then we headed to the beach for some fun. I…read morelove this beach!

Hey, Guys! The Iowa Raptor Project is back…read more After a pandemic-caused hiatus, this Iowa City gem is open to the public. Let me throw some buzz words at you. It is... OUTDOORS. Socially distanced. Free. Kid-friendly. Educational. Easy parking. Good for groups. I have been enjoying the IRP since I was a kiddo. It is absolutely amazing that some of their residents are older than I am! From owls to eagles to turkey vultures and more. You'll see some amazing raptors-- most of which were injured and could no longer live in the wild due to that. (My kids LOVE hearing how old each bird is, what their name is and their story.) Stop by then go on a hike or swing by the beach at McBride State Park! PRO TIPS: Sunscreen and bug repellent, please. Water Bottles are encouraged. No dog! Shhhhhhh. Stop in the bird blind. Bring a picnic. Make a donation.

The Raptor Project isn't flashy or huge, but it's one of my go-to spots when I need to get away for…read morea little while. There's something calming about spending time looking at the birds and then taking a little hike out around the MacBride Nature Area. I've found a couple nice spots to hammock as well. It's not often that you get to see birds of prey close enough to really take in their colors and patterns. Don't just stick to the most well-known like the bald eagle, the owls, and the peregrine falcon. While turkey vultures may not be the prettiest birds, they're still cool to see up close. And spend time with the kestrels - my motto is "kestrels are the best-rels". They also have Family Days regularly featuring a different type of bird with activities for the kids as well as having some of the birds out of the cages for educational purposes.

This park has a large prairie with several trail loops that wind through it and I especially love…read morethat it's mostly flat - making this one of my favorite places to ride my clunky cruiser bike (hills and this 40lb fixed-gear are a no-go). The park is mostly made up of prairie however there are loads of volunteer trees sprouting up and no one seems to be doing any prairie management, so I envision this park will need to be renamed to the "Waterworks Wooded Park" within the next ten years. It's nestled next to the Iowa River, just off I-80 and with entrances on two sides of the park (one at the back of Mackinaw Village neighborhood off Foster Road and the other off the North half of Dubuque Street), it's easily accessible and a nice space to catch a couple deep breaths and see some wildlife at the end of the day.

Costco on a Saturday is nothing like the Iowa Children's Museum on a Friday morning during the…read moresummer. Wow. 4 adults, a 6yo and 3yo checked this place out on a Friday morning around 11am with our friends who were visiting from Indianapolis (Indianapolis has one of the best if not the best children's museum in the county, so expectations were high). Upon entering the boys got their photo taken with Iron Man and then we went to pay the admission fee. The museum is still strongly encouraging mask wearing, but mosts guests weren't. I suspect it will be mandatory again in the future. There are so many fun, interactive things for the kiddos here: ambulance, Dr.'s Office, Post Office, Bank, Market, Pizzeria, recording studio, instruments, tree hours, airplanes, giant slide, my personal favorite the "Cabinets of Curiosities" that go from letters A-Z located on the walls of the 2nd floor. You could spend hours here. I definitely recommend avoiding peak times, or times when daycares and school groups are in attendance. We had to wait around to sample a few things because it was just so crowded. Museum is located right across from the ice rink and not far from the carousel. You could definitely make a morning and afternoon out of it. A must-see if you have younger kids in your life!

It was torrentially down pouring and time to take a stop on our cross country road trip, we got off…read morethe exit to walk around a target since a playground was out and saw signs for The Iowa Children's Museum. So glad we saw the signs this place was amazing it was just what our 2 year olds need to burn off some energy after 2ish hours in the car with many more to go. It was surprisingly large, has so many different rooms with different themes for the kids to explore. We let the kids play for close to 2 hours than grabbed food at the mall food court and went back on our way.