JayJay and Monie head to RAGBRAI’s (Register’s-Annual-Great-Bike-Ride-Across-Iowa) overnight town #3 and Fort Dodge was more than ready to welcome us! It’s our 4th scouting stop and The Iowa Gallivant is noticing the increased fever pitch as we get closer and closer to late July and annual invasion of the spoke’d cavalry swarming the state of Iowa. The days are getting warmer and the anticipation is, too. Apply some sunscreen and grab a koozie while we shop, sip, hike, eat, and gallivant our way through Fort Dodge, IA!
We met the awesome and amazing representative of the Fort Dodge Convention & Visitors Bureau, Kerrie Kuiper, and her wealth of information for the greater Fort Dodge area was on point all day long. She took us on a tour of the whole town and pointed out some great spots that the locals are very proud of. But, first we dive into a saucy throw-down among some of the areas heaviest smokers. We’re not talking nic-fits. Fort Dodge brings us a BBQ Battle!
Trophies will also be served up at the Fort Dodge BBQ Battle. Just try to sneak one away from this guy!Meet the official judges of the Fort Dodge BBQ Battle. No rib was left unturned by these folks.
For just $5 a head we Q’d our way through the battle and sampled the contestants hard work. BBQ requires calculated preparation, hours and hours of smoking, and an expert to know when it’s just right. And we were lucky enough to get a taste of this dedication.
Look at that pork-butt! That’s right. I wore a white a shirt to a BBQ fight. It’s only an amateur mistake if you drip your sauce on it. And shows the world some impressive skills if you don’t. I had some lunchtime on my collar later that day.
We noticed a trend during our last scouting trip in Cedar Falls and we noticed one right away in Fort Dodge. Most of the BBQ venues had family members working side-by-side. This would be the pattern we would see during our entire trip to Fort Dodge. Family was the word of the day as it is in Fort Dodge everyday.
One of the most noticeable smokers of the day belonged to the Out of the Blue BBQ team.Ali and all the proud trophies that her team has collected through various BBQ smoke-offs.That is exactly what you’re thinking. Fort Dodge was blessed with skillet fried donuts wrapped in bacon. This team brought some sexy to Webster County.To the untrained eye, this brisket looks “burnt”. Far from it my friends. That’s what pit masters call the “bark”. Give me a loaf of white bread, a jar of mayo, and some pickle slices and I’ll eat bark sam’iches all day long!And our favorite part of the Fort Dodge BBQ Battle. Reaching the bottom of our boats.
The BBQ Battle served up a mean start to our Fort Dodge experience. And just a few yards away was the The Fort Museum and Frontier Town. And guess who was ready for our arrival. A young lady named Kierra Kuiper. That’s right! The daughter of Kerrie from the Fort Dodge CVB. Two family members working for their proud community. Time to work off the meat-sweats as we walk through one of Iowa’s best time capsules.
We hit the Frontier Town first while Kierra gave us an inch-by-inch description of this must-see Fort Dodge attraction. http://www.fortmuseum.com/An authentic church at the Frontier Town. This reminded me of Rev. Sunday’s church in the movie There Will Be Blood. Daniel Day Lewis won an Oscar for his performance. Never mind me. Carry-on, Ms Kuiper. http://www.fortmuseum.com/An original one room schoolhouse. One of the most popular stops in the Frontier Town. It reminds of the Little house on the Prairie episode when Laura brings an apple she picked a’special for her teacher, but mean Nellie Olson steals it from Laura when she’s not looking and…….I’m sorry. Kierra, you were saying… https://twitter.com/FortDodgeCVB/followingFort Dodge has its own Smithy! I was all…Hey remember that part in Robin Hood when Alan Rickman is picking out his sword and he’s like “this is Spanish steal”….and he’s really mad at his cousin and you hear the pounding of the blacksmiths….Sorry, readers. I get excited sometimes.
We made our way through The Frontier Town and it was now time to visit The Fort. Along with it’s main attraction and the farce that duped thousands. In the early 20th century, a man had a plan to make people believe that he found a petrified body of a giant. Using a bible verse to validate his claim, he attracted flocks of onlookers to see Cardiff the Giant. For a fee of course. The rouse worked and Iowa had an official tourist trap.
Let’s not lose focus in the layer of Cardiff.Although the legend of Cardiff has long been debunked, he still brings in the tourists to Fort Dodge. And will for many years to come.How do you find a giant? Not by looking for them, silly. You’ll find one by listening for them.
The cast of a naked giant isn’t the only site to see at the Fort. There’s history all around you. Because you’re in a fort. Get it?
Behind many of the barrack doors is another slice of local and national history.A room is devoted to an impressive World War’s I and II collection.For the Civil War buffs. You’ll want to visit this log office.The Fort Museum also has some great displays of local Native American artifacts and some from abroad.And you thought Cardiff was creepy. The Fort Museum also has a collection of antique Topsy-Turvy Dolls. Sweet dreams.
Kierra did a wonderful job of showing us around the grounds of this Fort Dodge icon. With the hard work from her and others with the same civic pride, The Fort Museum and Frontier Town will stay iconic. Time for a little Fort Dodge tour…..Shall we…
Welcome to Historic Dodger Stadium, RAGBRAI! One of the most historic stadiums in all of Iowa is home to the local high school team called the Fort Dodge Dodgers, and will be the overnight home to many RAGBRAI campers. The football field and track is completely surrounded by a brick wall completed by WPA laborers in the 1930’s.Just because you made it to Fort Dodge doesn’t mean you need to get off your bike! They have an extensive trail system that weaves through the area.JFK Memorial Park supplies a peaceful ride or relaxing stroll through the woods near Fort Dodge. http://www.webstercountyia.org/KennedyPark.htmFort Dodge has a strong history of supporting athletics along with hosting the Iowa High School State Softball Tournament every year. Which will be happening during the RAGBRAI festivities. That tourney and dozens more along with soccer and baseball are held at the state of the art Rogers Sports Complex. Pay attention riders. You just may have your local team swing’n for the fences while you’re in town! http://www.fortdodgeiowa.org/department/division.php?fDD=12-90Rogers Sport Complex has several fields including their Mini-Majors. Baseball diamonds replicating classic MLB stadiums. Pictured is their version of Fenway Park with the green monster in left. You can also stop by Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium. That’s right. Two Dodger Stadium’s in one town. Take that LA!
Downtown Fort Dodge was beckoning our sweet tooth. Or teeth I guess. The downtown area is in the middle of a major redevelopment project and will have some eager business owners awaiting the visiting crowds coming to Fort Dodge. As you probably guessed, we managed to find some characters you’ll need to introduce yourselves to.
Time for a dose of a rich and sweet dairy product. Better make it two doses. It’s going to be a long day. Fort Dodge brings us The Cheesecake Lady! http://stores.fdcheesecakelady.com/Meet Renae! The FD Cheesecake Lady herself and owner of this amazing bakery and our hearts. I do Valentines Day cards too. https://www.facebook.com/FDCheesecakeLady?fref=tsWe’re suckers for the classics. This Turtle Cheesecake found a home just fine. Desserts aren’t the only skills the Cheesecake Lady displays. She also has a great lunch menu that you can enjoy with….CHEESECAKE!
Just across the street was a storefront that is sure to draw Monie in every time. What they sell is recycled, re-imagined, and remarkable! That happens to be their motto too. We head to Lily Grace on Central.
The showroom on the right. What is this stuff? You’ve found the treasure. Now what to do with it? Well……Welcome to the showroom on the left! Full of amazing re-purposed materials for sale. And you were going to throw it away!Lily Grace on Central had hundreds of remastered materials that can catch the imagination of everyone who walks in. https://www.facebook.com/lilygraceoncentralTake a look in the workshop and see Fort Dodge’s happy elves hard at work. They made sure to tell us that they WILL be open for RAGBRAI and willing to ship out certain merchandise so you don’t have to lug that John Boat cabinet with you clear to Davenport.
We found another set of folks that will be cracking away during the summer months and preparing for the RAGBRAI fixer-uppers. The father, mother and son trio of The Bike Shop. Located in the heart of downtown with a heavy arsenal of ratchet sets, WD-40 and wrenches ready to help RAGBRAI’ers make it to Eldora the following day. Take it away Bike Shop!
The Fort Dodge family meet and greet was only getting warmed up. Our next stop was a family owned business that brings a whole new story to reinventing yourself. It’s the classic story of going from raising hogs to growing grapes for award winning wine. Now tell me how you can get more Iowan than that. We journey to Soldier Creek Winery!
The day marked an Iowa Gallivant first. A trip to a local winery and Fort Dodge christened the experience for us. Soldier Creek Winery turned out to be a great host and kept us entertained in the late afternoon as we enjoyed a sampling of their wines. Tammi was pouring and dropping grape knowledge on us like a boss!
Meet the Zwink’s! On the left is Anne, the chief winemaker and her mother Tammi working the tasting room. They had 9 varietals ready for us to sample and they didn’t shy when we asked which bottles were their favorite. https://www.facebook.com/SoldierCreekWinery?fref=tsWe picked out 4 bottles and RAGBRAI’ers can too! Enjoy your wine at the vineyard, your hotel, or campsite, or have Soldier Creek ship to your home. https://twitter.com/SoldierCreekWinThe wine business is a growing industry in Iowa and Soldier Creek Winery is filling a niche in Fort Dodge and they’re winning awards along the way and showing the nation that Iowa is a force to be reckoned with!
After the trip to the local winery I had a rumble’y in my tumbl’y and that meant that Monie and I needed an appetizer and a couple coldy’s and pronto! Plus the Preakness was about to start and I had a large sum of money on a pony for a client in Zurich. And by that I meant $10 between me and my dad on American Pharaoh. We needed a sports bar and some trusty locals directed us to Sneakers Eatery and Pub. Hey, the Cubs game is on too!
TV’s, cold beer, yummy bar food and friendly service. Equals our afternoon at Sneakers. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sneakers-Eatery-Pub/167411226656719?fref=tsTara brought out the frosty miracle of beer and she’ll be primed to repeat this habit over and over for RAGBRAI! http://www.sneakersfd.com/Busting out of the kitchen with our mountainous appetizer is Ashley. That smile will be a RAGBRAI specialty.Boom!! Idaho Nachos! Waffle fries with a cheesy, spicy, and meaty sensation that you can only experience at Sneakers in Fort Dodge.
We let the beer and Idaho Nachos take their course and moved on with checking into our hotel room at the brand spank’n new Holiday Inn Express & Suites. Just a block away was another great dining experience awaiting us. A short walk down the street was Mineral City Mill & Grill.
Just a short bike ride from all the campsites is this Fort Dodge original. A well rounded menu and an eager staff is ready to make sure you have a great meal. http://www.mineralcitymillandgrill.com/Mineral City knows that RAGBRAI riders love their pasta. They have many pasta entrees to chose from including the delicious Chicken Alfredo Bake that Monie is ready to attack. https://www.facebook.com/mineralcityfortdodge?fref=tsJordan was our server and she talked me into the 12oz Rib Eye Steak and I’m glad she did. Cooked to a perfect medium-rare. I can honestly say that it was the best steak I’ve had all year long. Way to raise the bar Jordan and Mineral City!
Our toothpicks were accurately positioned as we moseyed back to the Holiday Inn Express. Our stomachs feeling full and our souls feeling fulfilled. Time to turn in with visions of another breakfast breakthrough. Commence shameless drool cycle in 5….4….3….
We called ahead to see if they were open and were instructed by the friendly Zakeer’s team member to get in there and have some breakfast. I figured that I should do what I was told. We packed up our suitcase and bundled our Fort Dodge keepsakes and said ado to the wonderful Holiday Inn Express staff and made our way back to downtown where another Fort Dodge family was ready to meet The Iowa Gallivant. And a special announcement awaits….
Meet the Sunday team at Zakeer’s. Laura, Marie and Tami. Marie has been the Zakeer’s constant since 1961 and now runs the restaurant with the assistance of her son, Tommy. He’s one of the cooks and bakes for this family established Fort Dodge staple.Here’s the thrilling announcement….. The Iowa Gallivant will be picking finest plate of Biscuits and Gravy at the end of the year as the. Zakeer’s and many other Iowa restaurants that we visit are officially in the running. A championship is on the line. Who wants it!?!Looks like I said something funny again. Or there’s something on my face. I have the best times with this woman. I love you, Monie. Thanks for gallivanting. -JayJayStanding next to Marie is her dear friend, Jack. He’s a legendary local Fort Dodge journeyman of kitchens and restaurants. He first stepped foot into Zakeer’s in the early 1960’s asking if he could do some work to earn enough money to go to the movies that night. Floors needed to be swept and some common kitchen chores were ready for Jack as he earned his admission in to the local cinema that night. The team at Zakeer’s treated Jack like family and even fussed at him for calling a cab to drop him off to have his breakfast and not one of them. They treated everyone like family while we were there. I’ve worked in the restaurant biz for over 21 years and I know how busy it can be and how imperative it is that you give excellent service every step of the way. The Zakeer’s team knows when to do the right thing and help each other out while someone runs out to pick up their loyal friend and customer. Jack had his hot breakfast and received a ride home from Marie when he was done. The Iowa Gallivant officially loves Zakeer’s unconditionally.The Pecan Rolls are another reason to love Zakeer’s unconditionally.
Fort Dodge marked the halfway point for our RAGBRAI scouting. We find something unique in every stop we make and Fort Dodge didn’t disappoint. Families working hard side-by-side to keep their businesses and community charging on. Two of us, from Team Goodvin, came to Fort Dodge that day and we were welcomed by this great city with some of the most genuine locals we’ve experienced on our adventures. Fort Dodge was geared up to showoff their town all weekend long to The Iowa Gallivant. Imagine the greeting 30,000 RAGBRAI’ers will receive.
Don’t forget to read parts 1 through 3 of our Scouting RAGBRAI series!
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