Small Town Adventure Day 2.0

Last year, we started a new tradition we called "Small Town Adventure Day."  I pulled up a map, zoomed in on a circle within an hour's drive away from home, and told Cruz to close his eyes and point.  Then we packed a blanket, some snacks, and our pool bag and spent the day in Independence, Iowa.  We didn't know anything about Independence when our day started, but by the end of that afternoon we learned that Independence was a charming little river town with a really great pool.  It was one of our most favorite summer day excursions and we were excited to explore another one of our state's small towns.  

This year's winner was...  

Just a half hour away from home, Grundy Center was definitely on my radar, but up until this summer, I had admittingly always viewed it as a drive through town.  But by the end our day, I told Beau that I was ready to call a realtor and start house shopping. ;)   

I grew up in a small town, so the charm and simplicity of small town Iowa isn't new to me.  But Grundy Center seemed to stand out as a small town with bigger city appeal.  It has everything you need.  We started our day at a beautiful shaded park right across from the pool.  Huge Oak trees made for perfect hide-and-go-seek spots, we could jam to the music playing at the swimming pool, and we were right across the street from a Brother's Market, perfectly placed in case we were hoping for a picnic lunch.  There was a little one-room schoolhouse set up with all the historic artifacts, a community sand volleyball court across the street, and public bathrooms, which are always appreciated at a park! ;)

After working up a thirst at the park, we found ourselves in the cozy Natural Grind, a coffee and gift shop that served wonderful coffee drinks and delicious flavored iced teas and lemonades.  Then we took a stroll across the street to explore the prettiest Grundy County Courthouse.   

Boy were we torn about where to eat lunch!  It was a perfect day for a picnic, but when the Landmark Bistro caught my eye, especially their outdoor patio next to a beautiful old brick building, we decided we can picnic anytime!  We went for some mid-day UNO and cheeseballs, as well as the best tenderloin I've had in a long time.  

We spent the afternoon at the Grundy Pool, the kids' favorite part of our day.  Their pool is fantastic and the best part is...we didn't know a soul there!  I went down the slides with Cruz, went off the diving boards, and cheered them on as they went across the ropes lily pad course over and over again.  And then we ended the day at the Grundy Drug Store, at the counter next to the afternoon coffee crowd for some ice cream sodas.  THIS reminded me of my childhood - not the ice cream soda part, but definitely grabbing my stack of newspapers from the post office and stopping in the Drug Store for some kind of treat before delivering my 70-some newspapers.  This sweet little drug store that smelled just a little funny took me right back.  

We may have visited Grundy Center as part of our small town adventure DAY, but we have plans to make this sweet small town a more frequent spot in our summer DAYS to come.