Cragies and Snackies

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Iowa?  For me, it’s corn.  This makes sense since Iowa is the largest producer of corn in the US.  It is also the largest producer of eggs and pork.  From this you shouldn’t be surprised to know that Iowa is predominately rural with 92% of its land dedicated to agriculture.  It makes sense then that Iowa is thus the safest state in the US.  What you might not have guessed is that Iowans pride themselves in their education.  With the highest literacy rates in the nation and some of the highest rates in reading, writing, and math, Iowa has set the bar for academic excellence.  Otto Frederick, Rohwedder invented the first bread slicing machine in Iowa, it’s the ice cream capital of the world, Arabella Mansfield, the first female lawyer is from Iowa, and Iowa is home to the most overrated apple in the history of world, the Red Delicious.  The Red Delicious was discovered in 1870 on Jesse Hiatt’s farm.  Jesse had the right idea when he tried numerous times to cut down the only known Red Delicious apple tree, but fortunately for below average apple enthusiasts, the tree kept growing back.  Here we are 150 years later still being offered the Red Delicious at nearly every grocer and farmer’s market in the continental US. 

Did you know that Iowa also has climbing?

Most of the climbing in Iowa is on the eastern side of the state located within 50 miles of Monticello, Iowa. There are over 600 routes in Iowa, but over half of them are bouldering routes.  There are 128 sport routes with the majority of those at Pictured Rocks, making it the most popular climbing destination in Iowa.

With 15 walls to choose from, I’d recommend quantity over quality, and go for the Wild Iowa Wall.  Wild Iowa has 12 routes, and even though there aren’t any 4-Star routes, there are plenty of 3-Star routes to hop on.  The grades range from 5.10a-5.12a, so they’re a little on the stout side.  The most popular route is a steep 5.11b called Bird in Hand.  It’s a shorty with only three bolts using pockets to make your way to the anchors.  If you are looking for something a little easier to warm up on, you have to go to Shiprock.  It has 5 routes ranging from 5.7 – 5.10, including Tarzan, one of the longest and most popular routes at Pictured Rocks. Tarzan is a 5.7 50’ cruiser that everyone in the area should hop on if they have the opportunity. 

As always, after hitting the cragie, it’s time to gravitate to the snackies!

After a day of climbing, no one wants to drive for almost an hour to swine out.  Blood sugar is low, dehydration is creeping in, muscles are aching, and you’re about to get hangry!  But Cedar Rapids is a cool city, so grab a Clif Bar, or a bag of Peanut Butter M&Ms to hold you over and make the trip.

Once your there, you’ll find lots of hipster friendly restaurants and bars to choose from, but I’d skip the scene for a few minutes and head over to the NewBo City Market.

“NewBo City Market is a dynamic public space promoting health, happiness, and well-being in the heart of the New Bohemia District near downtown Cedar Rapids. As a gathering place, business incubator, and event center, NewBo City Market services many different needs for a wide spectrum of people and organization.” – newbocitymarket.org/about

There are plenty of options to choose from at NewBo, but I’d start off at the New Bohemian icon The Full Bowl.

The Full Bowl is a rad independent restaurant that specializes in vegetarian and vegan bowls made with the humblest ingredients to produce a symphony of flavor!  The bowls at The Full Bowl start off with a combination of the most universal culinary staples in the world.  Beans and Rice.  From there it’s a matter of adding fresh, organic, locally grown ingredients to create classic dishes with a Full Bowl spin.

The menu is delectably simple and changes weekly.  The staples include the No Coast Bowl, which is a southwest style bowl on a foundation of black beans and brown rice.  There is also the Chana Masala bowl, an Indian themed bowl on a bed chickpeas and brown rice.  Other bowls include their rotating soup, and the Lemon-Orzo Pasta Salad.  Sides include corn muffins, tortilla chips, Buckwheat Banana Bread, and their no-bake Apricot Oat Bar.

My favorite feature of the menu is the Weekly Special.  Each week The Full Bowl presents a unique option combing flavors inspired from around the world.  Recently, they’ve featured the Gumbo z’Herbes in honor of Mardi Gras.  They have also featured the  Coconut Mung Bean Curry, Moroccan Chickpeas, New Mexican Red Chili and Pinto Beans, and their first weekend of the month hometown favorite, Tofu Scramble over roasted potatoes!!!

The Full Bowl “Obsessively made from scratch”, has all the snackies you could ever dream of after a full day in the cragie, at the wall, and on the rocks of the Hawkeye State.

Location: Cedar Rapids Iowa “Freedom to Flourish”

Crag: Pictured Rocks

Restaurant: The Full Bowl

Distance: 42 miles