It's midmorning on a quiet Saturday at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. A few students play touch football on the grass of their hilly Hawkeye home, while others test their skill at spear-tossing in front of the Museum of Natural History. In the distance, a young woman tucks her hands into the pockets of her gold hoodie as she crosses a scenic bridge over the Iowa River.
U of I stretches from the 450-acre campus to a popular pedestrian mall nearby into the hilly, tree-lined streets of residential neighborhoods. But don't let the small-town vibe fool you. This is a sophisticated campus, with nearly 32,000 students, a comprehensive medical center and the world-renowned Iowa Writers' Workshop.
Proof of that urbane sensibility is scattered around town, literally. Flooding forced the University of Iowa Museum of Art out of its home in 2008. More than 12,000 works are currently housed in a variety of locations until the new museum opens in a few years. The biggest collections can be found on campus at the Iowa Memorial Union (125 N. Madison St.) and the Studio Arts Building (1375 Hwy. 1 W.), offering everything from ancient African works to modern ceramics. The more ambitious might head to Davenport, an hour's drive away, to visit the Figge Art Museum (figgeartmuseum.org).
The imposing Old Capitol Museum (uiowa.edu/oldcap) has been restored to showcase rooms occupied by Iowa's earliest government leaders. Admission is free.
If you have time for only one museum, though, make it the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History. Housed in Macbride Hall, the three floors of permanent exhibits are enchanting, from the geological and ecological history of Iowa to a 360-degree cyclorama re-creating the sights and sounds of Laysan Island, a western outpost of the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1900s. And you should see the whale! Admission is free (uiowa.edu/mnh).
Fresh-air options
The Iowa City Farmers Market offers two holiday markets to help you take care of your gift-shopping. The markets, featuring woodcrafts, spices, jams and jellies, candles, soaps, lotions and much more, will be held Saturdays Nov. 15 and Dec. 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the former Ben Franklin store at 1660 Sycamore St.
The Coralville Reservoir, just 3½ miles north of Iowa City, offers water sports, picnicking, biking and boating and hiking.
Easing separation anxiety
When those young adults say goodbye, you can say hello to some great shopping and pampering options. The Downtown District features a bustling two-block pedestrian mall, plus nearby shops, art galleries and restaurants.
