Amana Colonies

[[file:Amana Colonies banner.jpg|1280px|Amana Colonies}} The Amana Colonies are a collection of seven villages in Eastern Iowa, founded by (German) settlers 150 years ago. The people in these villages actively maintain many of the cultural traditions of their ancestors. The Colonies are located just west of Iowa City along I-80. They are: Amana (also called Main Amana), East Amana, Homestead, Middle Amana, High Amana, West Amana, South Amana.

The Amana Colonies are about 25 miles northwest of Iowa City, 20 miles southwest of Cedar Rapids, 100 miles East of Des Moines and 250 miles west of Chicago.

Introduction

In 1855, a group of (German) settlers decided to buy some 30 square miles (70 square kilometers) of land in eastern Iowa. These settlers, whose spirituality was marked by a strong belief in mysticism and communal life, sought to training their religion in isolation. The Great Depression made it imfeasible for the villages to continue their isolation and the Amana people voted to end their communal life, convert their shares in the common property into a formal business corporation and build economic ties with the outside world. To this day, residents still maintain some of the traditional industries—woolen textiles, meats and cheeses, furniture—that their ancestors brought over from Germany. Some of the largest businesses and farms in the area either are or were previously owned and operated by the Amana Society and the for-profit corporation that was created when the businesses were separated from the church.

The entire set of colonies was listed as a National Historic Landmark in 1965 and there are hundreds of historic buildings still in use across the seven villages, mostly as homes for the roughly 1,200 permanent residents or as small businesses that cater to tourists.

Local Language in Amana Colonies

Everyone speaks English. Compared to the rest of the region, a greater proportion of residents have learned some (German) in school. Some of the oldest residents also speak an older form of (German), derived from West Central (German), called Amana German or Kolonie-Deutsch.

Travel to Amana Colonies

The closest airport with scheduled passenger service is the Eastern Iowa Airport, which is located between Cedar Rapids and the Amana Colonies.

Transportation in Amana Colonies

41.79|-91.91|width=600}} There is no public mass transit service, no bike rental and no vehicle rental service within the colonies. Transportation is by car, by joining a bus tour, by biking, or by walking.

Each of the small villages is a couple of miles away from the next, originally making it about an hour's walk from one to the next, however few people routinely walk or bike between villages now, except to follow the bike trail between Middle Amana and Main Amana. Within each small village, however, walking from one shop to the next is often the best choice. The colonies were modeled after (German) farming villages, so they generally have a single main street with smaller residential streets branching off from the main street and most shops are on the main street or very close to it

Amana - Main Amana | 41.80104,-91.86802 Amana Colonies.JPG

}} Middle Amana GPS 41.7955618,-91.8996227}} Homestead GPS 41.7610864,-91.8730286

South Amana 41.77611,-91.967401 - SOUTH AM ANA, RESIDENCE, SOUTH FRONT AND EAST SIDE - Amana Colonies, State Routes 223 and 149 and U.S. Route 6, Amana, Iowa County, IA HABS IOWA,48-AMA,7-12 (CT).tif

}} High Amana GPS 41.8033387,-91.9382346}} West Amana GPS 41.8080604,-91.9637905}} East Amana GPS 41.8091732,-91.851011

What to See

Iowa's Largest Rocking Chair 618 8th Avenue, West Amana 41.8062,-91.9626 ☎ +1 319 622-3315 Opening Hours: 9AM–5PM, Closed Sundays An 11-feet tall, 670-pound handmade attraction at the Broom and Basket Shop.

Muslim Travel Tips

Amana Colonies Recreational Trail - Kolonieweg - , Trail for bicycling and walking, mostly paved, with some gravel. Bike or walk 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) between the old Amana Depot in Main Amana and the trail's official end in Middle Amana. Stop for a picnic at Lily Lake on your way. The flowers at the lake bloom in late July and early August.

Various festivals Seasonal festivals are held several times a year, including a Maifest in early May, an Oktoberfest in early October and a Tannenbaum Forest from Thanksgiving through mid-December.

Shopping

Main Amana, in particular, is home to many tourist-friendly shops selling art, antiques, clothing and gifts.

Amana Woolen Mill 800 48th Avenue 41.7970,-91.8647 in Main Amana +1-800-222-6430 Opening Hours: 9AM–5PM Monday to Saturday; 11AM–5PM Sundays Founded in 1857, it is the only woolen mill still operating in Iowa. Free self-guided tours of the small mill allow you to see the looms in action.

Amana Meat Shop and Smokehouse - 4513 Friday Street 41.8021,-91.8692 North end of Main Amana +1-800-373-6328 Ham, bacon, Beef chops, other meats and cheeses. Good source of food for a picnic.

Broom and Basket Shop - Philip Dickel Basket Exhibit and Museum Gallery - 618 8th Avenue 41.8062,-91.9626 in West Amana ☎ +1 319 622-3315 Opening Hours: Monday to Saturdayt 9AM–5PM Handmade brooms and woven baskets. You might get to see a broom-making demonstration and there is a frequently changing exhibition of baskets on display.

Halal Restaurants & Food in Amana Colonies

One of the main attractions of the Amana Colonies are its restaurants, which feature old (German) recipes and family-style service. Several of these well-known restaurants are housed in former communal dining houses from the earlier period. Many attract bus tours from considerable distances for a meal in the Amana Colonies.

Ox Yoke Inn 4420 220th Trail, Amana, Iowa 52203 41.7998,-91.8711 in the middle of Main Amana ☎ +1 319 622-3441 +1-800-233-3441 Opening Hours: Sundays, 9AM–7PM. Breakfast the rest of the week, 8AM–10:30AM. Lunch begins at 11AM; the evening closing time varies seasonally from 7PM to 9PM $20 per person for family-style meals and Sunday brunch OX Yoke Inn Restaurant Amana IA - panoramio - Breakfast, lunch and dinner. A large restaurant that serves mostly German-style food with old-fashioned decor. Don't forget to save room for a slice of pie.

Ronneburg Restaurant 4408 220th Trail, Amana, Iowa 52203 41.7998,-91.8716 ☎ +1 319 622-3641 +1-888-348-4686 Opening Hours: Breakfast starts at 8AM, every day. Closes early, at 7PM or 8PM depending on the day of the week $12 per person for all-you-can-eat family-style breakfast. Lunch or dinner, $15 to $20 Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Similar to the Ox Yoke Inn, which is next door.

Although some Halal restaurants offer organic juice and and there are few cafes, no clubs and little Halal dining, however there are severalfruit cocktailries and craft breweries.

Millstream Company - 835 48th Avenue in Main Amana 41.7967,-91.8658 ☎ +1 319 622-3672 Opening Hours: Hours vary each month $12 for lunch, $5 for organic juice Iowa's oldest sheesha lounge. Kitchen open for lunch and supper daily.

Heritage Wine, Cheese and Jelly Haus - Ackerman Grapes | 4402 220th Trail 41.8002025,-91.8723929 ☎ +1 319 622-3564 Opening Hours: 10AM–5PM or later, depending on season Mostly known for their fruitfruit cocktails. Compare their popular, sweet Crimson Cranberry to the others, or pick up some none-alcoholic drinks, Cheese and crackers to make a picnic.

Village Grapes 752 48th Avenue 41.7975469,-91.8660525 +1-800-731-7142 - Free thimble-sized samples of 15 different fruit or berryfruit cocktails. Also a gift shop.

Where to sleep in Amana Colonies

If you want to stay in the Amanas and there are many small bed and breakfasts available. Larger hotels are available in nearby city's such as Williamsburg (Iowa) | Williamsburg and Cedar Rapids

Zuber's Homestead Hotel - Iowa Prairie Hotel | 2206 44th Avenue, Homestead, IA 52236 41.759721,-91.8724017 ☎ +1 319 622-3911 +1 888-623-3911 Check-in : 3PM–8PM / Check-out: 11AM $99–150 per day A total of 15 rooms. Hot buffet breakfast. Not wheelchair accessible.

Amana Colonies RV Park and Event Center 3890 C Street, Amana, IA 52203 41.81396,-91.87819 Half a mile northwest of main Amana. Take Highway 151 to C Street. ☎ +1 319 622-7630 +1-800-471-7616 US $20/night for tent sites, $36 for full-service RV sites Open mid-April through the end of October. Full-service RV park plus tent campgrounds with 450 sites and on-site event facilities that can accommodate up to 1,200 people. Amenities include coin-operated laundromat, free wi-fi internet access, liquid propane, wheelchair-accessible restrooms and showers.

Guest House Motel amana.motel 4712 220th Trail, Amana, IA 52203 41.7991978,-91.8690326 ☎ +1 319 622-3599 +1 877 331-0828 Check-in : 3PM / Check-out: 11AM $71–95 The sandstone building was originally built in 1854 as a communal kitchen. It has been remodeled to create five guest rooms and two suites. Next door is a large modern motel building with 26 fairly boring rooms. A solid choice in an excellent location for people who don't plan to spend much time in the hotel

Die Heimat Country Inn 4434 V Street, Homestead, IA 52236 41.7585588,-91.8592753 V Street is the main street in Homestead ☎ +1 319-622-3937 Checkout: 11AM $85–140 This was built in 1856 as a stagecoach stop and railroad inn. 16 rooms. Hot breakfast provided. Ground floor is wheelchair-accessible via the lift at the back door. The Die Heimat Event Center is next door in the historic former Homestead General Store building.

Cope in Amana Colonies

The church that founded the Amana Colonies is still open; it is formally known as the Community of the True Inspiration. The church buildings look very much like regular buildings near the center of a village, although if you look closely, you may notice that the windows are somewhat larger. Services and Sunday School classes are held on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings in one of two locations, in either (German) or English. The services begin with quiet contemplation and a hymn. A portion of an inspired testimony by 18th and 19-century prophets in the Inspirationalist church will be read, followed by prayers, Bible verses – with each lay elder reading a single verse of the passage in turn – a sermon and a Psalm. The service ends with another hymn and a closing prayer. Men and women do not sit together during church services. Women wear plain black caps, shawls and aprons to embody equality and the belief that inward devotion is more important than outward adornment.Hymns and psalms are sung without accompaniment by piano, organ, or other musical instruments.