10 Things For Families To Do In Dubuque, Iowa

Thanks to Dubuque CVB for hosting me in their town.

I have shared about where to stay and where to eat in Dubuque, Iowa and now I’m sharing about what there is for families to do in Dubuque.

1. Splash around in the indoor water park at Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark. Whether your little ones like the splash pad area, the water slides, or the big bucket that dumps water on them, they’ll have a great time at this waterpark.

2. Steer a boat at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Kids will enjoy pretending to be a boat captain as they steer their boat around a little pool.

3. Take a ride on the Fenelon Place Elevator. Get a bird’s eye view of downtown Dubuque and the Mississippi River from the top of the hill and enjoy the ride as you go up and down on the world’s shortest, steepest elevator ride.

4. Visit the Dinosaur exhibit, Dinosaurs Unearthed, at National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium (now through 10/10/16). Dinosaur loving kids will get a kick out of seeing life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, along with fossil and skeleton specimens.

5. Have lunch by the water and watch boats go by. There are a number of restaurants that are near the water but my favorite was The Yardarm.

6. Families with children 10 years and older can go ziplining at Sky Tours Zip Line. Experience all 9 ziplines on a 2-hour guided tour of historic Union Park. Learn all about it in this video from Angie’s Lens.

7. Take a tour of the William M. Black, an old Mississippi River dredging boat. Explore where the crew worked, slept, ate and lived and imagine with your children what life must have been like for that crew. This boat is part of The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium and is located outside nearby. The tour admission is included in your ticket price.

8. Walk around downtown Dubuque, where there are a number of stores, and the Port area which features a riverwalk. It’s the perfect way to spend a sunny, warm day.

9. Visit The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Look at the animals, get up close to animals in the “touch tank”, learn about the river and more!

10. Not in the city, but nearby, baseball fans and movie buffs will love visiting the baseball field where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed. Families can even play baseball on the field!

Have anything to add? If so, I’d love to hear about what you enjoy doing in Dubuque so I can add it to my list of things to do next time I’m in town.

Best Places To Eat In Dubuque, Iowa

I love finding unique places to eat while I travel, whether it’s a mom & pop restaurant or a place with a great view. Recently I was in Dubuque, Iowa and I wanted to share five places I enjoyed eating at and would recommend for visitors to try. Some of these restaurants offered us a free meal which I really appreciate.

Breakfast

 

Sunshine Cafe – We ate at Sunshine Cafe our first morning in town and I thought it was an all around great place to eat. I was in the mood for french toast and bacon so that’s what I had. The food was good, the prices were cheap and the service was fast.

Lunch

Dubuque Marina & YardarmI was looking for a restaurant that offered outdoor dining by the water and came across this one. It had just reopened and had all new decor. I loved sitting by the river and the surf vibe the restaurant had. The food and drinks were good as well. I ordered a wrap which came with homemade chips.

Cremer’sWe were told this is a must try when visiting Dubuque. Cremer’s Turkey ‘N Dressing sandwiches are basically Thanksgiving in your mouth, with a mixture of stuffing and turkey on a bun. If you are looking for a quick lunch, this would be it. Located inside a small family owned grocery store (known for their butcher department), this specialty is sold in to-go containers found in refrigerated cases. They give directions for reheating it in the microwave and then it’s ready to eat. I wasn’t sure how I would like these sandwiches because I tend to be really picky about sandwiches but it was delicious and reminiscent of my leftover turkey sandwiches I enjoy around the holidays.

Dinner

Tony Roma’s– Located in our hotel, Tony Roma’s was the easy choice for dinner our first evening in town. They have a large dining room but also a patio so you can eat outside. There was a good variety of items to choose from on the menu and I wasn’t that hungry so I just got sweet potato fries (that had maple syrup on them) and a side Caesar salad. I had never had maple syrup on my sweet potato fries before but it was a unique flavor I enjoyed. The flatbread that one of the bloggers I was dining with looked delicious as well!

River Rock Kitchen & Tap – So. Much. Food. You’ll want to make sure your stomach has plenty of room in it when you eat here! Our table ordered a bunch of things to share because everything on the menu looked so good.

We tried the crab cakes and guacomole for appetizers. The guacamole is made fresh tableside and customized so you can let them know if you like it chunky or creamy.Before our meal came with tried the corn chowder which was delicious. For the meal we ordered steak and a pork chop along with four sides that we shared.

I couldn’t pass up dessert here. They had a selection of desserts that change daily and I chose the caramel apple tart along with Bailey’s Iced Coffee.

Know any other places in Dubuque that I should try? I’d love for you to leave a comment below so I know where to go next time!

Waterfront Views At Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark In Dubuque

Disclosure: I received a complimentary stay but all opinions are my own.

Every time I wake up in a hotel room with a waterfront view I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming. I recently stayed at the Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark in Dubuque, Iowa and loved waking up to the Mississippi river outside my window.

In addition to having a wonderful view, my room was spacious and comfortable. I liked that the room had a desk so I could get some work done. It also had a mini-fridge and microwave so I could bring back my dinner leftovers which was nice because I always order more than I can eat and I hate throwing the food away because I’m traveling and have no way of reheating them.

Probably the best feature for families is that Grand Harbor Resort has an indoor water park. Grand Harbor Resort’s water park offers 25,000 square feet of wet fun for the entire family. Their water park has waterslides, tube rides, rope ladders, waterspouts, water chutes, squirt guns, and water cannons, as well as a lazy river, activity pools, and two giant hot tub whirlpools. There was also plenty of seating around the water park which I appreciated.

Near the water park they have a game room with video and arcade games. For those that like to workout on vacation (I’ve heard some people do this lol) the resort has a fitness center as well. If you are just looking to relax in your room, Grand Harbor has free wifi and large flat screen televisions.

After a day full of all that fun you don’t have to walk very far to dinner because there is a Tony Roma’s restaurant in the resort. I loved sitting outside on the patio and they have a great variety of food for every meal.

To learn more about Grand Harbor Resort & Waterpark you can visit them online here. Stay tuned to learn what other fun things Dubuque, Iowa has for families.