Ready to Enjoy Architecture, Camping, and Year-Round Fishing in Pella, IA?
This is a writing sample from Scripted writer Lex Adam
Just over ten miles from Lake Red Rock, Iowa's largest seventeen thousand-acre man-made water reservoir, is Pella; the small picturesque city came into existence in the mid-nineteenth century when eight-hundred Dutch immigrants came here in pursuit of the American dream from the Netherlands and settled in the area.
Today, notably one of the tidiest cities in the state, Pella is a haven for travelers with its various tourist attractions, recreational activities, a wide range of accommodation choices in luxury hotels, bed & breakfast inns and highly affordable homestays.
Also known as the Garden City, Pella is most famous for the annual spring Tulip Festival that takes place every year around the month of May, and, is attended by close to two hundred thousand people, who gather not only to witness the magnificent sight of the Dutch parades, but to celebrate the beauty of bloomed Tulips.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Pella, IA?
If getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city life after a tiring work week to relax in the lap of nature while fishing is your plan, anytime throughout the year would do. However, if it's a proper family vacation that you have in mind, then from middle of April to end of June and start of August to end of October is when this exquisite city has ideal weather conditions, and the best of Campsites operational around Lake Red Rock.
Most campgrounds are open from April to October, but the most prominent ones such as the Elk Rock State Park and Howell Station are open year-round and so are other recreational activities such as biking, hiking, and boating. Another thing that draws nature enthusiast to Pella is bird watching. If immigrating birds is what you are specifically interested in, May to October would be the ideal time to visit the Gladys Black Eagle Refuge and other bird watching areas around the Lake Red Rock such as Wallashuck, Ivan's and North Overlook Campground.
Since the town is growing in popularity with tourists who like 'off the beaten path' destinations, it is advisable to plan your trip in March or July as each passing year the hotels in Pella are getting busier than the last year. It is not only pocket-friendly to plan your trip in advance and book Hotels of your choice early, but also saves you from the last-minute hassles and leftover choices that more than often spoil the flavor of your otherwise wonderful holiday experience.
What Are the Top Hotels in Pella, IA?
If you are looking for top hotels to stay in Pella, there may not be many choices, however, it does not mean you will not receive the level of service usually expected in big cities and more popular tourist spots.
Large Rooms, easy access, superb service and best of amenities make the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson one of the top Hotel choices in Pella. An indoor pool, spa & sauna, unlimited Wi-Fi access across the premises and complimentary buffet breakfast is sure to add some leisure to your vacation. Flat-screen TVs, Hair Dryers, and Ironing board with Iron are also made available in every room. Lake Red Rock is at a ten-minute drive from here and it takes only five minutes to get to the Vermeer Mill and downtown Pella.
If you want to enjoy the lush green setting of a Golf Course, Holiday Inn Express, situated on the Bos Landen Golf club is another one of the top Hotels in Pella. Only about two-and-a-half miles away from the Lake Red Rock, Holiday Inn offers top-notch amenities including a fitness center, a twenty-four-hour business center, free onsite self-parking area, and complementary internet access. The Holiday Inn Express also has adjoining rooms that can be availed by informing the concierge in advance.
What Are the Budget Hotels in Pella, IA?
If pocket friendliness is on top of your mind while searching for a Hotel in Pella, Super8 by Wyndham is one of the best options. Be it the location, AAA discounts, or the bunch of amenities they offer, Super 8 by Wyndham would be a fantastic choice. Free parking with electrical outlets available here is a plus if you are driving an electric vehicle.
If you are looking for a budget hotel for group bookings in Pella, another hotel by Wyndham by the name Americinn would be an ideal choice. Closer to the Pella Central College, this budget hotel offers the best of rates for group bookings and amenities such as Barbeque, make your own breakfast options, early check-in and check-out options, free parking and internet and an onsite hot tub for you to relax after a long day.
Where to Find the Best Discounts in Pella, IA?
As the saying goes 'Money Saved is Money Earned' a time proven strategy followed by many cultures across the planet. If you are looking to save on your accommodation bill while you stay in Pella, Baymont by Wyndham offers some of the best discounts. This wonderful property with Indoor fitness facility, swimming pool and of course free breakfast and Wi-Fi, is located just a mile away from the downtown Pella, offers ten percent off to AARP members and fifteen percent to active as well as retired Military professionals.
You can also get a minimum of fifteen percent discount if you book and pay in advance at least a week before your check-in date. If you are a member of Auto Club, you can save a minimum of ten percent over and above the best rate. For government officials, corporate travelers and senior citizens, there are special rates and savings available.
What Are the Best Value Options Available in Pella, IA?
There are quite a few best value options available to you as a tourist in & around Pella. First in the list has to be Econo Lodge Inn & Suites, which is located a little farther, about twenty miles from Pella, but offers excellent, spacious rooms with free breakfast, Wi-Fi and laundry service.
Every room at the pet-friendly Econo Lodge Inn & Suites comes with a coffeemaker, iron board & iron, hair dryer, and a flat-screen Television. You also get a gift cards of the Choice Privileges Rewards Program.
America's Best Value Inn, which is about sixteen miles from the central town of Pella is also a very good value option with affordable rates and delicious continental breakfast. All rooms here come with quite a bunch of amenities including microwave & refrigerator, free local phone calls, free cable TV, round the clock high-speed internet connectivity and free parking for cars and RVs.
What Are the Prominent Places to Visit in Pella, IA?
If there was a list of heritage places to visit, The Pella Historical Village would surely make it to top five. A must-visit simply to enjoy not only the visual appeal it has, but many people who have visited have mused that they were able to see the step by step evolution of the city through the twenty-two period buildings and the famous Vermeer Mill, which is the tallest operational grain Windmill in the country. Take the self-guided tour of the Historical Village and don't forget to check out the miniature village room, especially if you are with children, you will cherish the happy memories you create for years to come.
The Klokkenspel and the Molengracht Plaza should be the next two places to visit on your list, and a tour of these will be well worth the time as you would surely feel as if you have been transported to the Netherlands itself and you will see why Pella is called America's Dutch Treasure. Mechanical figurines dressed in Dutch attire and a hundred and forty-seven bell chimes going off together makes Klokkenspel an unforgettable experience and a stroll around the waterway in the Molengracht Plaza will leave you refreshed.
If you are visiting Pella during the Tulip festival, you have to take the city tour on the open-air wagon. This tour would take only forty-five minutes, and will take you through the Tulip gardens and all the historical landmarks of this Dutch cultured city.
Out of the many picturesque parks that Pella has (it surely has a lot of them), Sunken Gardens is definitely worth a mention for its sheer landscaping beauty, tulip beds, nineteenth-century benches, a decorative windmill and a sunken shoe shaped pond.
To those who are avid outdoors men and women, the city of Pella has a lot to offer. Pella hosts a bunch of activities throughout the year within the city as well as around the lake and offers hundreds of beautiful campsites, gardens, biking, and hiking trails, fishing, boating, bird watching, and seasonal hunting as well.
Whether you are a biking enthusiast or an outdoor camper by heart, crazy about fishing, or a die-hard chocolate lover, Pella definitely has a lot more to offer than just recreational fun, breath-taking greenery, Tulips and Dutch chocolates. Even if you visit Pella just for recreational fun, don't forget to dive into the historical legacy that the city carries from over hundred and fifty years and the cultural warmth that you would inevitably feel when walking through the city and interacting with the locals.
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