If you’ve heard of Iowa’s Amana Colonies, you’ve probably always wanted to go. However, you've probably noticed it’s a bit out in the boonies. Its location, more than 20 miles from either Cedar Rapids or Iowa City, means it's a genuine rural paradise, and that’s precisely what makes it so great.
I grew up nearby and can attest that the Amana Colonies are one of the best day trip destinations in the state. Of course, it’s always great to stay for the weekend and spread the local love, but if you can’t manage to fit that in, please delight in a day trip instead.
From the moment you arrive in the Amana Colonies, you’ll be taken by the overwhelming desire to slow down. It’s the culture here to wander aimlessly and land wherever the trail—or sidewalk—takes you. One of my favorite ways to take advantage of this vibe is to show up without a plan and let a handful of shops lure me in.
Looking back on several decades of afternoons spent in the Amana Colonies, there’s no doubt a rhythm that guides me through town now. It always starts at the Amana Colonies Bakery and Coffee Cafe. A walk through Main Amana simply is not complete without a frothy coffee in one hand and a buttery pastry in the other. I can’t resist the traditional European treats like Bavarian cream puffs and apple strudel, plus a loaf of fresh-baked pumpernickel rye to take home.
Effectively armed with a hearty dose of nostalgia (my own Oma was once a baker in the Amana Colonies), I trot on over to a newish shop in town—newish, as in it wasn’t here when I was a kid. That, however, was a long time ago, and The Noble Stone has indeed been here well over a decade. It etched itself onto my must-visit list via my own kids, now the fourth generation of my family making tracks here.
The Noble Stone is a charming shop stuffed from ceiling to floor with rocks, gemstones, crystals, geodes, and fossils. My kids inherit their love of rocks from me, and I get it from my dad, who was raised in the Amana Colonies. We all love to hear his stories and hold his artifacts, of the geodes and fossils he collected in the area throughout his youth. The Noble Stone is a testament to all of that, a charming link between the present and the past.
Regardless of the many other shops we may wander in and out of, like the Midwest Leather and Fudge Factory (my husband’s clear favorite), the Little Red Wagon (a toy store), or The Painted Cupboard (an antique shop), I always save my favorite shop for last. Nothing leaves a lasting impression like the International Christmas Market. You'll find it attached to the Amana General Store, but it's more than just a seasonal display. It's a smorgasbord of holiday delight.
The International Christmas Market is the sparkliest, cheeriest slice of holiday happiness you could ever imagine. It’s open and staged just like Christmas morning every single day of the year. We love to look at the wooden nutcrackers, glistening snow globes, and of course, the rainbow of Christmas trees.
The Amana Colonies are home dozens of independent, artisanal shops dotted across seven charming colonies. The three I've mentioned—The Amana Colonies Bakery, Noble Stone, and the International Christmas Market—are merely an introduction. There isn’t a single shop that should be skipped; each one is as wonderful and unique as the last. My truest recommendation is to return over and over again until you’ve seen them all.
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