Iowa--Shaking It Up To Attract Visitors

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

16 Oct 2007 11:00 PM

I have traveled to and through Iowa many, many times. Some of the trips were work related while others were to attend family functions. But, in general, none of them were to visit a major tourist attraction. They exist... in certain parts of the state. However, in central Iowa I would image visitor bureaus may have a tougher time trying to lure in travelers. Not because the area doesn't have its own charm; it's just that it lacks the usual attractions that normally draw visitors, such as world-class shopping, majestic mountain ranges, lakes or caves.

In Traer, Iowa, city leaders willing admit that the area doesn't feature many natural attributes that typically draw in big crowds, but that fact has only driven them to get creative. Recently, the City Council approved $12,500 in local option sales tax money to buy a collection of more than 14,400 pairs of salt and pepper shakers assembled by a local woman.

How's that for creative?

The idea is to start a museum for salt and pepper shakers and market it as a viable destination for travelers criss-crossing the nation in search of kitschy content.

It may sound bizarre, but the salt and pepper shaker collection is nothing to sneeze at. According to city leaders, the collection is reportedly the second largest in the world. (At one point, the Guinness Book of World Records certified the collection as the largest, but the record was later broken.)

The 84-year-old woman who owned the collection reportedly started hoarding the shakers back in 1949 -- her first two were picked up at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. Over the decades the collection grew and now includes shakers from around the country and the world. One pair is a gift from a soldier who picked them up while serving in Iraq.

Members of the city council hope the unique collection will be enough to divert motorists off U.S. Highway 63. Goodness knows people have traveled to Iowa for less.

Would you drive to Iowa to view the collection of salt and pepper shakers?

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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