Did You Know Vinton Was Cool? No, I’m Serious.
By Ben Hyland, Vinton Unlimited Intern
As the summer gets shorter and the moans of high schoolers returning to school get louder, my time at Vinton Unlimited has come to a close. I’ve really enjoyed working with the merchants and businesses of Vinton this summer, and I encourage everyone to check out all that Vinton Unlimited does for the community.
What has struck me the most about interning at Vinton Unlimited this summer has been learning about all of the interesting and fascinating people, places, and things Vinton has to offer. These past few months I’ve experienced things I never knew existed, or were even possible in Vinton, even though I’ve lived here for over 19 years.
For instance, did you know that the Benton County Courthouse was in a movie with John Travolta? Or that Vinton used to be the Corn Canning Capital of the World? Or that one can buy dinosaur poop necklaces and go skydiving in the same day? I know I didn’t.
When digging a little deeper, I’ve found that Vinton is, dare I say it… cool. Don’t take my word for it though.
Recently a group of more than 50 Iowans came to Vinton on a “Mystery Tour.” This tour was just one of many that have occurred this year, as people begin to hear about all what Vinton has to offer. I had the opportunity to tag along with the group, and was amazed at the experience.
Now I know what some may be thinking; what is there to do in Vinton? What mystery does Vinton hold? I’ll admit, a few months ago I would have been asking the same questions, but sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see the whole picture, and that’s just what I got with the tour.
Our first stop on the tour was at the Braille School. There, we received a presentation from an alumnus of the school, and were given the opportunity to tour the underground tunnels. From the Braille School, we made our way to the Country Club, the Vinton Train Depot, the downtown shopping district, and Sunrise Suris Alpaca Ranch.
Did you know Vinton had an alpaca farm? Or that alpacas were incredible? After discovering them with this group I’d recommend these animals to anyone!
The people on the tour loved driving into town and seeing our courthouse poking through the treetops. On countless occasions, the bus driver was forced to stop in the road so the group could take pictures of Brian Parr’s carvings, or of the Victorian houses that dot Vinton, or the Walldog murals that line the downtown.
I wish I had quotes from these tourists, because the fantastic comments they had about Vinton would fill the rest of this article, as well as the remaining pages of this newspaper. They were intrigued with everything there was to do and see in Vinton, and for the first time in my years in the town, I was too.
The truth is, Vinton has more to offer than most realize, and many of us take our town for granted. As I pack my bags for Iowa City this fall I’d like to encourage anyone and everyone to check out Vinton not as a resident, but as a tourist, so they too can experience our town like I did this summer, and find out what makes Vinton so cool.