The Eye of the Hawk

The University of Iowa, home of the Iowa Hawkeyes, is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and so naturally, the meandering Iowa River flows through the heart of the  campus.

Iowa City, a thriving town of 62,000, was recently voted the #1 best place to live in the U.S.A.  It presents a combination of styles for the visitor: simple and laid - back, yet vibrant and progressive. Trip Captain recently traveled to Iowa City to observe Hawkeye football up close, as a fan.  The following is what he learned and experienced through the eye of the Hawk.  

At the intersection of 2nd and Hawkins, he found The Vine, a large sports bar with the game on many screens.  The atmosphere was charged in the place, and he could feel the weekend coming as he followed the action on the big screen, above.  Seeking to connect with the local scene, he sounded out the manager and discovered that The Vine is a moderate walk from Kinnick Stadium, and that its large lot is available (at a reasonable fee, of course) for gameday parking ("if you get here early").  Hmmm...

Back in his room, Cap opened his wallet, took out his game ticket, held it under the light and softly repeated the three most beautiful words in the English language, "ticket in hand.” 

TC rolled out refreshed Friday morning, and headed out to get his bearings.  South on 1st St., past the Visitor's Information Center, then left on 2nd St. (U.S. Highway 6) which merges with Riverside, led him to campus.  A right off Riverside onto Melrose took him to the medical complex and Kinnick Stadium, at Melrose and Hawkins, and the University of Iowa Athletic Hall of fame, west of the stadium.

Left off Riverside on Iowa Ave., and he crossed the river (Old Capitol's dome is shining in the distance) to the Iowa Memorial Union, then up the hill to the Pentacrest and downtown.  The Pentacrest is the location of five major campus buildings: MacLean Hall, McBride Hall, Schaeffer Hall, Jessup Hall and Old Capitol. 

Old Capitol's gold dome, with the Stars and Stripes flying from its pinnacle, beams as the epicenter of the campus/downtown area.  Iowa City was established as the state capitol in 1839, and the Old Capitol building was built in 1840, overlooking the Iowa River and housing state offices.  When the state capitol was moved to Des Moines in 1857, Old Capitol became the first building owned by the University. 

As the University has grown to an enrollment of 30,000, Old Capitol has served as home, at various times, for classrooms, offices, the library, chapel, and armory.  Today, it houses offices and remains as the signature landmark on campus.  It's in the process of some internal renovation due to a fire in 2001. 

Old Capitol sits just across the street from the Old Capitol Town Center and downtown, which offers a tree-lined pedestrian mall ("the pad mall") with an abundance of specialty stores, shops, coffee houses, restaurants, bars and live music - a virtual Mecca for students, local residents and die-hards from throughout Big Ten country who descend upon the area for home game fall weekends - to relax, unwind, and gear up for gameday.

First, Cap located the stadium, then headed to the ped mall, where he spent the morning in the shadow of Old Capitol, shopping for Hawkeye apparel and memorabilia.  Toting a bagful of gameday gear and souvenirs, he settled in for a leisurely lasagna lunch at the Brown Bottle, an inviting Italian eatery and pub on Washington St., while scouring newspapers for the latest on Saturday's showdowns across the nation. 

He followed up with a cappuccino at The Java House where he delved into a media guide for a rundown on Iowa Hawkeye football: the history and tradition, the names and the stories behind them, and the sights and sounds of gameday.      

To the motel for a late-afternoon dip in the indoor pool, and TC headed back to the ped mall, for dinner and music at The Siren.  As JR's Rockin' Blues Band wailed from the upper level, Cap savored his grilled salmon and contemplated Saturday.

He wanted to watch ESPN GameDay and some of the early games before heading toward the stadium for the 2:30 kickoff.  But with over 70,000 rabid ticket-holders and an additional 10,000 tailgaters and partiers without tickets in the campus area, parking was at a premium - he needed a plan.  

He could: (1) park in the parking garage next to the Sheraton in the ped mall, downtown, catch the GameDay show in a bar, then walk the 1 1/4 miles to Kinnick, (2) catch Chris, Lee and Kirk at the motel, then plunge into gridlock traffic in search of parking, (3) park at Hancher Auditorium and take the free shuttle, or drive

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