2018 Conference: Plains Safaris
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A Conference on Tourism and Conservation in the Great Plains
Great Plains Symposium: April 18-20 | Kearney, Neb. | Younes Conference Center
For those who have explored it, the Great Plains’ vast grasslands, remarkable wildlife, and endless scenery create a feeling of pure wonder. The Plains are home to fascinating biodiversity and incredible opportunities for adventure while also protecting critically endangered habitats. Its communities have developed rich cultures and traditions over generations. The question remains: how can we preserve this remarkable legacy for future generations?
We believe that responsible nature-based tourism provides one valuable solution to both protect the region’s natural beauty, support landowners, and maintain healthy rural communities. This form of conservation encourages collaboration between businesses, landowners, and local communities toward shared goals. It helps create partnerships among environmentalists, entrepreneurs, and landowners—groups that are often seen as opponents.
These efforts are already happening across the Great Plains as attractions such as the Sandhill crane migration continue gaining popularity and projects like the American Prairie Reserve continue expanding. The Center’s ongoing ecotourism project works to research, promote, and strengthen these efforts.
This conference combines three conferences into one large-scale event. The Nebraska Tourism Commission’s annual Agri/Ecotourism Workshop and the Heartland Byways Annual Conference joined their conferences with this event.
The conference included sessions for business leaders, ranchers, and community organizations while also opening wider discussions about preserving the incredible ecology of the Great Plains. It explored both local and global conservation tourism models, including presentations from southern Africa where tourism has experienced major success in supporting conservation efforts.
For more information about ecotourism check out Visit the Prairie or our ecotourism research page.
Along with an outstanding lineup of speakers, the conference also offered hands-on opportunities to explore and learn about regional ecotourism attractions through optional pre-conference field trips and workshops.
Local flavor in Clear Lake, Iowa
May 21, 2018
Wild Mushroom Toast and Goat Cheese & Mixed Berry Salad, Fieldhouse
As a freelance writer and blogger, I genuinely enjoy attending conferences. Since the nature of my work means I spend most days working alone from home, it’s exciting to find myself surrounded by people who fully understand what I do professionally. Conferences are also a wonderful excuse to visit destinations I may not usually explore — and a couple of weeks ago, that brought me to Clear Lake, Iowa for the 2018 Building Community conference sponsored by Midwest Travel Bloggers.
One drawback of conferences is that attendees often feel disconnected from the actual destination. Sessions usually happen inside beige hotel conference rooms, while meals tend to consist of generic continental breakfasts, bland sandwiches, and trays of pasta and chicken dishes.
However, food was where the Building Community conference truly stood out. Instead of relying on standard catering options, the organizers did an excellent job bringing in meals from several local restaurants. From donuts covered with colorful toppings to memorable farm-to-table dining, here are some of the local flavors I experienced in Clear Lake, Iowa—mostly without even leaving the conference venue.
Brown Eyed Girl Mini Donut, South Shore Donut Co.
The conference started with mini donuts from South Shore Donut Co. They specialize in baked cake donuts topped with creative ingredients such as Fruity Pebbles, Andes mints, and chocolate chip cookies. I tried the Brown Eyed Girl, a chocolate donut featuring caramel buttercream, brownie chunks, caramel drizzle, and sea salt.
Lunch from Pig Skin Barbecue Catering included pulled pork, smoked turkey breast, broccoli salad, and some excellent mac and cheese.
One of the best things I enjoyed eating in Clear Lake was a snack box from Simply Nourished, a local organic specialty food market. Filled with organic fruit, carrot sticks and sundried tomato hummus, gluten-free crackers, and a blend of nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate, it offered the perfect energy boost. Since many conference meals focused heavily on meat, I especially appreciated that this option was vegan.
Snack box, Simply Nourished
I used a break before dinner to visit Simply Nourished in person. The store offers a solid selection of packaged foods, along with meat, dairy, gluten-free bread, and fresh produce. Many items are sourced locally or from nearby states, as displayed on the chalkboard map near the front entrance.
Backyard Deli served a classic Midwestern dinner buffet featuring meatballs, ham balls (an Iowa specialty prepared with ground ham and graham cracker crumbs), tossed salad, green beans with bacon, cheesy potatoes, and a cheesecake bar.
As someone from Minnesota, I had never realized that breakfast pizza from Casey’s General Store was such a big Iowa culinary tradition. Their pizzas are made fresh from scratch and topped with cheese sauce, scrambled eggs, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, plus bacon or breakfast sausage.
Garden Veggie Spinach Wrap box lunch, Starboard Market
Starboard Market provided boxed lunches that completely outshined the typical sandwich, chips, and cookie combination. Lunch included a sandwich or wrap, cup of soup, crackers, a small serving of pasta salad, pickle, and cookie.
I selected the vegetarian option, a flavorful garden veggie spinach wrap loaded with fresh vegetables, sprouts, and Dijon mustard. The cheesy cornbread soup, olive-packed pasta salad, and snickerdoodle cookie were also fantastic. For a full review of Starboard Market, check out this post on Postcard Jar.
Cookies Etc. supplied a delicious afternoon snack selection featuring generously-sized chocolate chip, sugar, oatmeal raisin, pecan chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip, and monster cookies. I had to sample two favorites: a rich brownie-style chocolate chocolate chip cookie and a monster cookie with the perfect balance of salty peanut butter and sweet M&Ms and chocolate chips.
For our final dinner in Clear Lake, we headed into town. I ate at Fieldhouse (closed as of November 2018), a farm-to-table restaurant known for its seasonal menu and craft cocktail program set inside elegant minimalist surroundings. There was a creative variety of vegetarian small plates and salads available. I ordered the wild mushroom toast and the half portion of the goat cheese and mixed berry salad.
The mushroom toast was incredible: thick slices of chewy housemade sourdough topped with a mixture of wild mushrooms slowly cooked in cream. Cashews and radish shoots added a satisfying crunch. The salad offered the same careful balance of flavors, featuring fresh goat cheese and a bright balsamic thyme vinaigrette.
MIDWEST TRAVEL CHAT
Sara is the co-founder of the Midwest Travel Chat. You can join Twitter on the first and third Wednesday of each month to learn about a Midwest destination from 11 am- Noon (CST) while using the hashtag #MWTravel.
If you would like your destination to be featured, you can send an email to socialmediasara@yahoo.com.
To discover more about the Midwest and connect with travel bloggers who live throughout the Midwest, visit Midwesttravelbloggers.
Tasty Pizza In Charles City, Iowa On The Cedar River At Cedar River Pizza Co.
There’s definitely something special about enjoying a hot, freshly made pizza in Charles City, Iowa. Cedar River Pizza Co. is a family-owned restaurant located in America’s Hometown. Add a few friends to the experience and pizza becomes even better.
Pizza Toppings For Your Liking
Pizza toppings customized to your taste are exactly what you’ll get! How does this sound for a fresh and delicious pizza?
Some of the freshest ingredients available include:
- Anchovies
- Sauerkraut
- Tomato
- Baby Bellas
- Kalamata Olives
- Artichokes
- Pepperoncini
- Spinach
- Seasonal Items
If you prefer a more traditional pizza like a meat lovers option, check out this loaded creation.
Meatlovers Pizza In Charles City, Iowa For The Win
And if you’re still wondering, here are even more toppings available when ordering from Cedar River Pizza Co.
- Hamburger
- Italian Sausage
- Pepperoni
- Canadian Bacon
- Black Olives
- Green Olives
- Onions
- Mushroom
- Pineapple
Top Notch Customer Service While Indulging On Pizza In Charles City, Iowa
One thing I appreciate most about Cedar River Pizza Co. is how helpful and welcoming the owners are.
If you’re craving a specific style of pizza, Joel and his team will do everything they can to make it happen. Joel and his wife truly want customers to enjoy their pizza experience no matter where they choose to eat it. Currently, customers need to call ahead and place orders for takeout. Stay tuned though, because they are renovating the back section of the restaurant to create an amazing seating area. After touring the space myself, I can confidently say it will perfectly match the experience of enjoying a slice of their delicious pizza.
This isn’t deep-dish pizza—it’s a flavorful thin crust that’s easy to enjoy. Nothing is frozen; everything is freshly prepared right inside the kitchen at Cedar River Pizza Co.
Call 641-228-3590 and place your order. Pick it up at 105 North Main Street in Charles City and enjoy it wherever you like.
On a beautiful day, grab your pizza and dine beside the Cedar River. The river is located just steps away from their kitchen.
If you are staying at Red Cedar Lodge, take your pizza back to the cabin, relax on the deck, and enjoy the scenery.
Be sure to follow Cedar River Pizza Co on Facebook, as most of their marketing happens through social media. They even host contests where customers vote for the pizza of the month.
Based on the feedback given to Lisa and her partners, the conference was a major success. For Clear Lake, it was expected to bring in an estimated $27,000 over the three days. For bloggers and destinations, they’re ready for the next one. The Midwest Travel Bloggers are already in discussion for the 2019 location and will be announced by June 1, 2018.
To follow Midwest Travel Bloggers, please visit their website at www.midwesttravelbloggers.com.
Follow Cedar River Pizza Co. on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/cedarriverpizzaco
Cedar River Pizza Co. Website: http://www.cedarriverpizzaco.co
