It’s hard to describe the beauty of the rolling hills covered in hundreds of hues of green that smell of freshly cut grass and sweetcorn here in Iowa.

I wasn’t able to snap photos of every piece of scenery but heading from the freeway the asphalt gives way to limestone concrete that covers dusty yellow byways. It contrasts against the bright blue sky and puffed-up marshmallow clouds. Black and white dairy cows are like polka dots in the grass as silos and apple-red barns break up the smooth, continuous landscape. The horizon isn’t flat with earth mirroring the sky in two lines on top of each other. It rises up and down, leans and curves around overflowing rivers.

This is the Iowa that I have been introduced to through the eyes of my husband, and it’s absolutely beautiful.

Theatre Under the Stars returns to the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park for another season which starts next week.

This year’s performances are Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Singin’ in the Rain which will alternate each night from July 13th & 14th until August 21st.

Theatre Under the Stars has been a mainstay of Vancouver summertime entertainment since 1940 when it was the premiere event at the Malkin Bowl when it first opened up. In the early 1960s production shut down but the TUTS company was revived by enthusiasts in 1969. Things came to a halt once again in 1982 when the Malkin Bowl was ravaged by fire but TUTS soldiered on.

Tickets for this summer’s musical start at $19 which makes this a great date night, family activity, or evening entertainment destination.

For updates this season you can follow TUTS on Facebook or Twitter.

John and I are still over in Iowa, enjoying a quick day trip to Iowa City. We’ve been on the go quite a bit during this trip but it’s all been good times with friends and family. The other day John’s brother’s family took us over to the historic town of Galena, Illinois.

Along the banks of the Galena River, a tributary of the Mississippi, Galena is a tourist destination best-known as the home of Ulysses S. Grant and the DeSoto House where hotel guest Abraham Lincoln spoke from the balcony in 1856.

The main street is lined with pubs, restaurants, confectioneries and shops filled with goods from local artisans. We strolled along until we came to the Galena Cellars Winery where we stopped in for a tasting… or six.

Trolley tours, ghost tours, and trips to Grant’s old house are staples for out-of-town visitors however our shopping, wine tasting, fresh popcorn flavour-sampling, and river-side stroll was plenty to enjoy already.

We’re heading back to John’s hometown today from Iowa City and the sun is shining once more. Time to hit the road and the rolling hills of Grant Wood country on the way home.

Celebrating Parks Month I have a few entries in my Park Series that have been contributed by readers. The first is from Michelle Kent.

Silver Lake Provincial Park in Hope, BC

Getting Here The park is 12 km southwest of Hope in Skagit Valley. From Highway 1 watch for Silver/Skagit Provincial Park. Follow the park signs, the first couple kilometers are on pavement, the rest is on gravel but 4 wheel drive is not needed. Watch for the park signs and turn right and go over the bridge. It is another kilometer to the park.

Some of the many waterfalls alongside the road on the way to Silver Lake:

Features Camping is available from May 1 thru to October 12. Available activities include cycling, fishing, hiking, swimming, boating, picnicking, camping. Amenities include boat launch site, vehicle accessible campsites, campfire fire rings, fresh water hand pumps, picnic areas, pit toilets (wheelchair accessible). Pets must be leashed.

Michelle Kent, a mum to a busy 5 year old who enjoys baking and cooking who also runs a blog. Michelle and her family spend their weekends exploring local parks and beaches.

Many have been looking for places to watch the World Cup in Vancouver but for this Sunday’s match it’s a whole other deal. The finale between Spain and Holland will be a big one this weekend so I turned to the biggest fan of Holland that I could find (Ariane Colenbrander) and have asked her to put together a list of where she recommends cheering on the Oranje.

Photo credit: ariane on Flickr

The following was contributed by Ariane:

As difficult as it is to be so far away from the true action in The Netherlands (my husband’s country and mine through marriage), it’s also been fun to watch it with a mixed crowd of Dutch and worldwide fans here in Vancouver. Joe’s Café on Commercial Drive (and William) has been the mainstay for the past few games. The owners are very friendly and get into the action by cheering both sides on every so often.

As well, The Libra Room (at Commercial and Graveley) took the Brazilian quarter final loss against the Dutch in stride and is fully supporting the orange wave this Sunday.

A Facebook page was created earlier this month in order to bring Dutch soccer fans together to watch the games.

According to the Vancouver Sun, the 700 block of Granville Street hosted the Spain vs. Germany semifinal match and will probably repeat the party on Sunday.

Yelp’s website has a viewing party listing for Rogue’s Kitchen and Wet Bar at Waterfront Station (601 West Cordova).

My best bet is to watch it somewhere on Commercial Drive. The colourful vibe can’t be beat and fans of all nations have been gathering here for days to watch their various teams compete. If you want a seat, make sure you allow plenty of time to arrive before the 11:30 am start. We arrived just past 10:15 for the semifinal and grabbed the last few seats facing the main room’s screen.

You can follow @ariancdesign on Twitter for all of her updates throughout the rest of the World Cup.

Fans of Spain can feel free to list their favourite venue (if not already mentioned) in the comments or I would be happy to accept a guest post as well.