Weekend Plans
Gallivanting with the Girls
(a girlfriend’s weekend experience)
Whether you are a Diva or like to get Down and Dirty, however you and your friends like to define your fun, Cedar Rapids is the perfect place to connect and cut-loose with your girlfriends. You pick the date, you pick the friends.
Divas - You like the bright lights, big city vibe and all it has to offer. Your agenda: shop till you drop, wine and dine, primp and pamper.
Friday – Begin your weekend by uncorking the laughs and the memories at Cedar Ridge Vineyard. It is just a quick 10 minute drive from Cedar Rapids to the beauty of this vineyard tucked into the rolling hills of the Iowa countryside. Enjoy wine & spirits tastings, tours, musical entertainment, and brick oven pizza or prime rib that will have your taste buds singing. Open year round with beautiful views in every season.
You are now ready for a night on the town…Continue the fun by taking in a “Broadway” quality theater experience in downtown Cedar Rapids at Theatre Cedar Rapids. Red Barons Bar, with its lively European atmosphere in Czech Village, provides the perfect nightcap on your evening’s entertainment.
Retire for the night in one of Cedar Rapids’ newest, swank hotels, the Homewood Suites. Enjoy suites with that home away from home feeling, including kitchenettes, and cozy sitting areas. Surroundings perfect for reliving slumber parties of yesteryear.
Saturday - Kick off the fuzzy slippers and head out for a day of endless possibilities. Shopping is on every "Diva’s Do list" and Cedar Rapids and surrounding areas provide a shop till you drop experience. Begin with breakfast at Farmer's Daughter's Market with homemade cinnamon rolls and quiche, this unique shopping experience will fuel your appetite. Continue on in in Cedar Rapids to Brambles, Basket Bowtique, Kathy’s Pies, Maya’s Contemporary Clothing, Cutting Gardens gift shop at Brucemore Mansion, Lindale Mall, and Splurge Boutique for stylish and
unique finds. Next stop, the quaint shops of downtown Marion including The Chocolate Shop, Campbell Steele Gallery, and Intelligent Life Toys. Need a break? Witte's End Coffeehouse will beckon you when it is time for the perfect mid-morning refueling break. Homemade scones and pastries are baked fresh daily and there are many cozy rooms to sit back and take a load off.
Take a short drive thru the Iowa countryside and land in Mt. Vernon. Here you can shop specialty stores like The Silver Spider, Czech Feather & Down, and endless antique stores that offer one- of- a -kind finds, making this historic town a shoppers haven. When it's time for lunch, you will find a variety of friendly and delicious lunching options.
Next on the "Diva do" list, time to rejuvenate. Head off to one of the many spa experiences that can be found in the area.
All dolled up with lots of places to go? Why not dine your way thru the city, progressive dinner style. Many dining and entertainment options await. How about drinks and appetizers at Biaggis, then to Cibo Fusion for your main course, and for dessert....those mouth watering pies you purchased at Kathy’s Pies and have waited all day to eat.
Sunday – as you wrap up the weekend, wrap up the memories. Brunch at Zins restaurant in downtown Cedar Rapids will bookend your weekend of fun and frivolity. Top off your visit with one final, purely Cedar Rapids experience, with a visit to the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and a tour of the Grant Wood Studio where the 2nd most recognizable painting in the world, American Gothic, was painted.
Get Down & Dirty – so you’re the group voted “most likely to play in the mud”. You are rough and tumble and ready for the outdoors.
Friday – The Ceramic Center is the perfect place to kickoff the weekend. Bring your wine and your stories and spin the tales
Saturday – Grab your canoes, rafts, whatever “floats your boat”, or is that “whatever boat floats” spend the day with a relaxing
float down the river, hiking on the trails, or disc golf. Maybe you prefer to spend your day on the links. Cedar Rapids has many options for the golf enthusiasts.
Enough of the camping already? Feeling lucky? Move on down to Riverside Casino and Golf Resort. Offering a variety of headlining entertainment options, diverse dining options, and a great place to rest your head, you can trust that what happens at Riverside, stays at Riverside.
Sunday - Top of the weekend with a trip to the vineyard. Brunch at the Cedar Ridge Vineyard will provide the perfect pace and ambiance for this weekend of rugged good times.