etlagJTRI-QUARTERLY

US $4.99CAN $5.99

Iowa’s Hidden SecretsOur Midwest has always been a safe haven for gorgeous landscapes and bountiful harvests. This month, we explore these secrets and more!

1

5

7

Tableof

Contents

2

Page 4

Page 5

Page 7

Page 15

Letter from the Editor

Walt Disney World: Swamp to Kingdom

Greetings from . . . Puerto Rico!

Cornfields and Cityscapes: The Beauty in Iowa

15

3

Photo courtesy R. K

nipp

LetterEditor

from the

Travel is a multi-million dol-lar business. From weekend trips to the in-laws in upstate

Montana to month-long excursions to Panama on a second honeymoon, Americans are obsessed with chang-ing their scenary on a regular basis. Is this an echo of our rich and sto-ried history, a tale that tells a story of an ever-changing, ever-evolving state of being and what it means to be ‘American’? Or does this fixation stem from our cultural desire to conquer the world? In the same vein as Alan Shepard, decorated astronaut and the first American to escape the gravi-ational pull that binds us to Mother Earth, and Amelia Earhart, innova-tor in flight and women’s rights, are we searching for the next big fron-tier on our parents’ farms and tropi-cal paradises? While there is no solid answer to this question that probes the human psyche, exploration of our world will forever remain an import-ant right of passage for many humans and many Americans.

In this issue, we explore the gor-geous heartland that is central Iowa. From rolling hills to flat praries, Io-wans have enjoyed the secret and rich landscape they inhabit. I grew up in Iowa for much of my life, and have only recently returned to my home with Jetlag Tri-Quarterly. Our mis-

4

sion has always been to explore the nation, ney, world around us, and to bring it to the homes of Americans who also have the same focus: explo-ration.

This tri-quarter, we also explore a beautiful photo essay that aims a wide eye at all things winter, a season that gripped the United States espe-cially tight this year.

One of our senior editors, Carl Fredrickson, also brings us a time-line of the Walt Disney World Resort, from inception to 40th Anniversary and beyond. The Happiest Place on Earth has never been explored in such historical depth as it has by us here at Jetlag.

Thank you for choosing us, and, as always, safe travels.

Austin J VincentEditor-in-Chief

5

July 17, 1955: Disneyland opens

in California 1960s

1970s

1980s

November 1963:Walt Disney flys over Orlando, scouts multiple locations for

new theme park

December 15, 1966: Walt Disney dies of

lung cancer

October 1, 1971:Roy Disney opens Magic Kingdom

March 22, 1975:Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village is founded, later

renamed Downtown Disney

June 20, 1976:River Country opens, Walt Disney World’s first water

park, closes in November 2001

October 1, 1982: EPCOT Center, renamed Epcot,

opens

Who was Walt Disney?Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, IL in

1901. His parents were both hard-working individuals, instilling in their son a sense of accomplishment from putting everything he had into projects he believed in. Growing up in small town Marceline, MO made Walt a humble man. Walt and his older brother, Roy, moved to California as young adults to begin a career in film, making now-famous cartoons starring original characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Having earned success in cinema, Roy, the ever-present financial-

ly-minded of the two, urged Walt to diversify his holdings. Walt Disney Studios quickly began to pro-duce television work, documentary films, consumer products, and theme parks. Over the course of his career, Walt personally won a record number of Academy Awards, was the inaugural recipient of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and innovated the way all films are made today: from simple, cel-animated films like Fox & the Hound to elaborate, computer-generated infused blockbusters like Transformers. Walt passed away at the age of 65 of lung cancer, following years of habitual smoking. His absence was felt by filmmakers the world over. Roy Disney came out of retirement to complete Walt’s ‘Florida Project’, what would be come Walt Disney World, named for the man that started it all.

“

“

You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.

-Walt Disney

6

Walt Disney World:Swamp to Kingdom

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

May 1, 1989:Disney-MGM

Studios opens, later renamed

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

July 15, 1995: Disney’s Wedding

Pavilion opens

April 22, 1998: Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens

Early 2000’s:Multiple resorts open, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Fiscal Year 2006: Meg Crofton named

President of Walt Disney World

March 12, 2012:New Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom’s largest expansion,

opens

Walt Disney’s vision has always been the same: to provide a place where kids can live out their fantasies, and their parents can have a little bit of fun, too. He began this vision by creating the world’s most reconizable

cartoon character: Mickey Mouse. He continued this by envisioning a plaec where these fantasies can be lived out: Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Ironical-ly, it would be Disneyland’s successor, Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Flori-da, that became known as Walt’s crowning jewel of achievement in the theme park industry.

The history of the Walt Disney World Resort begins in November 1963, when Walt, along with his brother Roy, scouted locations for their new park to be placed. They soon settled on central Florida, known for its typical sunny skys, clear weath-

er, and access to major interstates and routes of travel. The rest, they say, is history.

Today, the Walt Disney World Resort has be-come known internationally as the busiest theme park

destination in the world, leaving competitors like Universal Studios Orlando and SeaWorld San Antonio in the dust.

A Timeline by Austin J Vincent, JetLag’s Editor-in-Chief

7

Greetings from. . .

8

Puerto Rico

What some consider to be the United State’s ‘fifty-first state’ is also a gorgeous, warm, and cheap getaway. With flights at an all-time low, this former Spanish colony is calling your name for a weekend getaway!

9

(previous page) Old San Juan, a former Spanish fort turned tourist attraction. (above) Town Square in Dorado, PR. Dorado is home to many deluxe resorts. (below) Condado Beach, miles of coastline in Sam Juan, the capitol of Puerto Rico. (right) El Yunque National Park, open to the public and free of charge seven days a week.

10

11

12

Luquillo Beach, located on the northeast corner of the island. The city of 20,000 residents is welcoming and known for their hospitality to tourists.

13

(background) Puerto Rico offers many activi-ties to travelers, including zipline adventures. (top left) El Yunque overlooks the city of San Juan. (middle left) The town of Old San Juan has many colorful streets to roam, dotted with shops full of trinkets and authentic food. (bot-tom left) While typically sunny, Puerto Rico is also prone to drop-of-the-hat rainstorms. Plan accordingly! (below) Bahina Salinas Resort & Spa has many beach-side pools, lending to the air of luxury found in many resorts along the island.

14

15

16

IOWA:Corn Fields &

Cityscapes

Iowa is home to a little over 3 million residents. Many of these residents are second-,

third-, or many multiple genera-tion Iowans. What makes Iowans stick around in this relatively small state, ranked 26th largest com-pared to the rest of the nation? If the accompanying photos can at-test to anything, it is the beautiful, rolling hills and rich farmland that keeps Iowans rooted at home.

Feeding the Nation

Iowa’s farmlands are known far and wide as the location nec-essary for much of our self-sus-tainability as Americans. Iowa, affectionately known as the crown jewel of the ‘corn belt’, produces 19% of America’s corn, 17% of our soybeans, and 30% of the nation’s hogs. None of this could be possi-ble without the rich soil this state is sitting on. The Native Ameri-cans that lived here before formal settling knew the gift they had been given, and used it incredibly effectively. They farmed corn and soybeans, much like their Cauca-sian followers.

A Rich Soil, A Rich History

The first known Europeans to explore Iowa were Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet, documenting the Native Ameri-can tribes local to the area around the Mississippi River that borders Iowa’s eastern coast. Some of the tribes they discovered were of Il-liniwek, Omaha, and Sauk descent.

The area of Iowa was claimed 17

(previous page) The Univeristy of Northern Iowa’s College Hill District is bustling with activity and commerce. (above) Auburn leaves dot the pavement along a park’s walkway, adding character to the scenery. (right) UNI’s greenhouse is home to many blooming flowers, even in frigid months. (below) Iowans are incredibly patriotic and proud of their history.

18

19(above) UNI’s campus is known for its historic signifigance and its green beauty. During the summer months,

by French settlers shortly follow-ing Marquette and Jolliet’s expe-ditions. Then part of the territory known as ‘Louisiana’, this land was later purchased as part of the Louisiana Purchase by the United States. It wasn’t until 1805 when a young man named Zebulon Pike thoroughly explored the area that America truly had an idea of the rich land they had come to inherit.

Following this time came much political and military up-heaval among the new settlers and the local Native American tribes. After many unsuccessful attempts to coexist, the Native Americans were driven from their homes and forced off of the land they inhabit-ed for hundreds of years. Despite this, Iowa has a few existing Native American settlements, including the Meskwaki Settlement near Tama, Iowa. By 1850, all Native American’s were either driven from the state or on reservations.

Iowa became an official U.S. territory in 1838 with a popula-tion of roughly 23,000 settlers, a vast contrast to the bustling home-stead that it is today. It only took 8 years for Iowa to go form territory to state, achieving statehood un-der then-President James K. Polk.

The Civil War ravaged all of the states of the Union, but espe-cially took a toll on Iowa’s young men and women, many of whom were called to war as soldiers, medics, nurses, and supply per-sonnel. Iowa’s growing agricultural presence also lent to its usefulness during wartime, feeding many of the frontline soldiers. Following the Confederate defeat, Iowa’s

20this campus is home to very few students that take summer courses.

day-to-day operations returned to normal, but not before Iowan’s rec-ognized their own bravery in the face of violence and gained a sense of state identity and a collective identity as a people.

Following the Civil War, the railroad became a driving force in Iowa’s economy, forcing agricul-ture to grow with it. Along rail-lines sprouted farming communi-ties that depended on the land for corn, livestock, and sustenance. During this time is when Iowa established itself and the location to move if one wanted to start a farm.

While manufacturing has grown as a viable source of income, it has still not overtaken farming as the prime and central cultural identity for the robust Iowans.

Tourist Attractions Abound in the Boundless Farm-land

German settlers found-ed the die Gemeinde der wahren Inspiration, or ‘Community of True Inspiration’, in Eastern Iowa during 1856. This community be-came known as the Amana Colo-nies, a location abound in commu-nal living and old-time, German traditions. These traditions carry on to this day and draw thousands of tourists to the small town.

For nearly 80 years, the Amana colonies maintained a completely self-sufficient lifestyle, another testament to the sustain-ability of Iowa’s ecosystem.

The seven villages that make up the Amana Colonies each

21

(above) The sillouettes of tall, strong evergreens are common occurances for Iowa natives on a calm jaunt home from classes.

feature a church, a wine cellar, a school, and a bakery, among other necessities. These villages are Main Amana, East Amana, High Ama-ma, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead. While prosperous, Iowans were never said to be creative when it comes to naming their towns and cities (see ‘Iowa City’).

Today, Amana is home to ‘heritage tourism’, where visitors are transported back in time to the founding days of the Amana Colo-nies, where large dining halls were the norm, large families worked together in the family business, and land preservation was at the forefront of the general mindset.

In 1965, the Amana Colo-nies were deemed worthy of dis-tinction by the National Register of Historic Places, cementing its place in national tourism for years to come.

Museums are also abound in Iowa. Dubuque is home to the National Mississippi River Muse-um & Aquarium. This Smithsonian Affiliate is home to many exhibits about the culture and history of the mighty river that maintains a strong eastern border for the state. Housed in the aquarium are nu-merous catfish, sturgeon, turtles, otters, and many other animals native to the river.

Another museum that displays Iowa’s history incredibly effectively is the Iowa Old Cap-itol Building in Iowa City. Iowa City, for a brief time, was Iowa’s capitol, before being usurped by Des Moines. The capitol building is now home to a museum about

22(above) Close-up of bark from tree, right.

23

24

Iowa’s history, the history of the University of Iowa, and is cultur-ally important to the identity of those from Iowa City. Inside the museum are artifacts from the building’s time as a center for statewide politics, the famed bell from the tower on top of the Old Capitol, damaged in a 2001 fire, and showcases of Iowa’s natural history. After the fire, the dome was rebuilt to its former glory as a symbol of Iowa pride.

Roadtrip Friendly from Anywhere in the United States

One of the best features of Iowa is its central location to anywhere in the continental United States. From Orlando, Florida, a roadtrip takes roughly 24 hours. Driving to Los Angeles also takes 24 hours. Seattle is a 27 hour jaunt, and visiting maple tree filled woods in Maine is only 22 hours away. That being said, Iowa is always a day or less away from you. While it may not feature the glittering lights of New York City or the warm, sandy beaches of the Florida Keys, it does hold a special kind of hospitality that can only be found in America’s heartland: Iowa.

More information about this diamond in the rough can be found at www.iowa.gov or www.traveliowa.com.

25

25

(previous page) UNI is proud of its school colors, purple & gold. (left) During colder months, trees stripped bare provide an eerie ambiance to campus life. (far above) The entrance to UNI is welcoming and supports the 13,000 students that attend class on campus daily. (above) Glowingly green grass juxtaposes historic build-ings, complete with modern interiors. This historical dissonance is signature to UNI’s campus.

(C) Austin J Vincent, 2014