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Peninsula Block Party

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 13:42:22 GMT

Martin Street Appreciation Block Party:

August 14th, 2022 | 3 - 7pm

Hosted by Body by Carrie, Ramen Belly and Storyline Multimedia--the Peninsula businesses located on Martin Street; the Block Party will feature music, games, raffles and food.

The party is located on Martin Street, the small stretch of street spanning just one block in front of Body by Carrie and Ramen Belly, which will be closed for the party.

Food includes a pig roast from local butcher, Thoma's Meat Market, to include smoked ribs, pulled pork and chicken. Food sponsored by Adam Pretorius, Realtor of Lepic Kroeger Realtors.

Bring your own beverages.

Body by Carrie, Ramen Belly, and new business to the Peninsula opening soon, Storyline Multimedia, love to host and hope to see you Sunday, August 14th from 3:00pm - 7:00pm!

Movement for All

Sat, 16 Apr 2022 17:49:43 GMT

Movement for All in the Peninsula Neighborhood

Meg offers coaching for pain and injury recovery using somatic movement therapy. She also offers posture and gait training rooted in Alexander Technique and the Feldenkrais method, and teaches dance.

Emily Rose Yoga & Co. offers yoga classes through Meg's studio and women's empowerment coaching out of Meg's studio (separate website for booking).

· Movement for All: https://www.movementforall.com

· Emily Rose Yoga & Co.: https://www.EmilyRoseYogaCo.com/classschedule

Willow & Ivy Salon Opens

apretori (ADAM PRETORIUS) — Wed, 05 Jan 2022 23:21:15 GMT

Sorayah Hamilton Opens New Salon

Sorayah is taking on new clients and appointments where you can find more information on her website, https://willowandivysalon.squarespace.com/

Hours of Operation:

Monday CLOSED
Tuesday 10-5
Wednesday 10-5
Thursday 12-7
Friday 12-7
Saturday 10-2
Sunday CLOSED

"Beauty & grace … artistry & laughter… Well traveled and educated in French hair-cutting (who isn’t these days) with a very romantic, well practiced color palette adding in an intimate fascination with curly hair, these skills have been honed and finally homed in the tiny desk concert of salons … willow & ivy.

It’s always been all about you."

Don't Be Afraid of a Little Snow

website@sitemodify.com (Website Editor) — Sat, 19 Jan 2019 19:56:06 GMT

The Perfect Hiking Opportunity Awaits
Okay it’s a little cold. But as I woke up this morning to fresh powder and snow drifts, I was anxious to get out on the trails. On the wooded bluffs bordering the northwestern edge of the Peninsula Neighborhood are trails that are commonly visited during warmer months. Now that the cold has settled, they’re mostly abandoned. Yet I find the winter exploration the most awarding season. The trouble is ensuring you’re appropriately prepared and have the right gear.

The terrain is steep. Rolling hills expand from the southern tip of the peninsula, starting at the Iowa River Power Dam bridge passing along the Peninsula Neighborhood, Oakmount Estates, Elk Run condominiums, and Mackinaw Village before abutting Interstate 80 and the paved walking trail and tunnel that passes underneath the interstate. Some areas have hills that descend 50 to 70 feet to the river valley and when covered with snow, can be difficult to keep your footing. This is wear having the appropriate gear can make all the difference.

Inspirited by a CostCo impulse purchase, I bought a pair of snow shoes. They came with a pair of hiking poles. I strap these large metal frames to my boots and stare at my feet which look like Big Foot and have a constricting movement similar to the feeling of having skis attached to your feet. On the bottom of the snow shoes are two metal crampons—a traction device to prevent sliding while hiking in the snow.

I hit the trails and drift off thinking of actor Scatman Crothers running through the woods in The Shining, chased by Jack Nicholson’s character whose extreme winter solitude has deteriorated his sanity. Yet the trails do not lack solitude, nature is abundant and easier to track in the winter. Where the warmer months make it harder to find the wildlife, the snow exposes tracks leading to its busy community.

Deer can be found the easiest having pushed away areas of snow in search of anything green. Their tracks lead to them staring at me from every side of the wooded ravine—a cold stare asking me to please replant my hostas salad bar I plant each spring. At the ravine in-between the Elk Run condominiums and Mackinaw Village I have tracked the red fox family who had moved their den from the Oakmount ravine last season. I saw the fox dodge low in the snow back to the ravine side. I continue down the hillside to the river valley. My snow shoes surprisingly grip the steep descent with the security of the crampons attached to my snow shoes.

The lower river valley is a flat-land that is almost impossible to explore in the warmer months as its low elevation keeps it a marsh area. But now the area is sheet of ice, it is easily accessible with an abundant assortment of animal tracks. At the foot of the hill is a creek that adjoins the Iowa River. The trees are noticeably deforested in this area where at the creek junction is an eight-by-eight foot stack of tree branches—a muskrat home on the river.

As I reach the paved trails that continue to the Iowa City Water Treatment Plant trail areas, I turn back and stare back up the hillside at the river bluffs. Large boulders jut out from their hillside including Lovers’ Leap across the Coralville Marriott. Eagles have made large nests up and down the river hillside where the fast current prevents the river from freezing. The meandering river has created low and high contours with rolling hillsides and bluffs along the peninsula highlands. As I admire the geography, I decide to take a different path back, excited to discover what else I can find in the winter parkland.

In addition to the snow shoes I recommend ski goggles to prevent blowing snow from getting in your face. Also, Gators are a great accessory for your boots to keep snow from getting inside as well as water and ice from say, a break in the ice as you cross the creek. I attached links to these accessories which you can also find at our local outdoor recreation store such as Active Endeavors or Fin & Feather as well as the big box stores such as Scheels or some items temporarily at CostCo.

Yoga Returns to the Park

Sun, 05 Nov 2017 19:56:05 GMT

Tauni Doster:

Join us for a community yoga class at a new location, Body by Carrie, November 5th at 8:30am. Tauni Doster will lead an all levels yoga class at Emma Harvat Square in the Peninsula neighborhood. Space in the studio will be limited.

The class is donation based, just bring your yoga mat and enjoy a fun active morning with your neighbors! Follow Lean Power Yoga on Facebook and Instagram for updates on class location. We hope to see you there!

A Good Bike Ride

Thu, 12 Nov 2015 19:56:05 GMT

Here are the details for my route:

Start by riding east on Foster, and soon after leaving the Peninsula, turn left on Makinaw.

Take another left on Manitua Trail. It’s not really a trail; it’s a street, but at the bottom of Manitua you’ll see a paved bike trail to the left. Take that trail into Water Works Park and ride all the way through the park and the parking lot adjacent to North Dubuque Street.

Exiting the parking lot, turn left on the wide, paved bike trail running parallel to Dubuque. You won’t ride far before you come to the intersection of Oakdale Boulevard. Turn left on the bike trail running parallel to Oakdale and ride until you see beautiful Dovetail Park on your right.

You’ll see asign for the Muddy Creek Trail. Turn right toward Muddy Creek and enjoy the ride through Dovetail. Watch for aquatic wildlife including birds, turtles and frogs.

At the end of the park, the trail turns left. Shift into a low gear. This is the beginning of a steep hill. Half-way up the hill you must turn right onto Meade Avenue. The bike path will follow some quiet, residential streets for a while. Meade will veer left and become Auburn East Lane. After crossing 1st Avenue, it becomes Auburn Hills Drive. Follow Auburn Hills almost to its end, and look for a sign indicating the bike route, turn right at the sign into the Auburn Hills Wetland.

Next, you’ll come to a crossroads of bike trails. The signage is clear. Turn right on Muddy Creek Trail and enjoy the ride along Muddy Creek.

Muddy Creek will lead you to 12th Avenue. Watch for traffic; 12th is very busy. Cross 12th and turn left on the wide bike trail that runs parallel to the street. You’ll go up a hill and then down again. As you get to the bottom of the hill and cross the railroad tracks, the wide path narrows to a regular sidewalk. At this point, I get off the sidewalk and ride on the street. Be careful. 12th has a lot of traffic. You must stay on 12th to cross over Interstate 80. Unfortunately, the bridge over 80 is narrow. The sidewalk also crosses 80 on the bridge, so you can use that if you want to walk your bike across.

Stay on 12th a bit longer. Ride down the hill to a stop sign where 12th converges with 10th Avenue. Veer left to get on 10th, but watch for oncoming traffic.

10th will take you to 5th Street, and you and stop at the Coop. Usually, I take 5th to the Iowa River Power Restaurant, cross the pedestrian bridge over the river and bike up Foster Road to the Peninsula. Now though, 5th is closed, so I bike East along 2nd Street on the wide sidewalk. Just as you get to Clear Bridge, you’ll see Clear Creek trail veer off to the left and down the embankment. Follow that to the pedestrian bridge, across the river and up Foster to home.