An Iowan, an Idahoan, and an Ohioan Walk Into a Tourism Office…

No, it’s not the setup for a joke — it’s just another day at the Fort Madison Tourism Office.
This week, I had the pleasure of meeting two very different groups who happened to stop by at the same time. First was a mother and daughter from Ohio who visited last year to donate family heirlooms to the North Lee County Historical Society. They returned to check on their pieces — a beautifully hand-carved jewelry box and a checkerboard, both made by an Iowa State Penitentiary inmate in the late 1800s. (Yes, Fort Madison history is fascinating and crafty.)
Then came a couple from Idaho, bringing the wife’s elderly LDS parents on a final trip to see Nauvoo and Carthage.
We got to chatting — and laughing — about how people constantly mix up our states. Potatoes, corn, buckeyes... let’s just say we cleared up a lot of geographic confusion that day.
You truly never know who you’ll meet — or what you’ll learn — when you walk through our doors.
Curious about those prison-made artifacts? Visit our website to read the full story and see photos on our blog. www.visitfortmadison.com
Chi Eastin is the director of the Fort Madison Tourism Board and a new contributor to Pen City Current