Offenburger.com

Along Our Way

The third annual membership banquet of the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association was a huge success Saturday night, February 20, at the Panorama National Conference Center. About 200 people attended. Auctions and a few cash donations helped raise $10,604 to help market and promote the RRVT, the paved rec trail in west central Iowa that's in the midst of an expansion, 56 to 89 miles.
[TO READ THE STORY, AND TO SEE THESE AND OTHER PHOTOS IN LARGER FORMAT, CLICK HERE]

A conversation

COPING WITH CANCER

with the Offenburgers

Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins, follilcular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, and is undergoing treatment. We post updates weekly here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.

''The Lord will overshadow you, and you will find refuge under his wings.''

FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.

Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.

TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.

TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.

WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!

SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!

Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey

What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?

Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.

Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm

After the toughest, snowiest winter that either of us can remember, we have now reached the point in early February where snow is stacked everywhere. Piles are six or seven feet high. The dogs can drop full-body into snowdrifts if they're not moving fast enough. Some drifts are five or six feet tall, and 30 or 40 feet long. Whew!
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Earlier photos in this series

The new King's Pointe Waterpark Resort in Storm Lake

Here is the main sign to Storm Lake's new resort, which is built on the east edge of the town of about 12,000 in northwest Iowa.

The entrance to the King's Pointe resort hotel. The facility is built in lodge style, with some touches of Prairie School architecture and Arts & Crafts design.

Here is the side of the 100-room resort hotel that faces the 3,300-acre lake. A recreational trail runs between the hotel and the lakeshore, with plenty of dock space available for resort users who arrive by boat.

Here is the interior of one of the hotel rooms, one with a view of the lake.

Here is a view from the hotel's excellent Regatta Grille restaurant, which features both fine and casual dining.

The Storm Lake resort has both outdoor and indoor waterparks that have been huge attractions. The waterslides are said to be the biggest and best in the Midwest. (This photo is courtesy of King's Pointe Waterpark Resort.)

The hotel's rooms and hallways are decorated with lots of historic photos taken around the lake. This one shows the elegant old Grand Hotel, which was built about eight blocks west of the new resort, on the shoreline. The old hotel, a woodframe structure, was in business for only a few years when it was destroyed by fire.

Here is a night view of the new lighthouse built as park of the King's Pointe Waterpark Resort. This lighthouse is right on the shoreline and, in good weather, is open to people who want to climb up for an impressive view of the lake and the community of Storm Lake.