Chrysa and I have been thinking a lot about Mason City since we moved to Florida. Now, don’t get me wrong. We are absolutely loving our time in Palatka so far. What’s not to like? The food has been good, the weather has been great, and we have even had a visit from my brother (more on that in another post). But, we were absolutely blown away by our time in Iowa. For that reason I wanted to squeeze in one last post about Mason City before moving onto to Florida stuff.
As we have mentioned before, Mason City has a ton of things to do. It is a cute and historic town that really likes to keep its residents busy, and show itself off. One of the crown jewels of the town is the MacNider Art Museum. Back in October we decided to walk downtown and check it out.
The museum is located in the restored and reconfigured MacNider mansion and features an exquisite collection of American art including; paintings, prints, ceramics, and sculptures. We had a wonderful time going room to room examining the fine pieces on display. We particularly enjoyed the gallery itself. The restored home is the perfect backdrop for the art. It has both classically restored rooms and more modern wings. The newer sections of the museum blend very nicely with old and together lead to a very pleasant viewing experience. The exterior rooms of the museum have stunning cliff side views of Walnut Creek. We had a wonderful time taking it all in.
In addition to the standard collection, the MacNider has a special collection of Bill Baird marionettes. Bill Baird was very prolific and his puppets were used in many TV shows, commercials, and Hollywood productions. Being a little… umm… older than my wife, I recognized many of them. Word of caution-these things are far creepier in person than they are on the big screen.
Another great aspect of Mason City is the people who inhabit it. Both Chrysa and I made many great friends while we lived there. Everyone was really excited to suggest cool things to do and see. In fact, my friend Lee had made a suggestion for us that same day. So, after our afternoon at the art museum, Chrysa was faced with a choice. Would she stay at home that evening and chill, or would she take a road trip with me to Des Moines to see professional wrestling? Lee is a wrestler and it was his show. I was thrilled to go. I’m a wrestling fan from way back, Chrysa…not so much. In the end Chrysa took the opportunity to expand her horizons, albeit reluctantly.
Her reluctance was on full display was she entered the hall where the event would be held. This wasn’t the WWE after all. There was no fireworks, no light displays set to music, and no jumbotron. This was an event for young guys looking to break into the business. As a result the event was very fan friendly. As we walked into the room the wrestlers were mixing freely with the fans. They took pictures, signed autographs, and made the day for the young kids in attendance. The family friendly atmosphere set Chrysa a little at ease, especially after we spotted Lee.
I have to say I had a blast. The wrestling was a good mix of high flyers and traditional styles. The beer was cheap and plentiful (it really helped Chrysa get through the night) and the crowd was really into it. I have been to WWE house shows that had less crowd participation. Chrysa and I were both taken aback by how many regulars were in the crowd. There was one kid who was a full on superfan. He clearly had his opinions and would give lip to whoever disagreed with him.
There were two highlights of the night. The first was seeing the turnaround in Chrysa. She walked into the place fearful and not knowing what to expect. I think she ended up having more fun than she expected. The turnaround was easy to spot. It was when she got her picture taken with Nate Redwing. He was a good sport, and made her night.
The second highlight was the battle royal that featured Lee as El Diablo. It was really cool to see your friend doing what he loves in such a cool environment. I don’t think many people would have the courage to risk life and limb to entertain a couple hundred people for very little pay. But there was Lee, taking bumps, getting thrown over the top rope, and smiling the whole time. I was so happy that we could come out to support him. You could really tell he appreciated it.
El Diablo
Mason City is a special place. It’s one of those towns that stick with you and will always feel like home. I really hope we get back to visit someday. Maybe this won’t be the last Mason City post after all.
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