Category Archives: Travel

Anders, Andy, Art, Baier, Birthdays, Calendar, Elainie, History, Kim, Lowell, Nature, Railroad, Sabas, Sign, Street Photography, Travel

New Orleans Day 2: River Walk

January 10, 2025 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Today’s is Lowell’s birthday so I need to wish him a happy birthday.

Happy birthday Lowell!

If you don’t know, he isn’t the super tall guy and he isn’t Kim.

I simply hope your birthday is without any health emergencies!

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Today is also Sabas’ birthday! So I need to wish him a happy birthday.

Happy birthday Sabas!

I hope your birthday is also not filled with medical emergencies, but for a different reason.

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It is time to share the September image for the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar:

SEPTEMBER

TECHNICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony 7M2
LENS: Sigma 14-24 f/2.8 DG DN
FOCAL LENGTH: 21mm
APERTURE: f/2.8
SHUTTER: 1/2500
DATE: September 5, 2024

The September image is of the Union Pacific’s Big Boy. It was taken just a few miles west of Colo. I took the day off to grab a few pictures of the Big Boy as it passed through central Iowa. I also followed the Big Boy on the day before and took some pictures of it while it rested in Boone overnight. Day 2 of trying to the photograph was different then Day 1. It was more successful than Day 1. I made several strategic mistakes on Day 1. It was sad. I don’t like talking about it. A joy of Day 2 was that I spent some time with “foamers”.

If you don’t know what a foamer is, it is the derogatory term that railroaders use to describe railfans as they think that they foam at the mouth anytime they see a train. Shout out to Andy for teaching me this term.

Foamers are an interesting breed of people, but they aren’t any different than your other types of nerds. I use the word “nerd” not in a disparaging way. Almost everyone is a nerd about something. These people are nerds about trains. And boy do they really like trains. They knew just about everything there was to know about the Big Boy. Many of them were working in teams. Communicating with each other over radios, while being stationed several miles apart.

This is the 2nd time the Big Boy has appeared in the Photography 139 Calendar. I don’t think the Iowan has ever appeared in the calendar. I should effort to rectify that situation in 2026.

These are the people that selected September as their favorite image:

Anders

Austin

Will

Carrie

I look forward to revealing the October image tomorrow!

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Time to share more images from my Day 2 in New Orleans morning walkabout. Most of these images were taken along the river walk.

I can read this in so many different ways.

A keen observer will have detected the February image from the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar and now you know what the rest of the fence pier thing looks like.

There is still one more collection of images from Day 2 left to share.

Architecture, Art, Bridge, Calendar, Christianity, History, Jim, Lowell, Monica, Music, Nature, Railroad, Sign, Still Life, Street Photography, Teresa, Travel, Willy

New Orleans Day 2: French Quarter Walkabout

January 3, 2025 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

Time to reveal the February image for the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar:

FEBRUARY

TECHICAL DETAILS
CAMERA: Sony 7M4
LENS: Tamron 28-75 f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 68mm
APERTURE: f/4.5
EXPOSURE: 1/200
ISO: 100

The February image was taken in New Orleans. It was taken on my second day in New Orleans and I had a few hours of free time to walk around and I found this small bit of fence along the river walk that was covered with love locks. It isn’t on a bridge and it isn’t exactly a dock. It is a fence that prevents people from going out onto what is an industrial thing. I don’t even know how to describe it. Maybe a small pier. Best guess. Final answer. I framed the picture so all of that is cropped out and the incredible cluster of love locks frames the “Love Wins” sign is all this is visible. I think that lends an air of mystery to the image. Almost everybody has assume this picture was taken on a bridge. I’ve never seen such a dense collection of love locks. I chose this picture to represent February since this picture represents “love” and the only appropriate day to show somebody you love them is Valentine’s Day.

Here is the group of people that chose February as their favorite calendar image:

Jim

Monica

Teresa

Willy

Lowell

I look forward to revealing the March image tomorrow!

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Coincidentally, today’s collection of images is taken from the beginning of the day when I took the February image. The second day on this work trip is basically waiting around to be told to go to the Convention Center to start working. Before I got that call I decided to take a little walk up by the Saint Louis Cathedral.

Here is the first collection of those images:

Still 2 more collections of images to share from Day 2 of my trip to New Orleans!

Adam, Baier, Flowers, Fran, History, Jason, Macro, Night, Sign, Street Photography, Travel

Your Song

January 2, 2025 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time to reveal the January image for the 2025 Photography 139 Calendar:

JANUARY

Technical Details

CAMERA: Sony 7M4
LENS: Tamron 17-28 f/2.8
FOCAL LENGTH: 24 mm
APERTURE: f/2.8
EXPOSURE: 1/30
ISO: 160
DATE TAKEN: December 27, 2023

This picture was taken in Memphis, Tennessee on Jesse and I’s trip to watch Iowa State play in the Liberty Bowl. This neon sign for the Lorraine Hotel is part of the Civil Rights Museum. We walked around the grounds of the museum after eating at Central BBQ nearby. We didn’t visit the museum on this trip, but if you are ever in Memphis, I highly recommend visiting it. Despite my love for history, I’m not really a museum person, but this museum is a very powerful experience. I picked this image to represent January because Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is in January.

There were a few people that picked this image as their favorite calendar image. Here are the people that picked it:

Fran

Adam

Jason Stensland

Jason Baier

Ryan

Jesse

I’m pretty excited to reveal the February image tomorrow!

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It’s a little bit funny
This feelin’ inside
I’m not one of those who can easily hide
I don’t have much money, but boy, if I did
I’d buy a big house where we both could live

If I was a sculptor, heh
But then again, no
Or a man who makes potions in a travellin’ show, oh
I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I can do
My gift is my song and this one’s for you

And you can tell everybody
This is your song
It may be quite simple, but
Now that it’s done
I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
While you’re in the world

And kicked off the moss
Well, a few of the verses
Well, they’ve got me quite cross
But the sun’s been quite kind
While I wrote this song
It’s for people like you that keep it turned on

So excuse me forgettin’
But these things I do
You see, I’ve forgotten
If they’re green or they’re blue
Anyway, the thing is
What I really mean
Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen

I hope you don’t mind, I hope you don’t mind
That I put down in words
How wonderful life is
While you’re in the world
-Written by Elton John & Bernie Taupin
-Performed by Elton John

I was inspired to use this great song because I was watching “No Good Deed” on Netflix recently and this song makes an appearance. And it truly is one of the great songs of all-time!

But Thursdays are for flowers and this flowertography session took place in my yard:

Next Thursday’s flowertography session will also involve flowers from my yard.

9 Emotions Project, Alisa, Animals, Art, Becca, Bethany, Black & White, Blogging, Boone FUMC, Brandon, Calendar, Candid Portrait, Cousin Amy, Dad, Dae Hee, Dawn, Derrick, Drone, Elizabeth, Evie, Flowers, Football, Formal Portrait, Fran, History, Iowa State, Jay, Jen, Jesse, Jill, Joe Duff, Kalista, Layla, Logan, Lowell, Mission Trip, Mom, Movies, Music, Nader, Naima, Nate, Nathanial, Nature, Railroad, Road Trip, Sara, Saydie, Scottie D., Self-Portrait, Shannon, Shorty, Sign, State Fair, Street Photography, Taylan, Tenderloining, Teresa, Tim, Travel, Willy, Yin

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes

January 1, 2025 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

All of the 2025 Photography 139 Calendars have been distributed or mailed except for one. It is fair game now to start sharing the calendar images. This is the front cover image:

2025 Photography 139 Calendar Front Cover

FRONT COVER – 2025

Technical Details:

CAMERA: SONY 7M4
LENS: SIGMA 14-24 f/2.8 DG DN ART
FOCAL LENGTH: 20mm
APERTURE: f/8
SHUTTER SPEED: 1/500
DATE TAKEN: April 27, 2024

The subject of this picture is the statue of John Wayne in front of the John Wayne Birthplace Museum in Winterset, Iowa. I visited this museum with Nader on a road trip that is as close to a birthday road trip as I took in 2024. This trip was a bit of what I would call “unfinished business”. My Mom was a big fan of John Wayne movies. As are/were many members of her family. One of the last places we went to on the final road trip I took with my Mom was to Winterset and walking around the John Wayne Birthplace Museum. However, it was during the pandemic, so we never went inside. It was important to me to finally go inside and see the museum.

A few notes about the calendar.

1. I switched to a different printer. For the last several years I have had the calendar printed at VistaPrint. This year I switched to Snapfish. The movie saved me over $200. I’m very pleased with the quality. In fact, I think the quality is actually slightly higher as far as image quality and paper quality. However, the proof is usually in the pudding and what that means for the calendar is we will have to see how it holds up for 365 days. The other part of that equation is that I’m not a master of the Snapfish editing software, so there were a few mistakes made. Next year, those mistakes we hopefully be corrected, if Snapfish manages to maintain the Photography 139 account next year I look forward to correcting those. I can’t predict the future. After all, as the source of much of my Christian wisdom (Christian Mingle: The Movie) tells us. “The Heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”*

2. The calendars that are mailed were mailed on December 18th. Not a single one has arrived (as far as I know) a full 2 weeks later. And most of them weren’t going all that far. 2 to Minnesota. 2 to Kansas. 1 to Nebraska. 1 to Arizona. 1 package of 2 to Texas. Very frustrating. Unfortunately I don’t have any tracking info, so either they are just completely lost, will show up sometime in mid April, will show back up on my front porch in a month, are completely lost and will never show up, or maybe they were stolen. It is a mystery that hopefully is solved soon. Very soon!

3. When I reveal each calendar image I will reveal the people that picked it as it their favorite image from the calendar. Not a single person picked the front cover. So nothing to reveal here for this image.

Hopefully you enjoy the reveal of the calendar images for this year.

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It is a new year, but I like to look back at 2024 and reveal statistics that mostly me and Joe Duff find interesting.

Every post has categories. While I’m in the process of redoing how I do the categories, here are where the categories currently rank.

TOP 20 CATEGORIES – ALL-TIME

1.Black & White – 1,298
2.Flowers – 1,044
3. Art – 913
4. Animals-850
5. Jesse – 795
6.Teresa – 712
7. Road Trip – 696
8. Macro – 688
9. Formal Portrait – 669
10. Carla – 665
11. Shannon – 644
12. Nature – 595
13. WPC – Submissions – 589
14. Still Life – 560
15. Candid Portrait – 533
16. Mom – 479
17. Logan – 474
18. Kim – 469
19. Photoshop – 437
20. Micky – 425

TOP 20 HUMAN CATEGORIES – ALL TIME

1. Jesse – 795
2. Teresa – 712
3. Carla – 665
4. Shannon – 644
5. Mom – 479
6. Logan – 474
7. Kim – 469
8. Micky – 425
9. Vest – 417
10. Willy – 414
11. Andy – 404
12. Sara – 378
13. Jay – 376
14. Jen – 373
15. Dawn – 367
16. Derrick – 355
17. Cathie – 352
18. Tamara – 343
19. Angie – 337
20. Michelle – 330

TOP 20 NON-HUMAN CATEGORIES

1. Black & White – 1,298
2. Flowers – 1,044
3. Art – 913
4. Animals-850
5. Road Trip – 696
6. Macro – 688
7. Formal Portrait – 669
8. Nature – 595
9. WPC – Submissions – 589
10. Still Life – 560
11. Candid Portrait – 533
12. Photoshop – 437
13. Street Photography – 410
14. History – 407
15. Self-Portrait – 405
16. Naima – 404
17. Christianity – 390
18. Iowa State – 346
19. WPC – Reminder – 322
20. Night – 281

Now to look at what were the most used categories of just 2024.

TOP 20 CATEGORIES – 2024

1. Art – 146
2. Still Life – 144
3. Street Photography – 143
4. Teresa – 104
5. Jesse – 95
6. Logan – 83
7. Black & White – 77
8. Flowers – 74
9. Carla – 72
10. Road Trip – 71
11. Elizabeth – 68
12. Andy – 66
12. Sabas – 66
14. Brandon – 65
15. Kim – 63
15. Scottie D. – 63
17. Willy – 62
18. Nathanial – 61
19. Dawn – 60
19. Aunt Linda – 60

TOP 20 HUMAN CATEGORIES – 2024

1. Teresa – 104
2. Jesse – 95
3. Logan – 83
4. Carla – 72
5. Elizabeth – 68
6. Andy – 66
6. Sabas – 66
8. Brandon – 65
9. Kim – 63
9. Scottie D. – 63
11. Willy – 62
12. Nathanial – 61
13. Dawn – 60
13. Aunt Linda – 60
14. Shannon – 59
15. Vest – 58
15. Angie – 58
15. Lowell – 58
18. Cathie – 57
19. Bill – 56
20. Micky – 55
20. Mindi – 55

TOP 20 NONHUMAN CATEGORIES – 2024

1. Art – 146
2. Still Life – 144
3. Street Photography – 143
4. Black & White – 77
5. Flowers – 74
6. Road Trip – 71
7. Tenderloining – 54
8. Nature – 53
8. WPC – Submissions – 53
10. Macro – 52
11. Animals – 51
12. Christianity – 47
13. Candid Portrait – 45
14. Birthdays – 43
15. Self-Portrait – 42
16. Travel – 35
17. History – 33
17. WPC – Alternate – 33
19. Music – 32
20. Railroad – 29

If you have spent any time on this website you realize the 100 most used categories are listed on the left side. When I’m looking at these stats, I also like to look at the bottom 10 of the top 100.

Bottom 10 of the Top 100

91. Nathanial – 117 (+61)
92. Russell – 114 (+3)
93. Pufferbilly Days – 105 (+14)
94. Mindi – 98 (+55)
95. Faust – 97 (+5)
96. Becca – 96 (+6)
97. Pastor Sarah – 94 (+3)
98. Writing – 93 (+1)
99. Sheri – 91 (+54)
99. House – 91 (0)
99. Layla – 91 (+2)

The categories that are most likely to fall into the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 in 2025 are:

+ Bethany
+ Blogging
+ Tenderloining
+ Jill
+ Nate

I’m sure Tenderloining is pretty safe. I need to get out of my house and visit Nate and Bethany this year. I hermitted pretty hard this year. As we will see later.

The categories that are most likely to climb into the Bottom 10 of the Top 100 in 2025 are:

+ Mary
+ Commercial
+ Andree
+ Photo Journal
+ Flat Earth Joe

Although there are probably some categories that aren’t as close to the Top 100 currently that have a better chance to break in. Like Bokeh, for example.

On to the most popular Photography 139 Galleries in 2024:

20. Drone – 54,022 Views

19. Daisies – 55,109 Views

18. South Dakota Trip – 2017 – 55,869 Views

17. Iowa State Fair – 2023 – 57,439 Views

16. Naima – 57,919 Views

15. Photo Journal Rejects – 59,548 Views

14. Phonetos – 61,145 Views

13. New Orleans – 2024 – 69,224 Views

12. Home Improvement – 72,195 Views

11. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 10 – 83,769 Views

10. 365 Day Photo Project – 2012 – 94,307 Views

9. 9 Emotions Project – 116,852 Views

8. Town Sign Project Auxiliary Images – 125,685 Views

7. Town Sign Project – 137,773 Views

6. Life – 147,856 Views

5. 365 Day Photo Project – 2013 – 148,808 Views

4. Tenderloining – 151,436 Views

3. Weekly Photo Challenge Year 3 – 193,931 Views

2. WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE – YEAR 11 – 398,026 Views

1. Instagram – 496,850

To look at any of the galleries, you can just click on the picture and voila, you will be there. And yes, I purposely picked pictures that had people that are no long with us to represent some of the galleries.

In 2024, the gallery had 6,616,054 views.

There were the most popular days for the gallery in 2024:

1. 2024/09/21 – 72551
2. 2024/07/19 – 72168
3. 2024/04/05 – 70007
4. 2024/07/20 – 64376
5. 2024/07/21 – 56076
6. 2024/07/29 – 54710
7. 2024/08/01 – 53564
8. 2024/07/18 – 51727
9. 2024/07/22 – 51004
10. 2024/07/26 – 50839

But what about my 2024 that isn’t related to this website? I know, it is hard to believe that I exist outside of this website. But I do, I really exist in the physical world. But first, the social media world:

I had a goal to post on Instagram once a day in 2024 and failed miserably. I posted 99 times. But of those 99, these were my Top 9:

As for Snapchat?

I have no real Snapchat goals, except to not be the one who breaks the streaks. I ended the year with the following streaks:

+ Logan – 1,091
+ Brandon – 848
+ Nathanial – 681
+ Lowell – 235
+ Elizabeth – 232
+ Fran – 119
+ Dawn – 4

I don’t listen to much music on Spotify. It is almost exclusively a podcast vessel for me, but here are the highlights from my wrapped:

If you are wondering, 127,186 minutes is 2,119.8 hours. 88 days. I mostly put up that monster number because I listen to podcasts when I go to bed at night and they play all night.

But we talked about the physical world. I have to freely confess, my travels this year were pathetic!

7 States… That’s it?!!?

I never even made it to Minnesota or Kansas this year! I never saw Bethany or Nate once! The only reason I saw Becca is because she came to Iowa! I’ll have to address this in my 2025 goals.

In 2024 I attended 29 sporting events. Every single one of them was related to Iowa State. This was my favorite:

Iowa State 29 Kansas State 21

This game put Iowa State (as long as BYU beat Houston later that night) into the Big 12 Championship Game. And next to Iowa, Kansas State is the team I enjoy beating the most in football. To be honest, maybe more than beating Iowa. Farmageddon needs a trophy so freaking bad!

Honorable Mention goes to:
+ Iowa State 66 #4 Baylor 63 (Women’s Basketball)
+ Iowa State 96 #7 Kansas State 93 (Women’s Basketball)
+ Iowa State 69 #1 Houston 41 (Men’s Basketball – Big 12 Championship Game)
+ Iowa State 67 #25 Washington State 56 (Men’s Basketball – NCAA Tournament 2nd Round)
+ Iowa State 38 Central Florida 35 (Football)

I only saw 5 movies in the theater. A long cry from when I used to go about every week. But by far, the best movie I saw in the theater in 2024 was:

I didn’t track the concerts I went to, but it was also a pathetic number. I didn’t go to a single concert where I had to buy a ticket. A few Boone City Band concerts and some musical acts at some town festivals. The Step Show before Iowa State football games. So picking out my favorite concert was pretty easy.

Shannon Curfman

I also didn’t track how many television shows I watched this year, because the number would probably be terrifying. But the best television show I watched this year was pretty obvious:

Shrinking – Season 2

Honorable Mentions:
+ Hacks (Season 3)
+ Somebody Somewhere (Season 3)
+ Only Murders in the Building (Season 4)
+ Nobody Wants This (Season 1)
+ We Are Lady Parts (Season 2)

And finally a couple of random stats.
+ Christmas cards received – 10
+ Trick-or-Treaters – 48

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But enough about 2024. What are my goals in 2025.

In general, I want to freshen up this website. It has had the same look for years now. Nothing wrong with it. Nothing great about it either. I want to continue to add and delete and modify the way posts are categories. A fairly drastic reorganization of the Photography 139 Gallery is also underway. I hope to have a new logo in 2025, but my graphic designer has been working on it for like 3 years now. So we will see.

I hope to visit more than 7 states (including Iowa). So 8 states! I already have work trips on the calendar for Texas and Pennsylvania. I hope to go to Ireland this year, but I need to get on the ball with getting the details on that worked out. So I’m part of the way their in theory.

I always make a list of places in Iowa I want to visit. It has been fairly fruitless, but I am going to make that list again this year and this time, when I think about going to on a road trip, but am lacking inspo, I’m going to go look at the list. Duh!

But rather than making a list of places, I’m going to make a list of people I want to see in 2025. There are so many people that I haven’t seen. Some I didn’t see in 2024. But some that I haven’t seen since before pandemic or maybe even before that. Heck, you might even make that list. I know some people have chosen to remove themselves from my life. I get that, but to the others, fair warning. We are breaking bread or going to an art show or a movie or a concert.

I want to see more live music in 2025. It has been missing from my life for a few years and I need to get it back.

I plan on bringing back THE SELFIE PROJECT in 2025. Fair warning for that as well.

Finally. I’m thinking of having a birthday party in 2025. In May I will officially be older than Methuselah. I should celebrate that on some level. I have a few ideas and have my eye on a couple of you as caterers. Fair warning to you.

I wish all of you the best in the impending disaster that will be 2025! Happy New Year!

*Proverbs 16:9 in case you were wondering. (ESV)

Art, Black & White, Christianity, Street Photography, Travel

New Orleans Day 1: More Bourbon Street at Day

December 20, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Time for another collection of images I took while wandering around New Orleans. Most of these are on Bourbon Street, but some are taken when I wandered over by Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1.

View from the hotel room.

Still one more collection of pictures from Day One in New Orleans left to share.

Art, Street Photography, Travel

New Orleans Day 1: Bourbon Street at Day

December 13, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

Here is your reminder that today is Friday the 13th. A bad day to be a promiscuous camp counselor experimenting with drugs or a Templar Knight. But it is a great day to be a fan of barbecue and near Boone. Don’t forget to go to Jimmy’s for a free sandwich. Boone sized of course!

Time to finally start sharing images I took on my work trip to New Orleans back in May.

I started the day walking around Bourbon Street with Tony looking for lunch. Our hotel was about 2 blocks from Bourbon Street.

Here is the first collection of pictures:

So many more picture left to share from this trip!

Nature, Road Trip, Travel

Eclipse Road Trip Day 2 – Cataract Falls

October 25, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

After leaving the Cinema 67 I headed to Cataract Falls. This was the goal of my morning excursion. Cataract Falls is the largest waterfall in Indiana by volume.

Here is the confession part of this entry. I have many weaknesses as a photographer, but one of the biggest is that I sometimes accidentally change the ISO setting on my camera without noticing. I did this somehow between the Cinema 67 and taking pictures of a covered bridge that goes over the falls. The pictures I took of the covered bridge aren’t any good because the ISO setting for them are above 65000. Which, as you know, creates images that are just too noisy.

If I would have had more time, I would have went ack and taken more pictures with better settings. But I was on a time budget because the sun and moon are on their schedule, not mine.

Here are some pictures from Cataract Falls:

It cost me $9 to visit the waterfall as an outsider in Indiana. But it was worth it. It was the Niagara of Indiana! I wish I could have gotten better angles, but much of the waterfall was restricted due to the large amount of rain that fell the night before and there were plenty of tree cops around to prevent somebody like me from breaking the rules.

After I left Cataract Falls, I visited the town of Cataract. But that is for next Friday.

Camping, Movies, Nature, Road Trip, Tenderloining, Travel

Eclipse Road Trip Day 2 – Cinema 67

October 18, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett Leave a comment

If you haven’t seen, the Iowa Pork Producers Association announced their annual Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest Winner yesterday. Here is the press release:

Dairy Sweet Becomes Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest Winner

October 17, 2024

Dairy Sweet, located in Dunlap, Iowa and owned by Lori and Greg Thomsen, claimed the title of Iowa’s Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin in 2024. This marks a triumphant return to a legacy that began in 2005 when the restaurant first won under the ownership of Lori’s parents. Lori and Greg purchased Dairy Sweet from her parents in 2013 and made a strategic move to Main Street, allowing her to not only enhance the restaurant’s visibility but also its reputation for serving some of the finest pork tenderloins in the state.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association conducts the Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Contest each year. This spring, the IPPA garnered nearly 6,000 nominations from 532 restaurants across the state. Members and industry affiliates anonymously visited the top 40 locations this summer, scoring each on pork flavor, quality, presentation, and overall dining experience. The Restaurant & Foodservice Committee utilized these evaluations to narrow the field to five worthy contenders. A team of judges then visited each establishment to determine the top two winners. Dairy Sweet is the first restaurant to win the title more than once in the entire 22 year history of the contest.

Lori and her husband Greg have refined the tenderloin recipe over the years, shifting to using center-cut boneless pork loin for a consistent, quality sandwich. In addition, they cut and tenderize the loins in-house each week. This commitment to quality is evident in the staggering number of tenderloins they serve—approximately 40,000 annually. This dedication not only satisfies local patrons but also attracts visitors from nearby towns and beyond.

“It is a privilege for us to win, not only for ourselves but for our employees who take pride in their work and making our community happy,” Lori shared. Her commitment to her family, team and community is palpable, and it fuels the hard work that has gone into making Dairy Sweet a local staple.

Judge Phil Carey, who evaluated the top five tenderloin eateries, had high praise for the winning sandwich. He remarked, “When we walked into the restaurant, and saw that most of the customers were eating a breaded pork tenderloin… That’s how you know you’re in the right spot. Then tasting it the sandwich had great flavor, was very tender, and the light breading worked very well with the pork.” Carey’s insights reflect not only the quality of the food but also the atmosphere that Dairy Sweet cultivates, where diners are clearly satisfied.

For Lori, this victory carries a bit more emotional significance. “Hard work does pay off. My parents have both passed on, so this is such a cool way to honor and remember them. It makes me very proud,” she said, highlighting the personal connection she feels to the restaurant’s legacy. This win is not just about the award; it’s a tribute to her family’s hard work and dedication to the community both in the past, and currently as she brings her kids Mandi & Logan into the family business.

Dairy Sweet offers a cozy dining experience, accommodating around 60 patrons at a time. The restaurant is open seven days a week, closing only a few days each year, ensuring that it remains a reliable destination for delicious meals. The staff is known for their hospitality and efficiency, traits honed through their experience running the café at the Dunlap Livestock Auction, where they thrive in a bustling environment.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association is thrilled to officially present the coveted Iowa’s Best Tenderloin Award for 2024 at Dairy Sweet later today! This celebrated eatery will take home a $500 cash prize, a stunning plaque, and a banner to showcase their achievement.

This year’s runner-up is Ruby’s Bar & Grill, hailing from Stuart, Iowa. They’ll receive a $250 prize along with a plaque from the IPPA. Earlier this month, we also recognized several other outstanding finalists, who will receive top five plaques in alphabetical order:

Bronson Bar – Bronson
Blind Pig – Monticello
The Market at the Tap – Monticello

This tenderloin contest celebrates Iowa restaurants that feature hand-breaded or battered pork tenderloin as a staple on their menu. To qualify, establishments must be open year-round. Winners are unveiled every October in honor of National Pork Month, which pays tribute to the hard work and dedication of America’s pork producers.

Cliff’s Bar and Grill in Manning, won the 2023 contest.

Looks like I’ll be making a trip to Dunlap soon. Possibly next Saturday when Iowa State has a bye week.

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Now we flip over to Day 2 of the Eclipse Road Trip. I woke up early and decided to take a little spin to a park nearby that had some waterfalls. But on the way there I stopped and took some pictures of an old drive-in movie theater.

Check them out:

So many more pictures from this road trip to left to share!

Adam, Art, Jesse, Ruins, Street Photography, Tenderloining, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 3 & 4

October 4, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

Day 3 of the Liberty Bowl Road Trip was the day of the actual Liberty Bowl. A game that didn’t go very well. I didn’t take very many pictures as most of the day was spent at the game. Afterwards, was in no mood to take pictures. Before the game we went to Gibson’s Donuts. A recommendation from Adam and one that definitely hit the mark. Then we met up with Jon and his friend at Railgarten for a We Will pregame brunch.

Gibson’s was amazing and Railgarten was one of the coolest bars I’ve graced with my presence. It just had a really cool setup.

The next day we loaded up and went back home. That was pretty close to a straight trip home. I only took a few pictures on the trip. So this collection will wrap up the collection of images from the Liberty Bowl Road Trip:

Now I’m through this trip, I can start on pictures from the Eclipse Road Trip!

Animals, Jesse, Night, Street Photography, Travel

Home of the Blues – Day 2 – Bass Pro Shop

September 27, 2024 Christopher D. Bennett

This is the final collection of images I took on Day 2 of the trip to Memphis to see the Liberty Bowl. In fact I didn’t take many pictures on the day of the game and even less on the trip home. So there aren’t many pictures left after this collection.

These pictures were taken at the Bass Pro Shop in Memphis. Which normally wouldn’t be much of an attraction, but the Bass Prop Shop in Memphis is unique. It is a giant pyramid. You won’t get much of the sense of it from these pictures. These are mostly taken from the observation deck.

Liberty Bowl Road Trip - Day 2 - Bass Pro Shop

Just one more collection of images from this trip left to share!