Tag Archives: Vail

Off To The Races!

Growing up Vail meant fending for ourselves when it came to recreation.  As Marty has shared, often the fending for fun could edge toward activities parents today would find horrifying.  Hell, for all I know, our parents were horrified too.  … Continue reading

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A Brief Tale

Have you ever gone skinny dipping? If you were a boy living in Vail, Iowa, during the 1950s and 1960s there was just about no way to avoid the practice of diving into a farm pond sans clothing or swim … Continue reading

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Teen Curfews Can Be Comical

A recent blog was focused on how us Vail, Iowa, kids got our exercise during the day.  We didn’t stop there; we also exercised at night.  Nighttime exercise was more vigorous than daytime exercise. The town of Vail hired nightwatchmen … Continue reading

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The Vail Independent Basketball Tournament

The Vail Independent Basketball Tournament was a cornerstone of our youth in Vail, Iowa; a waymark in the passage of every year, for every kid growing up in Vail.  The Tourney was sponsored each January by the Knights of Columbus, … Continue reading

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Midnight Saving Time

The town of Vail, Iowa, has a population of fewer than 500 residents.  Nonetheless, it has a swimming pool.  It’s not a publicly-owned government pool, but a community pool ran by community activists and volunteers which has been in existence … Continue reading

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42 Capons

During my packing plant career in the 1970s and 80s, I would spend Friday afternoons or evenings in a Vail, Iowa, bar. Whether it was Lucky’s, Homer’s, the Longbranch, or the American Legion Club, I could be found in one … Continue reading

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