OtTuMwA,
Iowa
Nestled in the center of Wapello County and the heart
of southeast Iowa, the city of Ottumwa pleasantly sur-
prises its visitors – first with the beauty of the Des Moines
River that flows through the middle of town followed by
the wide variety of things to do. Famously known as the
home to fictional character Radar O’Reilly of M*A*S*H and
actor Tom Arnold who was born and raised in Ottumwa,
there are other notables about Ottumwa and the area.
Those giant foam #1 fingers seen at most sporting
events? That’s right, in 1971 Ottumwa High School Stu-
dent Steve Chmelar constructed the first prototype of the
foam finger for the Boy’s State Basketball Finals. Or, you
can visit the farmhouse made famous by artist Grant
Wood’s painting, American Gothic.
Mar
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ain
Ottumwa is home to miles of
trails, hundreds of acres of
parks, historical museums, an an-
tique air museum, authentic His-
panic culture, art galleries, concert
venues, a convention and performing arts
center, an indoor/outdoor aquatic center and
much more.
Many of the restaurants are locally owned,
having their own story to tell. The Iowa Galli-
vant blogger dubbed Ottumwa “The Land of
10,000 Tacos,” naming Mimi’s Taqueria and
Bakery the “2016 Best Hometown Tacos in
128 | Winter 2017 | Food Traveler
Iowa.” The most famous eatery, however is
Canteen Lunch in The Alley, specializing in
loose meat sandwiches and homemade pies.
The original restaurant opened in 1927 before
moving to its current site in 1936 and was
made even more famous when it became the
model for the “Lanford Lunchbox” featured in
the sitcom Roseanne. The alley where the
Canteen is located will host “The Canteen
World Loose Meat Sandwich Eating Champi-
onship” sanctioned and hosted by Major
League Eating on June 2, 2018. It will be an
event you won’t want to miss. Come for a visit
and Let Us Surprise You!