Despite floods, Iowa will have butter cow

It has been a bit more than a month since the floods that caused extensive damage in the Midwest and especially in Iowa. With the rains came a flood of media coverage, of course, as well as a certain amount of confusion about how long and how deeply the state would be affected.

"The national media did cover the flooding extremely well, as they should have," said Nancy Landess of the Iowa Tourism office. "But it gave the perception that the entire state was closed, which is not true."

That will come as a relief to devoted fans of the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, the state's largest annual event.

If past fairs are any indication, this year's installment, which runs through Aug. 17, should again play host to more than a million visitors (www.iowastatefair.com). Some will come for the livestock exhibits, some for "every kind of food imaginable on a stick," as Landess put it, and some for the enduringly popular cow sculpted out of butter.

"People line up to see the butter cow," she said, "and this year, in addition, we're going to have Shawn Johnson in butter."

Johnson, in case you live under a rock, is one of America's most talented female gymnasts, the current world all-around champion and a serious gold medal threat in Beijing.

As you might expect, she is also from Iowa. ("This is actually a big honor," Landess confirmed. The short list of humans given the butter treatment includes Tiger Woods, Elvis and figures from Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper.")

As for the rest of the state, travelers to Iowa should keep in mind that Cedar Rapids was heavily affected by the flooding. Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, was also hard hit, and Hancher Auditorium, a performing arts venue at the college, has canceled its season, Landess said.

For the latest information on post-flood Iowa, as well as a list of tourist attractions, visit the Iowa Tourism Web site at www.iowalifechanging.com.

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On July 14, the State Department began issuing passport cards in addition to traditional passports. The cards are wallet-size documents that are far handier than the alternative.

But before applying for them, travelers should understand exactly what foreign travel the cards do and do not authorize.

First, they can be used by Americans traveling by land or sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. They are not valid for international air travel of any kind and are not valid for travel to any other destination.

A passport card costs $45 for adults, or $20 if you already have a regular passport. The card is valid for 10 years for adults and five years for children 15 and younger.

For those acquiring their first international documentation, our advice is to go with a traditional passport.

But if cost is an issue, the card can be a good value, particularly for children. (It's $35 as opposed to $85 for a regular passport.)

Remember that as of June 1, 2009, Americans will be required to provide a single document that proves citizenship and identity at border crossings; for most people, that will mean a passport or passport card.

Details on how and where to apply for the cards: www.travel.state.gov/passport.