Sunrises and Sunsets in Iowa!

Sunsets in My Neighborhood!

Although the primary theme of my blog is travel, I can’t resist sharing some beautiful sunsets from my own neighborhood in Iowa City, Iowa.  After all, it’s my blog and I can go a little off topic if I want to!

I don’t have to travel far to see beautiful sunsets.  These seven photos were taken from my front door, looking across the street at my neighbors’ houses.

And this photo was taken about a half hour’s drive from our house, at Coralville Lake.

We had interesting colors in the sky shortly after sunset on June 9, 2018. This photo shows what I saw when I looked out the front door of our house.  It reminds me of the purple sky color that people in Scotland refer to as “the gloaming”.

I love seeing the sun reflect off the edges of clouds. In this case, the clouds on June 15, 2017 were very dramatic and worthy of a photo!

On June 6, 2019 the sunset offered two different works of art.  The earlier one was more subtle colors, and the later one more vibrant. Both were worth taking the time to capture them with my camera:

Sometimes, it’s not possible to watch the sun set because of storms passing through. These clouds looked much darker and more menacing in person than they do in the photo. They were the leading edge of a real toadstrangler (strong thunderstorm). The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm warning, so of course I needed to head out into my driveway to capture this photo of it approaching!

Coralville Lake and North Liberty

There’s a lake about a half hour’s drive from our house known as Coralville Lake or the Coralville Reservoir.  It’s near the town of North Liberty, Iowa.

Also at Coralville Lake, this photo was taken June 6, 2019 from the docks at Bobbers Restaurant near North Liberty, Iowa.

One evening while in North Liberty, Iowa at sunset, I captured this scene:

The City of Coralville

This photo was taken May 25, 2019 of the sun setting over Coralville, Iowa, as seen from the bridge that goes over the Iowa River at Iowa River Power restaurant.

The Moon

After the sun has set, then it’s time to appreciate the moon!  Here are some photos of the moon.  All were taking in the vicinity of Iowa City and Coralville, Iowa.

On September 27, 2015, we had a beautiful view of the Blood Moon, which occurs when a lunar eclipse covers the full moon, causing it to take on an eerie reddish color. Our neighborhood held an eclipse viewing party so we could watch the eclipse progress together as a group.

One of our favorite restaurants for casual dining is Bobber’s, which resides on the shores of Coralville Lake outside of North Liberty, Iowa. We timed our visit on September 17, 2016 so we could be there at moonrise, watching the full moon rise over the lake.

I visited my brothers at our family farm near Strawberry Point, Iowa on October 16, 2016.  This photo shows the full moon rising behind the barn.

On November 15, 2016, we had a beautiful view of the moon rising behind the houses across the street from our house. I grabbed my cell phone and sneaked onto the lawn of our neighbor across the street so I could take this photo. Fortunately, that neighbor is a close friend, and I knew she wouldn’t object to my trespassing!

On May 14, 2018 my husband and I were driving around Iowa City when the full moon began to rise.  We pulled off the road into a park so I could take this photo.

Other Sunset Photo Galleries On My Blog

• Sunsets and More on a Caribbean Cruise.  The Caribbean Sea offers spectacular sunsets, as well as beautiful views of the ocean waves themselves.
• African Sunsets.  In Senegal and Morocco.
• Egypt by Night: Sunrises, Sunsets, and Moons.  Enjoy additional African sunsets via these photos I took in Egypt.