The Riverview Club in Keosauqua
Location: 217 Riverview Drive, Keosauqua, IA; (319) 293-3200
Cost: While this is a Country Club, the pool is open to the public. $3.00 per person or a 12 visit punch card for $30.
Hours: 1:00-7:00 pm Daily. However, there was a sign on the door that said as of June 12, 2010, the pool would open at Noon on Saturdays and Sundays.
Description: This a rectangular pool with a shallow and deep end. The shallow end is about 3 feet - 4 1/2 feet deep. There is a wading pool in a fenced in area for young children. One diving board is located in the deep end.
Rules to Know: The rules are posted and other than no glass in the pool area, we saw every rule that was posted broken while we were there with no redirection from the lifeguard. While one of the posted rules is one person on the diving board at one time, and coincidentally, the boy was redirected about that from another guest, that same guest and his buddies proceeded to see how many people could launch and catch a football while going off the board and that required more than one person on the board at a time. We aren't opposed to the fun or challenge of that, just don't have a rule posted to the contrary or have someone not following the rule redirect someone else for not following the rule.
Food: Gum to pizza with prices ranging from $.10-$2.50. The snacks are sold in the golf pro shop, so beer is available for purchase, too.
Cleanliness: The pool deck was clean, but there is a layer of grime around the inside of the pool. Also, spitting was prevalent--spitting in the water, spitting on the pool deck, spitting through the fence onto the golf course. Lots of spitting! Bathrooms and locker rooms weren't all that scary, just dated.
Friendliness: The other kids interacted with the boy, especially with the 3 frogs he found swimming in the pool. I had put our stuff on 1 of the 12 deck chairs and watched another adult move the chair twice including picking up our shoes, etc. to move the chair out of the way so that chairs could be brought together for the group of adult women who wanted to sit together. I watched from the water and wondered if they were going to ask me if it was OK to move our stuff. I would have replied "yes" or even got out of the water to help, but no question came. I have never had that happen before. Anyone else want to weigh in on pool deck chair etiquette?
Web-site: http://theriverviewclub.com/ Just note that the hours are not accurate on the web-site due to the posted sign of opening at Noon on Saturdays and Sundays.
Pros: The boy loved the frogs and played/swam with them for some time. Water toys such as dive sticks, balls, masks, goggles, etc. are all OK. Not very crowded. The scenery beyond the pool is green and a lovely golf course. There is no view of the river, however, at least from the pool.
Cons: The price compared to what you get in amenities at other pools is a bit steep. We saw the lifeguard checking his phone. The cleanliness of the pool is an issue. To get to the pool you enter the main door at the club, go down a flight of stairs, through another door, pay, turn left to go through the men's or women's locker rooms. Therefore, if you have a child of the opposite sex, they have to leave you to get to the pool.
Fun Factor: It was a hot day in Iowa with a Heat Advisory. The best place to be was in a pool and that is where we were. We stayed for a couple of hours and left. I'm sure that the residents of the community appreciate having a pool for convenient use. The pool is used by people of all ages. Again, the frogs were a hit!
This was our 11th pool of the summer, which is rapidly winding to a close. Click on the other names of pools we have visited to read our reviews: Bloomfield Municipal Pool, Centerville Municipal Pool, Edmundson Park Swimming Pool in Oskaloosa, Fairfield Municipal Pool, Grinnell Mutual Family Aquatic Center, Monroe County Aquatic Center in Albia, Pella Aquatic Center with Adventure River, Sigourney Pool, The Beach Ottumwa, and Veteran's Memorial Aquatic Center in Indianola.
Ironically, the slacker lifeguard who was checking his phone (and obviously not enforcing the rules) was fired later that same day for something unrelated. If the manager or a board member had been there and seen him with his phone he would have been fired on the spot.
ReplyDeleteThe location is fantastic. I haven't been able to take a "real" vacation in a few years, so on a hot day I love to rest my shoulders on the north edge of the pool, look out over the trees, and pretend I'm somewhere other than SE Iowa. Not that there's anything wrong with SE Iowa, but there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing."
I have to say a word about the staff. My daughter went to a birthday pool party at the Riverview Club, but unfortunately the pump had gone out that morning and the pool couldn't be used. The girls were so disappointed that they changed into their swimming suits anyway while they played upstairs in the banquet hall. The groundskeeper, Mark, brought out a green sprinkler for the kids to play in, which they enjoyed almost as much as they would have the pool. What a thoughtful guy!
I think the "layer of grime" might be the result ofthe pump being broken and the water sitting there not being filtered for a week. At least, I don't remember it being there before the pump broke and noticed it the first time I was there after it was fixed.
And as far as the rampant spitting goes......You just need to remember how close we are to Missouri!!
Fired? Things must have been worse than what we caught on the camera. Ironically, the same social media the guard was trying to access via his phone may have cost him is job.
ReplyDeleteI, too, put rested my shoulders against the north edge of the pool. I just had a hard time escaping.
Too bad about the broken pump. A bucket of warm sudsy water and a stiff brush would take care of the layer.
I am sure the staff is very nice. We only talked to one staff member and she was busy making a pizza.
And, no matter how close folks are to Missour, spitting is just gross!