Top diplomats from dozens of countries will arrive in Iowa next week to take a five-day crash course on everything Iowan. Senator Chuck Grassley will be shepherding the group of ambassadors, their spouses, family members and friends all over the state. Grassley says the guests are from 74 nations, the largest-ever group on the “Ambassadors Tour,” which he hosts every other year.Grassley says the tour is designed to bring knowledge of Iowa’s exports and our businesses to the ambassadors in the embassies in Washington D-C and to promote an understanding of Iowa. The full group should number about 140. They’ll be traveling in three buses and several cars, escorted by three Iowa Highway Patrol cruisers. The trip is being paid for by donations from several Iowa businesses and individuals. Grassley has been hosting the tours since 1986 as a way to showcase Iowa’s resources and people. He says the ambassadors and guests will be staying in the private homes of Iowans for three of the four nights, sampling our hospitality. The dignitaries will arrive Monday and will visit several business, factories, high-tech facilities and a family farm during the week, which they’ll conclude on Friday with a stop at the Iowa State Fair. Communities on the list include: Des Moines, Marshalltown, Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Charles City, Waverly, Denver, Dubuque,Cedar Rapids, Amana, Iowa City, Williamsburg, Grinnell, Prairie City, and West Des Moines.
