Although Lewis and Clark would seem to be the first visitors to this area when their expedition stayed at what is known today as Long’s Landing; French and Spanish explorers and traders came to Council Bluffs for close to 100 years before. Today Council Bluffs is an up to date city with many businesses and its beautiful new and large Mid-America center. This facility is the scene of concerts and other performances by top name entertainers in its arena as well as hosting conventions and trade shows in its spacious convention area. Veterans’ Plaza in Bayliss park combines a Vietnam Memorial in the form of a memorial topped by a statue modeled after one of Council Bluffs’s own, who died in that conflict, and a wall that lists every Pottawattamie County veteran from the Civil War to the Persian Gulf War and the war on terrorism. This wall has a unique bronze statue of a couple pointing to a place on the wall. This is a city of many parks, maintaining more than 27 of them. There is a unique feature at River’s Edge park. In the midst of this large open space on the river a light show takes place each and every day. The lawn is activated every half hour starting at dusk with powerful dynamic and robotic lighting fixtures presenting lighted sequences and features which are keyed to the movement of people on the lawn. You can be entertained at Bayliss park and it does not cost you a cent. Just attend the free concert series every Wednesday night from June to September or free movies every Friday night from June to August.