Did you live in Grinnell, or go to the college? If you weren't a student I could understand. If you were a student, why didn't you ask Prof. Andelson? He did his PhD work in the colonies.
The colonies are definitely a good place to visit. Tho' you have to travel a bit further and look carefully to begin to pierce the veil they put up for outsiders. Even then, you are still an outsider.