Iowa Bucket List

[greenwald]

I've previously posted about my worthwhile visits to the "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville, as well as the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, but here's a few other unique locations within the great state of Iowa that you could make day trips to or catch in and out of the Des Moines MOA Rally:

Winterset (40 mi. SW of Des Moines) - birthplace of John Wayne.

Madison County (SW of Des Monies) - 6 covered bridges featured in "The Bridges of Madison County."

Dubuque - Eagles Point, where eagles congregate, and you overlook barges and locks on the mighty Mississippi River.

Ledges State Park / Dolliver Memorial State Park (NW of Des Moines) - canyons and the river town of Lehigh.

Boone (NW of Des Moines) - birthplace of Mamie Eisenhower, and the Boone & Valley Scenic Railroad, where you can have dinner on a train ride.

Pella (45 mi. SE of Des Moines) - Dutch bakeries, town square and a working 1850's windmill within an historical village.

Le Mars - "Ice Cream Capital of America" and home to Blue Bunny ice cream (tours).

Mason City - 40,000 sq ft. replica of the town square, where some of "The Music Man" was filmed.

Amana Colonies (100 mi. E of Des Moines, just N of I-80) - Handmade furniture, art stores, antiques and quaint restaurants, within 7 small German 'villages.'



*My thanks to Terry Goepferich, a fellow GWRRA member and resident of Des Moines, who provided portions of this information!

 

[glenfiddich]

The Ice Cave in Decorah up in the NE corner - pretty much the entire NE area is nice riding

Riverside about 20 minutes south of Iowa City is the future birthplace of Captain James T Kirk

Just to the west of Riverside is Kalona, center of Amish tourism. From there head north to the Amana colonies and check out the differences in those two cultures.

Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa

Villages of Van Buren - Moravia to Drakesville to Keosauqua to Bonaparte to Farmington is a very scenic ride

 

[brianhinton]

Thank you for posting! We need to add these to the rally page!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[lee]

Dubuque - Eagles Point, where eagles congregate, and you overlook barges and locks on the mighty Mississippi River.

Pikes Peak State Park south of McGregor and Mt Hosmer Park in Lansing has nice overlooks of the Mississippi.

 

[greenwald]

Pikes Peak State Park south of McGregor and Mt Hosmer Park in Lansing has nice overlooks of the Mississippi.

No arguement there. Just had personal experience with Eagles Point. Have not been to the two you mention ............ yet!

 

[beemerchuck]

Frank Lloyd Wright house

About 25 miles east of Waterloo, just south of 20 near Quasqueton is cedar rock park. The Walter house, built by Frank Lloyd Wright is open for tours. This house is just as Wright designed it. Few Wright homes are open for tours and fewer yet have all their original furnishing. The tour is free, but donations are accepted.

 

[lee]

About 25 miles east of Waterloo, just south of 20 near Quasqueton is cedar rock park. The Walter house, built by Frank Lloyd Wright is open for tours. .

I want to check that out sometime.
Thanks.

 

[ahd43]

The Clark Tower in Winterset.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clark_Tower

 

[179212]

Bucket List



Lots of neat stuff
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

 

[pglaves]

View attachment 67659

Lots of neat stuff
Mt. Pleasant, Iowa

45 years ago Mount Pleasant had a Phillips 66 Baskin Robbins Cheese Store. I wonder if it is still there? Gas up, have an ice cream cone, and take a round of cheese home too.

 

[59312]

45 years ago Mount Pleasant had a Phillips 66 Baskin Robbins Cheese Store. I wonder if it is still there? Gas up, have an ice cream cone, and take a round of cheese home too.

Not sure if it's the same station but 3 or 4 years ago we stopped for gas in just such a place. It was full of Amish girls getting ice cream.

 

[alancoles]

About 25 miles east of Waterloo, just south of 20 near Quasqueton is cedar rock park. The Walter house, built by Frank Lloyd Wright is open for tours. This house is just as Wright designed it. Few Wright homes are open for tours and fewer yet have all their original furnishing. The tour is free, but donations are accepted.

We've got that stop scheduled in to around noon the day of our arrival. Very much looking forward to such a great time capsule.

 

[rguy]

Buddy Holly crash site near Clear Lake.

 

[SeabeckS]

And don’t y’all forget to see where I first lived at 928 North 2nd St in Fort Dodge.

They haven’t put up the Memorial Plaque...yet.

 

[greenwald]

And don’t y’all forget to see where I first lived at 928 North 2nd St in Fort Dodge.

They haven’t put up the Memorial Plaque...yet.

Ahhhh - Fort Dodge.

Twice rode the bike there and visited a friend who is a retired school teacher - ate lunch at the Village Inn on N. 15th Street (was within walking distance of her condo) - nice food and atmosphere.

Will look for your plaque next visit.

 

[SeabeckS]

Ahhhh - Fort Dodge.

Twice rode the bike there and visited a friend who is a retired school teacher - ate lunch at the Village Inn on N. 15th Street (was within walking distance of her condo) - nice food and atmosphere.

Will look for your plaque next visit.

Remember to bring your reading glasses, the print is pretty small!

We only lived in Iowa until I was seven, my parents divorced before that. A silver lining to my early retirement was re-connecting with my dad’s side of the family. Thirteen aunts and uncles that I didn’t know even existed, plus 42 first cousins. I grew up in the West, and can’t believe how flat it is in Iowa. I still love that corn though!

Cheers!

 

[daleah]

Couple more for the list:

Snake Alley in Burlington, its a tossup which is more crooked, Snake Alley or Muholland drive in S.F. If you check it out, stop for lunch or a snack the Ivy bake shop and cafe.

There is also a replica Tardis on Burlington, but it's inside a store, so you need to go when they are open.

Fairfield, Iowa, the golden dome, learn how to levitate.

Davenport, Iowa, Palmer college of Chiropractic (also first chiro college in the US).

Iowa 80 truck stop. West of Davenport on I-80. Worlds largest truck stop.

World's largest strawberry - Strawberry Point, ia

World's largest frying pan - Brandon, ia

I think I read that the old prison in fort Madison is open for tours.

Kate Shelley high bridge, boone, IA. one of the highest and longest double track railroad bridges in the US.

it's always fun to look up oddities on RoadsideAmerica.com. You can search by state.

On our website DriftlessRoadAdventures.com, we have a list of other points of interest in northeast Iowa. We have several route pages already complete with a list of Points of Interest on each page. We expect to have the rest of the Iowa routes done prior to the July Rally.

 

[lee]

Pella (45 mi. SE of Des Moines) - Dutch bakeries, town square and a working 1850's windmill within an historical village.

We were in Pella this weekend for a wedding.

 

[lee]

The town square is 40 miles SE of the Fairground if you take hwy 63.

 

[lee]

Good selection of Craft beers.