Exploring Crystal Lake Cave in Dubuque, Iowa

Since I’m not an Iowa native, I didn’t grow up visiting the State of Iowa Historical Building or the Iowa Capitol on countless school trips, and for one reason or another, I’d never gotten around to going. That is, until recently.

Before the haze of hectic holiday plans hit, I took the afternoon to explore the Historical Building and visit its temporary Hollywood in the Heartland exhibit…

As the snow melts and the trees begin to bloom, there’s a certain energy that returns to the air, especially in a place with harsh winters like Iowa. But no more so than in the early days of summer. As a kid, that meant never wearing shoes, devouring endless books for summer reading, picking raspberries in the backyard, and escaping to the lake for a long weekend.

Even though I no longer have summers off, I try to approach summer with the same sense of excitement. And while I’m not a big fan of the oppressive humidity or buzzing mosquitos that accompany the season, there are a lot of things I absolutely adore about Des Moines in the summer.

In the past few years, I’ve noticed there are a surprising number of places to enjoy a craft beer in Des Moines (and even more across Iowa). In fact, the newly opened Iowa Taproom showcases 120 taps from more than 20 Iowa breweries.

In honor of Des Moines Beer Week, I decided to compile some of my favorite local spots into an ultimate guide to breweries in Des Moines and the surrounding area.

One of the things I love most about Iowa is its unique neighborhoods and unexpected heritage sites located within larger cities. In Cedar Rapids, one of those cultural influences happens to be Czech.

Today the area just across the river from the thriving New Bohemia neighborhood is known as the Czech Village. Once home to many Czech and Slovak immigrants, this part of Cedar Rapids is filled with interesting architecture, cultural symbols, and restaurants and bakeries serving traditional delicacies.

Disclosure: I attended Harvestville Farm‘s farm-to-table dinner on a freelance assignment for Travel Iowa‘s Made in Iowa series. Travel Iowa covered my expenses and I was compensated for my writing. However, all opinions are my own. Earlier this…

Even though I’ve traveled through the eastern part of Iowa on my journeys to Chicago to visit family, somehow I’d never made it south to Burlington, Iowa. So when my mom and I spent the weekend in the Villages of Van Buren we made a slight detour to tick something off my 2015 travel bucket list…

Dubuque has always been a place I’ve wanted to explore. Nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River, the northwest Iowa town is just a stones throw from the Illinois and Wisconsin borders. After some amateur spelunking at Crystal Lake Cave, we spent the better part of Saturday morning exploring Dubuque, including taking a ride on the Fenelon Place Elevator…

Driving the back roads out of Dyersville, the field is almost entirely obscured by cornstalks until you round a corner and it suddenly flies into view. Stepping out of my car on a hot summer afternoon with the corn towering high overhead, it’s easy to see how people have been inspired by the magic of these fields for more than 25 years…

Driving through Dubuque’s Historic Millwork District, it’s not difficult to imagine the hustle and bustle of the area’s industrial past. Located on the banks on the Mississippi River, one of the most intriguing parts of that history is Dubuque’s historic shot tower.

As we studied our handy Madison County map—complete with all the standing Bridges of Madison County and John Wayne’s birthplace—we happened to spot Clark Tower, a three-story limestone structure hidden in Winterset City Park…

One of the best things about Bentonsport, Iowa—aside from the Village B&B—is it’s size. The unincorporated community has a population of about 40 and even if you’re moving pretty leisurely, you can make a lap around the whole village in less than half an hour.

While there’s a pretty small chance of you missing something on your exploration of Bentonsport, I wanted to put together a small walking tour of some of my favorite places…

Unless you spend an inordinately large amount of time along Des Moines’ southern riverfront or happen have the same running route as I do, you’ve probably never noticed the tiny log cabin just off the parking lot of Principal Park. I first happened upon it a few years back while taking advantage of the downtown trail systems training for a half marathon, and since then it’s been one of my favorite hidden gems…

Other than Kirsten the American Girl Doll or my love for Pippi Longstocking, I have no real ties to Sweden. And while I do love Swedish meatballs, I don’t have any real Swedish heritage.

So it might seem a little strange that I drove a bit out of my way to visit the Swedish Heritage Museum in Swedesburg, Iowa. But Swedish or not, the trip was definitely worth it…

After touring John Wayne’s birthplace and exploring Clark Tower, our stomachs were growling so we decided to celebrate the unseasonably warm November weather with an ice cream cone at Frostee’s…

Des Moines Day Trips is a series of unexpected itineraries for one- or two-day adventures across the state of Iowa. Find ways to explore unique roadside attractions and discover local history without leaving the state! Start your…