Climbing the Cordova Park Observation Tower

Summer festivals are staples of many small Iowa towns. Earlier this summer my mom and I traveled through the rolling hills of northeast Iowa to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Nordic Fest. While Decorah is a beautiful…

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.

So far this autumn we’ve been lucky enough to have some amazingly mild weather. And so you can take advantage of the changing leaves and warmer temperatures, too, I decided to share a recent day trip I took to Ames and its surrounding area to enjoy some of my fall favorites…

A few weekends ago—on our trip to pick apples and visit the future birthplace of Captain Kirk—a friend and I found ourselves in Cedar Rapids at lunchtime. While I’d admired it from afar, I’d never visited the newly built NewBo City Market in the New Bohemia neighborhood of Cedar Rapids. So naturally it seemed the perfect place for a quick bite to eat…

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.

A few months ago, we made a detour in Cedar Falls for lunch on our way back to Des Moines and stumbled across a welcome surprise: a craft brewery. Not only is SingleSpeed Brewing a great place to grab a drink it’s also home to some truly delicious brews.

It’s no secret that Iowa is full of offbeat attractions and over the years, I’ve visited quite a few. But somehow I’d always missed out on Matchstick Marvels in Gladbrook, Iowa.

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…

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.

Lately I’ve gotten way behind on blogging some of my roadside adventures, but in honor of Memorial Day, it seemed fitting to share this one.

In my travels west of Des Moines, I’ve often breezed by I-80 exit 86 without even knowing about the Freedom Rock…

If you happen to be a Star Trek fanatic—or even if you aren’t—you probably know that Captain James T. Kirk is on the roster of proud Iowans. Granted he won’t be born for another 215 years, but the people of Riverside, Iowa hasn’t let that stop them from celebrating their (future) local celebrity…

One of my favorite parts about the mini road trips we take are the tiny towns that we visit along the way. In this particular case, we found ourselves in West Bend, Iowa to visit the Grotto of the Redemption. But as lunchtime neared and our stomachs began to grumble, we knew we needed to do a little exploring…

If you would have told me a few months ago that one of the world’s most incredible handmade clock collections is located in a small northeast Iowa town, I’m not sure I would have believed you. But after stumbling upon Spillville’s Bily Clock Museum I was blown away.

In my opinion, there’s no better way to embrace the spirit of the season than to support an Iowa-based maker. When I travel, I make a point to eat a local restaurants and support small…