Exploring Iowa: Dexter

I’m a sucker for scenic drives and vintage highways. So I’m surprised it took me this long to discover the White Pole Road. Part of historic U.S. Route 6, today the White Pole Road is a 26-mile roadway across west-central Iowa that passes through five small towns…

As part of my first trip of 2016, I recently spent the night on the banks of the Mississippi in Hannibal, Missouri. The famous hometown of American author Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain), Hannibal is the perfect little getaway, steeped in history and charm…

A few weekends back on an abnormally warm January Sunday, a friend and I hopped in the car in search of some roadside adventure. We headed northeast of Des Moines to the stretch of the Lincoln Highway that runs through Belle Plaine to check off the first item on my 2015 bucket list…

It’s no secret that I love road trips. And now thanks to Travel Iowa’s Iowa Scenic Byway Passport it’s easier than ever to plan an adventure along the state’s backroads.

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…

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…

I’m not proud of it, but I’ve definitely been known to get “hangry.” If I don’t eat a big enough breakfast or miss a meal while we’re on the road, all of a sudden I’m…

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 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.

After more than 52 hours in the car, seven days of togetherness and more pounds of gummy bears than I would like to admit, I’m back in Des Moines. Our road trip to San Francisco was a phenomenal success and I can’t wait to share all of our adventures…

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…

This month I’m excited to introduce Melissa Dixon of Thirty Something Super Mom. Melissa is based near Cedar Rapids, Iowa and blogs about health, family lifestyle and travel.

Earlier this year, my friends at Travel Iowa reached out to ask if I would be interested in searching the state for Iowa’s hidden shopping gems. Of course I said yes immediately, and started planning my…

So why, you might ask, did I drag my travel partner 20 minutes out of our way to see what is essentially just a giant rock? Great question.