Summer is the perfect time to hit the open road. And in Iowa, there’s always somewhere unique to explore. From man made marvels and haunted historic sites to record-breaking roadside attractions and more, the state…
Villisca Ax Murder House
If you’re not from Iowa and not into cycling, chances are you’ve probably never heard of RAGBRAI. Each summer, thousands of (potentially crazy) cyclists embark on a week-long ride across the state of Iowa. RAGBRAI (which stands for the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) began in 1973 when Des Moines Register feature writers John Karras and Donald Kaul decided to go on a bicycle ride across Iowa.
While I won’t be riding this year, I thought it might be fun to create a road trip inspired by the 2016 route, which winds through the small towns of southern Iowa.
In the past 12 months, I’ve explored lots of corners of Iowa and even checked a few new states off my bucket list. I’ve marveled at new giant, roadside oddities and learned more about Iowa’s history. I’ve put a few too many miles on my already tired car and traveled to both ends of the state…
I’m not usually one for haunted houses or scary movies, but in the spirit of Halloween spookiness I decided to make an exception. While I haven’t visited all of these (and I probably don’t plan to), here are five of Iowa’s most notoriously haunted spots…
When you tell your friends and co-workers that your weekend plans involve visiting a “murder house” in southwest Iowa, expect to receive some strange looks. Now that winter is finally over (or I least I hope it is) I’m back to weekend roadtripping and decided to kick off the season with a trip to the Villisca Ax Murder House…