I guess you could say I’m a little obsessed with October. I absolutely love the first few weeks of fall and definitely wouldn’t pass up any chance I get to absorb every last moment of seasonal fun…
Iowa
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…
Together with neighboring Kimballton—home of the Little Mermaid—Elk Horn, Iowa is the largest rural Danish settlement in the United States. So it’s no surprise that the small town is also home to the country’s only working Danish windmill…
I know what you’re thinking, but unfortunately this is not a historic jail for squirrels. Though how hilarious would that be?
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…
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…
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…
I have a thing for old cemeteries. Not in a creepy, morbid way, but I love the intricate carvings and trying to find the oldest headstone…
If you head south of Fairfield, through Keosaqua and along rustic Route J40, you’ll find yourself in the heart of Bonaparte, Iowa. I’d be lying if I said I was expecting to be charmed by this tiny, riverfront town.
But at this point, charmed may be an understatement…
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…