Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome back to Exploring America. State by state after the 10,000 lakes and wilderness canoe country of Minnesota, today we're heading into Iowa, a state of rolling farmland, covered bridges and small town charm that quietly anchors the heart of the Midwest. Iowa is known as the Hawkeye State, and while cornfields genuinely stretch to the horizon in every direction, this is also the state that gave the world famous Field of Dreams, the Bridges of Madison county, and one of the most beloved state fairs in the entire country.
[00:00:32] Iowa rewards travelers willing to slow down and appreciate genuine small town hospitality, a quality this state has in real abundance. From one county to the next. The Great River Road follows the Mississippi along Iowa's eastern border, passing bluffs, small river towns and wide open water views most travelers never expect from a landlocked sounding state. The Loess Hills Scenic Byway winds through a genuinely unique landscape of wind deposited hills in western Iowa, a rare geological formation found in only one other place on earth. Madison County's Covered bridge route connects several of the state's most photographed historic bridges, immortalized by both a best selling novel and a Hollywood film. And the drive through Iowa's Amish country near Kelowna offers quiet farmland and horse drawn buggies sharing the road at a much slower pace. Maquo Keita Cave State park hides an entire network of caves and rock formations most visitors never expect to find in Iowa's rolling farmland. Effigy Mounds National Monument preserves ancient Native American earthworks shaped like animals along the bluffs above the Mississippi River. Pikes Peak State park offers one of the best overlooks of the Mississippi river and anywhere along its entire length, with views stretching into Wisconsin on a clear day. And the small town of Kelowna, home to one of the largest Amish communities in the state, offers genuine handmade goods and home cooking most travelers stumble onto by accident.
[00:02:06] The Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville lets visitors walk out onto the actual baseball diamond built for the beloved film, surrounded by cornfields, exactly as seen on screen decades ago.
[00:02:18] The Bridges of Madison county preserve several historic covered bridges made famous by the novel and film of the same name scattered across genuinely picturesque farmland. The Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, one of the largest and most beloved state fairs in the country, draws visitors for its famous butter cow sculpture and endless lineup of food on a stick. And the Amana Colonies, a collection of historic communal villages, preserve a genuinely unique piece of religious and cultural history through preserved buildings and family style restaurants.
[00:02:52] A few things worth Iowa State Fair food booths charge fair prices for their novelty food on a stick items so budget accordingly if you plan on sampling several different booths in one visit. The Field of Dreams gift shop sometimes charges more than similar souvenirs found in nearby Dyersville shops, so a little browsing around town helps stretch your dollar further. And Covered Bridge tour bundles in Madison county sometimes include more stops than most visitors actually want in one day, so picking your favorite two or three often makes more sense than the full package.
[00:03:29] Iowa's major interstates, I80, I35 and I29 offer wide, well maintained routes connecting Des Moines and the rest of the state comfortably for larger rigs. The terrain is almost entirely flat to gently rolling, making Iowa genuinely easy RV territory outside of the more scenic, curvier roads through the Loess hills. Rural Iowa's county roads connecting the smaller attractions are quiet and comfortable, though narrower in spots, so a bit of extra care around the covered bridges helps for paid camping. Maquokita Caves State park offers a well maintained campground close to the cave trails and rock formations.
[00:04:11] Pike's State park provides a scenic campground with some of the best Mississippi river views in the entire state for free or low cost camping. Yellow River State Forests in the northeastern part of the state allows dispersed camping across public land, a genuinely generous free camping option for a state with limited federal forest land, though specific rules should be confirmed ahead of time. The Amana Colonies offer historic inns housed in genuinely preserved communal buildings, a uniquely immersive way to experience the area's history.
[00:04:44] Downtown Des Moines has a wide range of hotels within walking distance of the state fairgrounds and the growing downtown food scene, and the Iowa Great Lakes region around Okoboji offers lakeside resorts perfect for combining a summer lake vacation with the rest of your Iowa road trip. Amtrak's California Zephyr stops in Osceola, connecting Iowa to Chicago and destinations further west along a single scenic route beyond that stop. Iowa is largely a car dependent state, so a personal vehicle or RV is genuinely the most practical way to see it. Des Moines has a limited local bus system covering the downtown core for visitors basing themselves there. Iowa's food identity centers proudly on hearty homegrown comfort food. The breaded pork tenderloin sandwich, famously oversized and hanging well past the edges of its bunch, is a beloved diner staple, with Iowa often claiming to be its true birthplace. Sweet corn grown across the state's rich farmland shows up fresh at roadside stands throughout the summer months. The Maid Rite Loose Meat Sandwich, a seasoned ground beef sandwich served without the usual patty shape, remains a genuine Iowa original found at dedicated shops statewide and at the state fair Food on a stick covering everything from corn dogs to deep fried candy bars is simply part of the experience.
[00:06:09] Play a pickup game of catch on the actual Field of Dreams diamond surrounded by cornfields exactly like the movie. Tour the Amana colonies and learn about the communal lifestyle that shaped this genuinely unique corner of Iowa history. Attend Ragbraai, the massive week long bike ride crossing the entire state each July if your timing allows for a genuinely unforgettable shared experience.
[00:06:32] And visit the Iowa State Fair in August for the butter cow, food on a stick and a genuine slice of Midwestern culture at its most concentrated.
[00:06:42] Summer brings the Iowa State Fair in mid August, one of the biggest events on the entire state calendar. Ragbraai, the cross state bike ride typically runs in late July and and transform small towns along its route into genuine week long celebrations.
[00:06:59] And the Iowa Great Lakes region around Okoboji sees its busiest, warmest lake season from June through August each year.
[00:07:06] Iowa runs genuinely affordable by national standards, with hearty diner meals often costing well under $15 and camping running 20 to $35 a night at most state parks. The State Fair and Ragbraai both add some cost if you're attending during those specific events, so budget those separately from your baseline travel costs.
[00:07:29] Overall, Iowa delivers strong value for a genuinely charming Midwestern road trip. Cell coverage is strong along the interstates and throughout Des Moines, with reliable signal for navigation and streaming in most populated areas of the state. Coverage drops a bit in the more rural farmland backroads and the Loess Hills region, so download offline maps before heading into those quieter stretches.
[00:07:53] That's Iowa, a state holding cornfield baseball diamonds, covered bridges and genuine small town hospitality all inside one quietly beautiful set of borders. Next time we're heading into Missouri, a state where the Gateway Arch marks the historic entrance to the American west and the Ozark Hills hold genuine small town charm of their own. Pack the cooler and I'll see you there.
