IOWA

As we head out on this new adventure of empty nesting we also set out on the journey of nomadic living. We aren’t completely devoid of a permanent home yet but we will be in EhVan down by the river until Thanksgiving. EhVan is a Host Mammoth truck camper that is in the back of our red Ford F450. Our goal for this fall is to visit all the SEC stadiums, but because of timing we had 2 weeks between dropping the last one out of the nest and the start of the football season. So, Iowa was a logical place to spend that time as we toured a part of the country we have never visited. It also helped us check off some of the “I’ve Been Everywhere” locations. We aren’t satisfied with a bucket list, so we have several bucket spreadsheets of different things we would like to check off. We have a spreadsheet of our lists of spreadsheets. Have I mentioned we both have engineering degrees?

As you head north from Columbia, MO corn fields start to slowly decorate the roadsides as you near Iowa. By the time you reach Iowa whatever window you look out you see corn. Iowa is gently rolling hill after gently rolling hill of corn until you hit a city or water. The Mississippi River on the eastern edge of the state has created many spectacular views from cliff edges and just a bit in from the river the state is populated with caves. The Missouri River is the western border giving more of an industrial feel to the state. But up in the northwest corner the are living the Salt Life minus the salt around Lake Okoboji and Great Spirit Lake.

Here are top 5 things from our summer trip to Iowa.

  1. The Iowa State Fair- We very much enjoyed this fun outdoor event. Lots of things to see, do, and eat. The multiple outdoor concerts and beautiful grounds made just sitting on a bench enjoyable. In fact the plethora of seating was another positive part.
  2. Iowa80 trucking museum- We pulled off because of the World’s Largest Truck stop but the less conspicuous trucking museum on the other side of the truck entrance was the part we enjoyed the most. So many different trucks.
  3. Maquekta Caves State Park- We had some issues with the lack of signage on the trails but the caves were interesting and fun to explore.
  4. Surf Ballroom free Wednesday night concert- The ballroom would be interesting any time because of the history but getting to dance the night away just like the bobbysocks of the 50s made it so much fun.
  5. Arnold’s Park- This was a lovely evening as we had dinner overlooking the lake and then fun in the Amusement park. It wasn’t just the fun speedy rollercoaster but the pretty views on the Ferris wheel and general laid back atmosphere.