Iowa - America's Heartland

We moved to Iowa in the fall of 2004 after taking a job that brought us to Ames – the home of Iowa State University. During our nearly three years here, we have gotten out to see a little of what the state has to offer in the way of sights and dining opportunities. Des Moines is the capital and is pretty much in the dead center Iowa and is easily accessible via car or plane.

Des Moines sits at America’s crossroads of I35 (which runs north/south from Canada to Mexico) and I80 (which reaches coast to coast from San Francisco to New York City). The city itself is relatively small for a capital city but then again, Iowa is primarily agriculture and farming. Corn, soybeans and hogs are the primary product of the state which is also the leading research and production center for renewable energy, primarily in the form of ethanol fuels.

Among the rural farmland, however, there are several historical sights worth exploring. Living in Iowa makes everything no further than a two and a half hour drive in any direction, so day trips are easily accomplished. People may not know that Iowa is the birthplace of such famous Americans as John Wayne (Winterset), America’s 31st President Herbert Hoover (West Branch) and Mamie Eisenhower (Boone). Each has a museum in their home towns which are open to visitors.

Iowa’s “can do” spirit is abundant throughout as well. Perhaps the best example that can be found is at the Amana Colonies, a German settlement approximately an hour from the Mississippi River that was established in the mid 1850s. While the communal lifestyle flourished until the Great Depression, when in 1932 they voted to end communal living. Today visitors to Iowa should plan to take a day to explore the buildings and industry of the Midwest.

If gambling is something that you enjoy, you will not have to travel far to find casinos and opportunities to try your luck. Some of the nicest can be found in Des Moines, Council Bluffs and Dubuque. There is also a Native American operated casino and bingo hall located in Tama, approximately one hour from Des Moines.

Quick Tips:

For the romantic at heart, a drive through Madison County to see the landmarks featured in the love story “Bridges of Madison County” staring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep is a must do. Just 30 minutes southwest of Des Moines, this is an interesting drive tour through Winterset, the actual filming location of the Hollywood feature movie. You can even have lunch at the diner counter where Robert Kincaid sat as he learned about small town gossips.

For those interested in sports movies, you can see the location that made the phrase “build it and they will come” famous in the movie “Field of Dreams” which is about 20 minutes west of Dubuque in Dyersville, Iowa. The movie attraction is open from April until October and is free of charge. Bring your ball, bat, and glove as the site offers visitors the opportunity to play ball on the same farmland baseball field as Kevin Costner.

Many areas that one may want to explore offer wonderful bed-and-breakfast establishments, creating the opportunity to make a day trip a full weekend immersion experience. There are also many budget type hotels and motels that offer clean accommodations at a very reasonable price. If you are passing through Iowa, it is possible to take in a detour trip to spend time at many of the local historical sites as most are within 30 minutes of either I35 or I80 so depending on what direction you’re traveling, you should be able to find a nice diversion to break up that long road trip.

If you are driving, you may want to stop at one of the plentiful rest stops along the way. You will find highway traveler guides that offer discounted hotel and restaurant coupons for many cities along your path through the state.

If you are planning a trip to Iowa, you may be hard pressed to find enough to do for a full week’s vacation . . . and then again, maybe you will have no trouble doing so. It’s hard to estimate since everyone’s interests are different. There are timeshare resorts in lake communities such as Panorama Lake, Spirit Lake and Okoboji Lake, where visitors can relax and unwind from the day-to-day grind of city life. While some may quickly grow bored of such a vacation, it may be just what the doctor’s ordered!

Best Way To Get Around:

If you are driving to or through Iowa, there is much to see and do along your journey’s path. I would encourage you to try to make the most of your time by planning a stop in Iowa that would allow you to incorporate a visit to one of the many points of interest there. If an overnight stay will not fit in your travel plans, many sites can be seen and explored in just a couple of hours. Of course, the more time you have to spend in an area, the more you will get to see and do!

Des Moines is very accessible via airline. Delta, American, United, Northwest, and Midwest all offer daily service in and out of the capital city. You can also find decent airline accessibility to Cedar Rapids, which was the host city for the 1991 WIBC Bowling Championships . . . my first trip to Iowa! Council Bluffs is serviced by the airport in Omaha, Nebraska about 30 minutes away.

Flying into Iowa will require renting a car as everything outside of the capital city is at least half an hour away. Besides, driving is the best way to really see the beauty of this rich farmland. You may be surprised to find that while parts of Iowa are very flat and rather unimpressive, there are a lot of areas that have rolling hills and valleys. The waterways through the state are also very nice, with lakes providing wonderful boating, fishing and vacationing spots.

If RVing is your preferred method of travel, rest assured knowing that there are a lot of nice campgrounds throughout the state!

Located in the center of Amana, the largest of the seven Amana Colonies, the Ox Yoke Inn Restaurant is a delight that holds true to the original Amana Colonies style of meals. Served family style, meals are delicious and ample. We stopped in for dinner early on a Saturday evening, without reservations. While not a problem this early in the season (April), it is highly recommended that reservations are secured especially for weekend dining.

As we entered the main part of the restaurant we were taken back by just how large it was inside. There were several dining rooms throughout the main level. Once seated, we were immediately greeted by our server who provided beverages and an overview of what family dining was all about. Once we had our dinner entrees ordered, she brought us two bowls of “cold salads” which for that night were coleslaw and cottage cheese with chives. The coleslaw was exceptionally crisp and flavorful. The cottage cheese was also very good. With the salads came a small basket of locally baked rolls, served with butter and homemade strawberry jam. Mmmmm good!

For entrees, I ordered the kasseler rippchen and David had the jager schnitzel. Both were pork dishes; mine being a large center cut pork chop and his a breaded loin with a dark mushroom sauce. The side dishes were also served in bowls to be shared . . . mashed potatoes, brown gravy, kernel corn and sauerkraut. The mashed potatoes were lumpy, just the way we like them. While I don’t eat sauerkraut, David said it was outstanding.

I enjoyed my pork chop just fine, it was moist, flavorful, and tasted a lot like a nice lean cut of ham. David let me sample his jager schnitzel, which was outstanding. The mushroom sauce really complemented the flavor of the pork. The meat simply melted in my mouth. With the German music playing in the background, it felt as though we had been transported back to the old country of Bavaria.

After dinner, our server brought around the wonderful tray of homemade pies and cakes they have to offer for dessert. Not able to eat another bite, we both passed this time. Maybe next time, we will have to save room and take in their homemade treats.

Our meal including tax and gratuity was just under $35. We felt that we had an exceptional dining experience with good value and would highly recommend the Ox Yoke Inn to anyone planning a visit to the Amana Colonies. Also, if you find yourself traveling through Iowa on I80, they have another location out on the interstate at exit 225. They feature largely the same lunch and dinner menu and meal preparations as their original restaurant in Amana. In addition, they are also open for breakfast, which the Amana location is not. I should also note that they do offer beer, wine, and mixed cocktails if you desire a more adult beverage.

The Amana Colonies were founded by Germans who had left their Buffalo, NY homes to find a better life in the Midwest. This religious group founded seven communal villages which by design were one hour by ox cart from one another. In the communal village culture, the community owned all of the buildings and land, with residents contributing to the village through their work effort. Communal schools, kitchens, and churches existed in each village to support those who resided there. With the depression came, question as to whether or not their communal lifestyle was still viable. A vote was taken in 1932 to dissolve the communal system. Many of the original buildings remain in tact today and are open for visitors to gain a glimpse into what it was like to live in the Amana Colonies during the early 20th century.

There are seven communities that make up what is known today as the Amana Colonies: South Amana, West Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, East Amana, Homestead and Amana. Many of the communities are very small with little in the way of visitors’ sites, with a majority of the interesting shops and artisans in Amana. The Amana Heritage Society features seven historical sites which may be visited individually or as part of a complete tour package. Because we visited early in April, many of the buildings were not yet open season. More information about hours of operation and fees can be found at: www.amanaheritage.org.

Because there is so much to see and do in Amana, I will feature that village in a separate review. This review will highlight the South, West, and Middle Amana villages.

As you leave I80 for the Amana Colonies Loop Road (Rt. 220), you will have a choice of which direction to go. We choose to visit South and West Amana first. South Amana features a handful of original buildings including those that today are the Mini-Americana Barn Museum and the Communal Agricultural Museum. The Communal Agricultural Museum is one of the oldest museums in the colonies and features farming tools and implements from the era. Photographs also tell the story of the Nation’s largest communal farm here in Iowa.

In West Amana we enjoyed our time at the Broom & Basket Shop and the Wood Shop. In the Broom & Basket Shop the woman at the main counter was weaving a picnic basket while an older gentleman was teaching a young girl how to make a witch’s broom. It was very interesting to watch him help her to make her very own broom! (See the photo attached to this review.) We then went next door to see Iowa’s largest walnut rocking chair . . . and my was it huge! You can see David sitting up in the chair in the attached photo. It has over 300’ of walnut and weighs nearly 700 pounds and took 75 hours to make. In the shop there were a lot of very nice handmade wooden crafts and household items including picture frames, kitchen implements like rolling pins, and cutting boards and some lovely end tables. Children of all ages could have fun playing with and trying to put together the wooden jigsaw puzzles.

From West Amana we headed over to Middle Amana which for our April visit was a bit of a bust. Hahn’s Original Hearth Oven Bakery had already sold out their day’s goods and were closed by 1pm. Next door the Communal Kitchen and Copper Shop was still closed for the season scheduled to reopen Memorial Day weekend. The Communal Kitchen last served a community meal in 1932 and has been preserved to what it looked like when that last meal was served there. Part of the Amana Heritage Society, a guided tour is offered to visitors to tell stories of what living in the Amana Colonies was like during its communal living era.

We did not visit East Amana as we were told there are no public buildings or shops there. We also did not have time to venture down to Homestead, where there are several more of the Amana Historical Society sites including the Amana Community Church Museum, the Homestead Blacksmith Shop, and the Homestead Store Museum. Again all of these sites along the seven stop tour reopen Memorial Day weekend and welcome visitors throughout the summer until mid to late September.

I hope that we will have the opportunity to visit Amana Colonies again this summer when more of the buildings, museums and exhibits are open to the public.

We enjoyed a lovely spring afternoon visiting the Amana Colonies, located approximately 75 minutes from Des Moines. We started at the far southern and western end of the 10 mile loop road, ending our tour here in Amana. Here there is the largest number of historical buildings and modern day shops, including restaurants and wineries. We first drop down through the main village street to get a general feel of what there was here to see and do, and parked at the far end at the Amana Woolen Mill.

At this end of the town, there was a lot to see and do, and plenty of places to spend money. We started in the Amana Woolen Mills which is celebrating their 150th anniversary this year! Today they largely use more modern equipment to weave their wool fabrics, but it was very interesting to read about and to see the photos of the original processes used over 100 years ago. There is also a video in the factory area that tells about how blankets are made today at Amana Woolen Mill.

The blankets and other products made here are beautiful and very reasonably priced. I was actually surprised at how affordable they were. While we didn’t have anyone to buy for, it was quite tempting since they were also offering a special deal on their blankets; buy two and get the third for free. Most typical size blankets ran between $50 and $75, with more being charged for those full sized beds. They also had a nice assortment of woolen mittens, mukluks, scarves, and ponchos.

Across the street from the woolen mill was the Millstream Brewery, one of several micro-brews still producing beers in the Amana Colonies an the oldest in Iowa. With drought beer available for onsite consumption, you can also buy six pack bottles to go. We were especially intrigued by the gentleman in front of us in the line, who had a clear gallon jug which he says is part of their refill program. You buy the empty jug for $9 and can come back to have it refilled for $9 as many times as you want for “take out” off premises consumption. Better yet, every 10th refill of the jug is free . . . a great deal for locals!

David tried their Generations White Ale and I opted for their homebrewed, old style root beer. They were served ice cold and were very good at quenching our mid-afternoon thirst. With our whistles wetted, we were off to the next site at this end of the road . . . the Amana Millrace. Completed in 1869, it took workers from all seven of the Amana villages to build the six and one-half mile canal system and hydro-electric plant. It’s amazing that the original settlers in this area understood enough to build such a technologically advanced system to harness the power of the Iowa River for the purpose of generating electricity for their mills.

From here, we got in our car and drove back up to one of the main parking lots atop the 220th Trail. We explored several of the stores and shops, buying some decadent walnut fudge at the Amana Colonies Village Store. Next we browsed in the leather shop next door which was a bit of a disappointment. While they did have some lovely homemade lace items, their leather goods were largely other brands such as Minnetonka and Buxton. Their selection of leather purses and hats were somewhat limited in choice, and didn’t really indicate where they were made, so we passed on making a purchase here.

Across the street and next door to the Ox Yoke Inn is the Ackerman Winery. With a nice walk through self-tour and free samples of their award winning wines, we really enjoyed this stop during our tour of the Village of Amana. Many of their wines were of the fruit variety, including apple, peach, rhubarb, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and dandelion. They also had their own chardonnay and merlot. If your shopping list includes wine related gifts including racks, glasses and novelty openers, this is a store you’ll want to make time to visit.

We wandered down to the Chocolate Haus where we enjoyed watching homemade chocolates being made. They had all different kinds of chocolate candies available for purchase including covered nuts, clusters, and fudge. Being a week after Easter, they still had some seasonal holiday items available at substantial savings.

Across the street and down about a block we ventured into the Amana Stone Hearth Bakery. By this time, it was late in the afternoon and the items still available for purchase were rather slim pickins. Known for their hard crusted breads and homemade pastries, this bakery provides baked goods for many of the local restaurants in Amana. We would later enjoy rolls at the Ox Yoke Inn that were baked here.

This is just a small representation of the shops found in Amana. Because we arrived rather late in the afternoon, our time had to be spent on those areas that we were most interested in . . . and to coincide with our desire to eat supper around 4:30pm before getting back on the highway to head home to Ames, nearly two hours away. Other shops and artisans of interest in Amana include the world famous Amana Furniture and Clock Shop, Custom Cutlery and Ironworks, and the Heritage Designs & Quilting Supplies. For those with children, you may want to pay a visit to the Little Red Wagon or the Christmas Room for kids of all ages.

Once we moved to Iowa one of the first things I wanted to see was the bridges made famous in the movie "Bridges of Madison County" staring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Still one of my all-time favorite romance stories, I still cry as he drives away in the rain as she contemplates leaving her husband to join photographer Robert Kinkaid.

Madison County is an easy drive from Des Moines, approximately 30 minutes to the southwest of the capital city. As you enter the community known for their covered bridges, there is a small information area in the town of St. Charles with a bridge that has been relocated to a small ravine. This is the Imes Covered Bridge, the oldest of the six remaining bridges in the area. Built in 1870, it is 81 feet in length.

The two bridges made famous by the movie are the Roseman and Holliwell Covered Bridges. The Roseman was built in 1883 and is 107 feet across a small creek, in its original location. It is also known as the Ghost Bridge from folklore stories telling of the two sheriffs and their posses who were chasing an escaped prisoner. It is told that the prisoner let out a screechy yell and then jumped up through the roof of the bridge. The body was never found and was determined to be proof of the man’s innocence. This is also the bridge where Clint Eastwood’s character first sought directions to from Francesca (Meryl Streep) and where she later left him the invitation for dinner that would forever change their lives.

The Holliwell Covered Bridge is the longest of the covered bridges of Madison County and spans across the Middle River, also in its original location. It is 122 feet long and was built in 1880. This bridge was also in the movie, the locale where the main characters enjoyed an afternoon of photography and nature.

During our tour of the Bridges of Madison County, we also paid a visit to Hogback Covered Bridge which can be found in the valley north of Winterset. Built by the same person as the Roseman and Holliwell, Benton Jones, this bridge is also in its original location over the Middle River, and it is 97 feet in length.

In Winterset’s community park, the Cutler-Donahue Covered Bridge has been relocated from its original location in Bevington over the North River. This bridge is one of the two remaining that features a sloped roof. (The other is the Imes Covered Bridge.)

All of the covered bridges found here have been restored to their original state, with the Cedar Covered Bridge completely rebuilt after arsons destroyed the original in 2002. At the time it was rebuilt, it was decided to move it to a more accessible area spanning the Cedar Creek. The replica was rebuilt using the original plans and materials consistent with the period the original was built (in 1883) and was rededicated just two years later in October 2004. This was also the last covered bridge to accommodate vehicle traffic.

It was very interesting to get out and to walk through the various bridges. There was quite a bit of graffiti which was disappointing to see. Many had birds nesting up in the rafters inside the bridge support beams. One was rather nasty with bird poops everywhere! But don’t let that keep you from getting out and looking at all of the covered bridges. They are truly an engineering marvel and great tribute to the people of the late 19th century.

Given that there were originally 19 covered bridges built in Iowa, it is a special treasure to have these six still around and accessible to the public for viewing in a relatively close area of Madison County. If you are in Des Moines for business, or traveling North/South on I35, I would encourage you to make time to spend a couple of hours exploring these six covered bridges that represent a period in American history and engineering advancement.

Visitors can take part in the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival, in October in the community of Winterset. Not only can festival goers enjoy a guided tour of the bridges, they can also enjoy craft artisans of rural Iowa including weaving, spinning, and wood carving. Music and dancing are also part of the festival weekend, plus plenty of food and drink. The 2007 festival will be held on October 13 and 14. More information may be obtained at their website: www.madisoncounty.com/bridge_fest.html .