Help with Iowa Vacation (Des Moines, Iowa City: rental, hotel, shop)

[pinetar10]

Me and my girlfriend are going to be visiting friends in Iowa in early August, and I was wondering if I could get some help on what all there is to do. We will be there about a week, and will be staying in Oskaloosa and will have a car to travel. We will be visiting Dubuque to see family, so if there is anything near Dubuque to see, that would be convenient. I've been to Iowa once, but only for a few days and really didn't see anything.
Are there any must see places, or anything like that nearby? We will be willing to travel 100 miles or so in any direction around Oskaloosa.

[chocoholicmom]

go to Amana Colonies. Amana Colonies it's the number 1 tourist spot in Iowa

[AmeliaJohn]

pinetar, i thot u were moving to iowa! weren't you asking about jobs, etc. on other forums? i kinda thought you'd moved here already.. ??

[pinetar10]

Originally Posted by AmeliaJohn

pinetar, i thot u were moving to iowa! weren't you asking about jobs, etc. on other forums? i kinda thought you'd moved here already.. ??

hahaha. i was thinking about it, still thinking about it actually. just visiting for now, maybe in the future move there. its such a big decision to move halfway across the country that I do not think I'm ready for it yet. So i'll just visit in the summer for now.

[zz4guy]

There's a ton of things to do in Dupuque and NE Iowa. Do a search and you'll see it is probably the biggest tourist area in the state. Shouldnt have any problem keeping busy on a vacation. If I was you I'd stay at a hotel in Dubuque all week and visiti the various tourist spots in and around the city. Theres also stuff to see in Wisconsin and Illinois such as the Dickeyville grotto and the town of Galena. You can easily burn a week in this area. Bring your camera - you'll want it if you drive any of the great river roads!

[IowaCowgirl]

Grant Wood country is near Anamosa (south of Dubuque a little bit), and check out the rural rental retreat near Anamosa.

[boilerup4]

I would be sure to eat at Mario's in Dubuque - great Italian food and quaint atmosphere. Maquoketa caves are nice and Costello's Old Mill Gallery just east of town is worth the visit.

If you can go to the State Fair in Des Moines it's a classic.

The Winterset area is great with all the covered bridges.

Too bad you'll miss RAGBRAI as it is the last week of July. It's the best bike ride ever (see ragbrai.org)

[SharpHawkeye]

I would take a or two to see Des Moines, for sure. You'll be surprised at how urban a city it is for being in "corn and cows" Iowa. Check out Pella on the way.

Also, there are a lot of things to do between Oskaloosa and Dubuque. Check out the Amana Colonies for sure. Iowa City would be a nice place to stop for lunch, or spend the night and do a little shopping. I don't know much about the Grant Wood stuff over by Anamosa, but that's on my list of things to see sometime. Dyersville/Field of Dreams is a little cliche, but I like it.

Yep. Day trip to Des Moines, back in Osky by bedtime and a long trip to Dubuque and I think you'd have a good little vacation!

[redoma]

how far is dubuque ia from clinton ia

[DBQer]

Originally Posted by redoma

how far is dubuque ia from clinton ia

Dubuque is 60 miles from Clinton... about an hour's drive.