Anything to see in Iowa? (Des Moines, Davenport: hotel, school, university)

[sgrig]

In July, my wife and I will be driving from New York to Colorado, and will be passing through Iowa. So I have a few questions.

Firstly, the way the journey works out is that we will need to stay overnight somewhere in Iowa. The first place that comes to mind is Des Moines. However, are there any interesting small towns along the I-80 between Des Moines and Omaha?

Secondly, are there any particular points of interests along the I-80, or perhaps not far from it, which would be worth a brief stop or a small detour?

Even though we won't be spending much time in Iowa, I still want to get some impression of this state, and see what it has to offer, apart from the highway! So thanks a lot in advance for any feedback.

[refried sushi]

This is dependent on taste, but consider a quick detour through the Amana Colonies. They are a string of "olde timey" villages established in the 1800's and retain much of their charm while hosting a pretty sizeable modern tourist industry. Lots of German influence and cuisine (good too), general stores, fudge shops, art galleries, a brewery, a few small museums, etc. They are close to I-80, just west of Iowa City and with the exception of the largest village it would mostly be a driving tour. Check it out.

There are several mediocre lodging options on I-80 in the vicinity, including a themed waterpark/hotel. I would recommend you do your overnight elsewhere. Consider Iowa City, spending time downtown.

Good luck!

[smpliving]

The link below is a new development right off Interstate 80 in Iowa City. If you decide to stay in Iowa for lodging or just to get out and stretch, this might be an option ... I've heard a good restaurant there is "Backpocket Brewing", an Iowa-based beer manufacturer inspired by German brewing techniques. Further downtown gets you to the University of Iowa (including the Old Capitol Building and the Ped Mall, with lots of restaurants/shops). The Amana's is an another excellent suggestion (pretty countryside).

Iowa River Landing

http://www.google.com/search?q=iowa+...iw=910&bih=428

[Tek_Freek]

Since you specifically mentioned western Iowa take a look at this site: VisitWesternIowa.com

Click on the logos under the main picture on this page: http://www.visitwesterniowa.com/scenic.html#

[sgrig]

Thanks for the good suggestions! The Ped Mall in Iowa City does look like a nice place to stretch legs and a drive around the Amana Colonies a good way to break up the boredom of the highway.

Tek_Freek, thanks for the link. Looking at attractions in western Iowa, seems like there are interesting small Danish towns along the way - complete with a windmill at Elk Horn. So this may also be a good place to stop. Never realized that there is so much north European heritage in Iowa!

By the way, what is the weather usually like in July? Does it get very hot? Does it rain often?

[deckdoc]

might suggest a quick dip off 80 to see the bridges of Madison county~ and going through Nebraska there is a museum that crosses over above I-80 that's worth a quick see if you have time. And enjoy your stay in Colorado~ I am.

[duster1979]

If you have time you should drop down to Fairfield and check out some Yogic Flying, like in this video:


Yogi Levitating and ****ting - YouTube

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by duster1979

If you have time you should drop down to Fairfield and check out some Yogic Flying, like in this video:


Yogi Levitating and ****ting - YouTube

As taught by the Maharishi School of Enlightenment.

[steel03]

Originally Posted by sgrig

By the way, what is the weather usually like in July? Does it get very hot? Does it rain often?

Yes, it often gets very hot and muggy. Mostly sunny, but it rains every now and then. You'll have the air on in your car for sure.

LeClaire is an interesting town on the Mississippi right across the border from Illinois (just north of Davenport).
Welcome to historic LeClaire, Iowa where the Mississippi River meets Interstate 80 near the Quad Cities
It's where the show American Pickers is based, and the Mississippi River Distilling Company is worth a visit.

Des Moines is probably your best bet for a hotel. If you get to town early enough, there are some fabulous restaurants downtown, mostly in the East Village and Court District. If it happens to be a Friday night, you must check out the Downtown Farmers' Market on Saturday morning.

Apart from the river country and Des Moines and Iowa City, I-80 is about the least interesting part of the state, though, especially west of Des Moines, sorry to say. There's a reason people think our state is boring... :/

[lurtsman]

Originally Posted by refried sushi

I would recommend you do your overnight elsewhere. Consider Iowa City, spending time downtown.

Good luck!

I'll suggest the opposite.

If you arrange the timing of your trip well you can make it to Cozad, Nebraska, which is a kind of cute little area to stop for the night. If you prefer to stop by a city, Des Moines would be the best option. Des Moines is actually a very attractive city and will provide things to do and see.

I would support the suggestion of checking out the Amana area if you are looking to see some of the local to Iowa Stuff. I would not waste your time with a detour through IC unless you want to see poorly planned/maintained roads. There are some cute over priced places to eat, but you won't be able to park so that could present a problem since you're driving a car instead of being a bird. With the awful parking you must assume that most people walk to the restaurants--unfortunate because most of downtown IC isn't really a great place to be stuck in.

Omaha is on the border and isn't bad. They have an incredible zoo if you are bringing any children. Of all the things you might pull off to see, I'd say the Omaha zoo is probably one of the most interesting and far more interesting to children than even the amana area.