By Heartland Hiker â Your Guide to Unexpected Adventures
Plot twist: The state everyone drives through without stopping just became my favorite American road trip.
Letâs get real: When I announced I was road-tripping solo through Iowa, my friends looked at me like Iâd just declared my intention to vacation in a spreadsheet. âIowa? Like, on purpose?â one asked, clutching her oat milk latte as if Iâd lost my mind. Even I pictured endless cornfields, the worldâs flattest horizon, and maybe a gas station or two. Iowa, in my head, was the travel equivalent of unsalted crackersâpractical, forgettable, and definitely not Instagrammable.
Spoiler alert: I was so, so wrong.
Fast forward three days and Iâm writing this from a candlelit corner of a 19th-century schoolhouse, my car crammed with Dutch pastries, and my camera roll overflowing with wildflower prairies, windmills, and the friendliest strangers youâll ever meet. Iowa didnât just surprise meâit staged a full-on plot twist, complete with small-town magic, pie-induced happiness, and more âWait, THIS is Iowa?!â moments than I can count.
Turns out, the state everyone skips is actually a secret adventure playground. And Iâm here to spill all the best-kept secrets.
đ Day 1: Des Moines Drops the Mic (And I’m Here for It)
The Revelation: Des Moines has Main Character Energy
Forget everything you think you know about Iowa’s capital. Des Moines is serving up serious metropolitan vibes wrapped in Midwest charm, and I was immediately obsessed. The East Village hit me like a perfectly curated Instagram feed come to lifeâbut authentic, not manufactured.
I started my morning at Horizon Line Coffee, where the barista crafted my oat milk latte like it was liquid art. The space screamed “laptop-friendly creative haven,” with exposed brick, plants that actually looked happy, and a playlist that made me want to write poetry. This wasn’t just coffeeâit was a whole mood.
Then came Raygun, the snarky T-shirt shop that’s basically Iowa’s love letter to itself. I walked in planning to browse and walked out with a small fortune in witty merch. The shirts don’t just say thingsâthey say things. It’s like if your funniest friend opened a retail store.
But here’s where Des Moines really flexed: the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Picture thisâworld-class art installations scattered across downtown like someone turned the city into an outdoor gallery. I spent an hour just wandering, taking photos, and feeling like I’d discovered a secret that the rest of the world was sleeping on.
The Drive North: When Scenery Becomes Therapy
The three-hour drive to Decorah should have been boring. Instead, it became my favorite part of the day. Rolling hills unfolded like a green carpet, punctuated by red barns that looked like they’d been placed by a set designer. I rolled the windows down, cranked up my road trip playlist, and let Iowa work its quiet magic.
Decorah: The Plot Twist I Didn’t See Coming
If Des Moines was the confident city friend, Decorah was the mysterious artist who turns out to be incredibly deep. This Norwegian-heritage town tucked into northeast Iowa’s bluffs felt like I’d accidentally driven into a fairy tale.
My Airbnb overlooked the Upper Iowa River, where mist hung like secrets in the morning air. I hiked to Dunning’s Spring waterfallâa hidden gem that locals casually mentioned like it was no big deal. The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum told stories of immigration and identity that made my chest tight with unexpected emotion.
That evening, I ate locally-caught trout and lefse (think tortilla’s sweet Norwegian cousin) while watching the sunset paint the bluffs gold. A local told me about the bald eagles that nest nearby, and I fell asleep to the sound of the river, thinking: This is why I travel.
đ¨ Day 2: When Art Meets Agriculture (And Blows Your Mind)
The Barn Quilt Trail: Iowa’s Best-Kept Secret
Here’s something I bet you didn’t know: Iowa has created one of the most unique art experiences in America, and it’s hiding in plain sight on barn sides across the countryside. Barn quilts are massive, colorful geometric patterns painted on old barns, each one telling a family story passed down through generations.
I downloaded a trail map and spent the morning on a treasure hunt through farm country. Every turn revealed another masterpieceâa purple and gold sunburst here, an intricate star pattern there. It was like following breadcrumbs through a living gallery where the art has roots three generations deep.
Windows down, folk music playing, camera in the passenger seatâthis was travel in its purest form. No crowds, no lines, just me and the Iowa countryside sharing secrets.
The Bridges That Made Me Believe in Romance Again
Winterset hit different. The Covered Bridges of Madison County aren’t just Instagram propsâthey’re portals to another time. Standing on the Roseman Bridge, I understood why someone wrote an entire novel about this place. The late afternoon light filtering through the wooden slats, the creek babbling below, the rolling hills stretching endlessly… it was like stepping into a painting.
I spent an hour just sitting there, letting the quiet settle into my bones. Sometimes the best travel moments aren’t the ones you captureâthey’re the ones that capture you.
The American Gothic House: Embracing the Absurd
The day’s grand finale was pure Iowa gold: the actual house from the American Gothic painting. Yes, you can visit it. Yes, they have period costumes. Yes, I absolutely put on the bonnet and posed with a pitchfork.
Was it touristy? Absolutely. Was it ridiculous? Completely. Was it one of the most purely joyful moments of my trip? Without question. Sometimes the best travel experiences are the ones that make you laugh at yourself.
đ§ Day 3: A Love Letter to Small-Town America
Pella: Where Europe Meets the Midwest
If someone told me I’d wake up in Iowa and feel like I was in the Netherlands, I’d have questioned their geography skills. But Pella, Iowa’s Dutch heritage town, is exactly that surreal and exactly that charming.
The town square looks like it was airlifted from Amsterdam. A working windmill anchors the center, surrounded by shops selling wooden shoes and stroopwafels. I toured the windmill, learned about grain milling, and bought enough Dutch letters (almond paste-filled pastries) to fuel the rest of my trip.
The locals speak with Iowa accents but pepper their conversation with Dutch phrases their great-grandparents taught them. It’s cultural preservation in the most delicious way possible.
Oskaloosa: The Town That Time Forgot (In the Best Way)
Oskaloosa felt like discovering a secret. The town square, perfectly preserved from the 1940s, wrapped around a courthouse that looked like it belonged in a Norman Rockwell painting. I found a bakery selling kolachesâCzech pastries that are basically happiness wrapped in doughâand ate mine on a park bench while an elderly gentleman told me stories about the town’s jazz age glory days.
This is why I travel solo: these spontaneous conversations that happen when you’re not rushing to the next selfie spot. He gave me directions to hidden hiking trails and a swimming hole the locals love. Travel guides can’t teach you that.
The Amana Colonies: Seven Villages, One Unforgettable Experience
The Amana Colonies saved the best for last. Seven villages founded by German immigrants, each one preserving traditions that go back 170 years. I watched craftsmen carve furniture by hand, tasted root beer brewed from secret family recipes, and browsed general stores that felt like time machines.
My final night was spent in a converted schoolhouse from 1870, writing in my journal by lamplight, processing how a state I’d never considered had given me one of my most meaningful travel experiences.
đ Why Iowa Became My Unexpected Love Story
The Truth About Iowa (That Nobody Talks About)
Iowa doesn’t perform for you. It doesn’t shout or demand attention. It simply exists, quietly confident in its own worth, waiting for travelers curious enough to look closer.
What I found beneath the surface was a masterclass in authentic American culture. Real communities. Stories that span generations. Art that grows from the ground up. Food that connects you to the hands that made it.
As a solo female traveler, I felt safer in Iowa than I have in major cities. Strangers became temporary friends. Locals shared their favorite spots like they were letting me in on family secrets. The pace was human-scale, the experiences genuine.
The Permission You Didn’t Know You Needed
In a world of “must-see” destinations and bucket-list pressure, Iowa offers something radical: permission to slow down. To have conversations with strangers. To drive backroads without a plan. To find beauty in the unexpected.
My Iowa road trip wasn’t just a vacationâit was a reminder of why I fell in love with travel in the first place. Not for the Instagram content or the bragging rights, but for the way new places can shift your perspective and surprise your heart.
Your Turn
So here’s your challenge: Plan the Iowa road trip you never thought you wanted. Pack snacks, download a good playlist, and let the backroads teach you something new about Americaâand maybe about yourself.
Trust me, Iowa is waiting to surprise you too.
đ Your Iowa Road Trip Starter Pack
Essential Stops:
- Des Moines: East Village coffee culture meets big-city art
- Decorah: Norwegian heritage and hidden waterfalls
- Winterset: Romance and covered bridges
- Eldon: American Gothic house and unabashed tourist fun
- Pella: Dutch culture and world-class pastries
- Oskaloosa: Small-town charm and Czech kolaches
- Amana Colonies: Living history and handcrafted everything
Pro Tips:
- Download barn quilt trail maps before you go
- Bring a cooler for all the pastries you’ll accumulate
- Plan extra time for spontaneous conversations
- Iowa sunsets are criminally underratedâcatch one from a cornfield
Ready for more unexpected Midwest adventures? Follow @HiddenMidwest for the road trips that change everything. Got questions about Iowa? Drop them in the commentsâI’m here for all your small-town travel dreams. đ
