Being born and raised in Iowa, I’ve always known it’s a great place. As I’ve become an adult and done more exploring, I truly love this state that I call home. I’ve created this page for an easy way to help you plan your visit to Iowa! Find all the Iowa goodness, including day trips and weekend getaways, right here!
Travel By Region
For ease, I’ve organized the state of Iowa into quadrants in these posts! Where will you travel today?!
- Plan a Visit to Northwest Iowa: 7 of the Best Stops
- Plan a Visit to West Central Iowa: 3 Day Itinerary
- The Best Day Trips & Weekend Getaways in Southeast Iowa
- 14 Great Places to Visit in Northeast Iowa
Accommodations in Iowa
There are a lot of great places to stay here Not only does the state off immaculate chain restaurants in the majority of towns, the state is blessed by lots of great historic and unique places to stay!
- New Day Dairy Guest Barn: Sleeping With the Cows, A True Iowa Experience; Clarksville
- Red Cedar Lodge: 3 Reasons to Visit; Charles City
- The Hotel Julien Dubuque: Making You Feel Special; Dubuque
- Hotel Grinnell – A New Meaning to Old School Cool; Grinnell
- Unplug at Taylor Hill Lodge; Audubon
- Royal Amsterdam Hotel; Pella
- A Stay at the Black Hawk Hotel: an Escape in Cedar Falls
Great Eats in Iowa
We know good food! You’ll find a lot of farmers, farm kids, and those raised on the farm after-all. We enjoy food, especially meat and potatoes and the state is jam-packed with great places to eat!
- The “Must Have ” Guide to Coffee Shops in Iowa
- The Best Coffee Shops in West-Central Iowa
- Places to Eat in Elk Horn, Iowa: 7 Amazing Finds
- Great Eats: The Best Iowa Restaurants
- The Barrel House & Ice Cream in Dubuque
- Food Tour of the Iowa State Fair
- El Adobe Restaurant: Ordering Pasta from a Mexican Restaurant; Audubon
- Tequila’s: Enjoy a Visit; Northwood
- The Princess Grill & Pizzeria; Iowa Falls
- Plaza Veracruz; Iowa Falls
- Teluwut Grill House & Pub; Osage
- Block 10 at 1921 City Hall; Sheffield
- Gusto Pizza; Des Moines
Things to Do & Itineraries in Iowa
There are so many great things to do here! We are lucky to have a large variety of options and you really can’t get bored. From sports to history and culture to shopping and family fun, there is something for everyone!
- Take a tour at New Day Dairy or take the “Dairy Man Challenge” outside Clarksville
- Dubuque is full of things to do! Here are our 4 “must dos” when visiting this area!
- Explore Danish heritage and culture in Elk Horn.
- Visit Dyersville to explore beautiful churches, tractors, and the famous Field of Dreams movie site!
- Spend a day in Fort Dodge at the Fort Dodge Museum Site, creating pieces of art, and seeing the painted silos!
- Plan a girlfriends getaway to Audubon County.
- Spend an afternoon in Mason City exploring the birth place of composer Meredith Wilson and the inspiration for his musical, The Music Man!
- If shopping, history, and good food are your thing, head to Charles City, Iowa, for a weekend of fun and relaxation!
- Grab the kiddos and head to Hansen’s Dairy near Waterloo for a tour, butter making, and sampling!
- Clear Lake is full of things to do, but one of our favorites is going old-school mini golfing and grabbing ice cream afterwards!
- Take a ride on the High Trestle Bike Trail in the central part of the state!
Time to Visit Iowa
Iowa is full of so many great places to eat, things to do, and spots to explore. You won’t get bored and you definitely won’t go hungry! We love exploring and finding the best spots for you! We hope you love it as much as we do!
