Tag: Iowa

Iowa

15 Iowa Day Trips to Make

— Katy Flint6 Comments
15 Iowa Day Trips to Make

Iowa is full of all sorts of great places to visit for a weekend or even just a day. I’ve put together a list of 15 Iowa Day Trips that should be on your “to do” list this summer!

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Going on Iowa Day Trips


Traveling is different for everyone. Some people consider traveling to be out of the country for a long period of time. Others consider it within the US for a week. Of course, there are those who look for weekend trips and day trips!

Iowa day trips are a great way to see the state without having to dedicate an entire weekend or week to exploring! So, here are 15 fantastic day trips that you can enjoy with your girlfriends, spouse, significant other, or the entire family. These are no particular order!

Snag the Ultimate Guide to Traveling in Iowa by clicking HERE!

Pella

A plethora of downtown shops, biking on the Volksweg Trail, or exploring one of the many nearby parks makes Pella great spot for an Iowa day trip! Make sure to check out the Vermeer Windmill and Pella Historical Society Museums!

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Iowa

4 “Must Do” Things in Dubuque, IA

— Katy Flint4 Comments
4 “Must Do” Things in Dubuque, IA

Did you know that Dubuque, Iowa is “where Iowa started”? It’s true, back in 1785, Julien Dubuque landed here and established a colony. Ever since then it’s grown and bloomed into an important part of Iowa’s tourism and commerce systems. Whether you’re looking to spend a day or a weekend here, there is lots to do. To help you navigate it all, I’ve put together our 4 things that are the “must do’s” while visiting this river town!

1. Stay at the Hotel Julien Dubuque

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Girl's Trips

Grab Your Girlfriends & Visit Pella, IA: 5 Ways to Have a Great Trip

— Katy Flint13 Comments
Grab Your Girlfriends & Visit Pella, IA: 5 Ways to Have a Great Trip

Nothing benefits a woman’s mental health like a good girlfriends trip! Because of this having a girlfriends trip to Pella, Iowa, should be at the top of your list!  A Visit to Pella, Iowa is proof that you don’t have to head to the big city to have lots of options for things to do!  They have a vibrant downtown area and boast loads of locally owned businesses serving up the very best food, merchandise, and service! 

Visit Pella

While portions of our trip were hosted by Visit Pella, Iowa and other establishments, all thoughts and opinions of this post are 100% accurate and my own. For more information, please see the Disclosure Tab.

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Iowa

Plan a Day Trip to Fort Dodge, Iowa

— Katy Flint20 Comments

When you’re looking for a day trip that includes art, history, fun, and food, plan your visit to Fort Dodge, Iowa.  You’ll be surprised at the great finds in this community in Central Iowa!   

Fort Dodge

Thank you to the Fort Dodge Conventions & Visitors Bureau for hosting parts of our trip! Although this occurred, all thoughts and opinions are 100% authentic and our own. Please see the disclosure tab for more information!

Day Trip Plans – Getting There

When you’re ready to head to Fort Dodge, you’ll find it conveniently located in West Central Iowa! It is also easily accessible thanks to being located right off Highway 20, which is a 4-lane road that intersects both Interstate 35 and the Avenue of the Saints (US Highway 218).

If you’re traveling by car…

  • Des Moines, IA – 99 miles, 1 hour 30 minute drive time
    • Minneapolis, MN – 219 miles, 3 hours 10 minutes drive time
      • Kansas City, MO – 266 miles, 3 hours 50 minutes drive time
        • Chicago, IL – 367 miles, 5 hours 50 minutes drive time

There are so many options of great things to do once you arrive in Fort Dodge that it might be difficult to narrow it down. For your convenience I’ve grouped our ideas into historical, creative, and foods! I’m sure you’ll find something on this list that appeases to you and your trip buddies!

Head East and Spend the Day in Dyersville, Iowa
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Iowa

Spend the Holidays in Charles City, Iowa

— Katy Flint4 Comments
Spend the Holidays in Charles City, Iowa

If you’re looking for somewhere to get into the Christmas spirit this year, spend the holidays in Charles City, Iowa.

There’s something about Christmas in the City, or town, or small rural village! Really, there is something so special about Christmas and all that it entails! And this year, if you’re feeling less than jolly, I highly recommend spending the holidays in Charles City, Iowa.

Spending 36 hours in Charles City in December, it’s hard not to get into the holiday spirit.  There are several ways to enjoy the holidays in North Central Iowa!

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Iowa

Friday in Franklin County: Active Family Chiropractic – Sheffield

— Katy Flint1 Comment

It’s been awhile, I know since we had a new Friday in Franklin County, but I’m super excited to introduce you to Active Family Chiropractic in Sheffield!  I didn’t grow up receiving chiropractic care, but after popping a rib head out several years ago and working with Dr. Hickman in Hampton and a massage therapist, I’m a firm believer now!

In the years since I’ve been to several doctors including Dr. Hickman and Dr. Claussen, who used to have an office in Sheffield.  When Dr. Patrick Trenary opened his chiropractic clinic after Dr. Claussen closed hers, I was hesitant to try anyone new again!  But, now after visiting this unassuming office on mainstreet in Sheffield and having access to a clinic just a half block from my office, which held great appeal, I haven’t looked back!

Dr. Patrick Trenary was an aircraft mechanic in the Marine Corps before he was a chiropractor.  When he left his military life, he knew he didn’t want to pursue that career any longer and a longtime friend of his was going to chiropractor school.  After spending time talking with his friend, it felt like a natural fit to him.  Dr. Trenary says, “When you address issues with the frame, function will return.  When the function returns, the issues that you were having, ie: pain and discomfort, will go away.”  And boy is he right!

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Iowa

Gusto Pizza, Des Moines: Delicious & Family Friendly

— Katy Flint3 Comments

Have you been to Gusto Pizza in Des Moines? If you haven’t, you need to! We paired our trip to Gusto with an iCubs baseball game.  The games are such good family fun, if you’ve never been. We’ve been to several now and each time we’ve gone, we’ve done a tailgate meal because well…it’s a baseball game! This time, however, we decided to grab supper at a restaurant near the field instead.

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Iowa

Waterhawks Ski Show

— Katy Flint2 Comments
Waterhawks Ski Show

Free, family fun!  How great is that combo?  The Waterhawks Ski Show gives you just that!  4th of July weekend, T and I headed to Waterloo to camp again just like we did last year.  I made the declaration that we were going to try something new, go somewhere new, etc.  Thanks to the help of the Waterloo Convention & Visitor’s Bureau I learned about the Waterhawks Ski Show and I decided that it would satisfy my desire to “take in” something new and hopefully hold T’s interest!

Waterhawks Ski Show

So, Friday night we followed the directions from their website  to their lake to see what this was all about.  The Waterhawks Ski Show is free to the public to attend.  You just drive in, park, and find a place to sit.  You’re welcome to sit on their stands or take blankets and lawn chairs.  We were there early enough (not knowing what to expect for a crowd) that we were able to back our truck up to the viewing area and set up our chairs in the back to get a perfect view!  Then, we walked around and checked out the facilities and grabbed something to drink from their concession stand.  While there is no charge to get into the event, make sure to grab a snack from their concession stand  to help support them.  You can pick from drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic), candy bars, pizza, popsicles, and chips!

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Uncategorized

What You Don’t See in Agriculture!

— Katy Flint6 Comments
What You Don’t See in Agriculture!

#Plant16 is in full swing here in Iowa and that means lots of long hours for those in the agriculture community!

When you are a farmer or involved in the agricultural community there are a lot of things that are normal to you or that you’re used to seeing. When you’re not it’s easy to be unaware of what is going on behind the scenes!  It’s easy to not know how much goes in to feeding the world.  I wrote a similar post about this same topic and you can find that HERE! But, for today..I want you to think about what you don’t see on the surface of the agriculture world.

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Iowa

Friday in Franklin County: Christensen Jewelry

— Katy Flint8 Comments
Friday in Franklin County: Christensen Jewelry

Welcome to Friday in Franklin County! I love the place that I call home and the businesses that are here that I’ve decided to share a piece of it with you every Friday!

First up is Christensen Jewelry and owner Russell Gibson!  Russ first got started in jewelry making in high school when he took a metals & jewelry class during his sophomore year at Washington High School in Washington, Iowa.  The art teacher did jewelry work on the side and was very involved with everything the kids did.  During the class they learned the proper techniques to hand make everything, cut and finish the stones, etc.  They were required to produce a minimum of 30 designs before they were allowed to create a piece itself.  One semester in this class and Russ was hooked.

Christensen Jewelry Owner, Russ Gibson
Christensen Jewelry Owner, Russ Gibson

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