Top 10 Midwest Trips of 2019

Our Midwest Trips

Wow! What a year 2019 has been! We have been on some awesome Midwest Trips! In fact, I can hardly wrap my head around all the trips we’ve taken and the awesome places we’ve visited. Of course, the year wouldn’t be complete without featuring our top 10 trips in one post!

How did I select these top Midwest trips?! It was way too hard for me to choose on my own, so I let the stats pick! These are the top read posts about the destinations we visited in 2019! I hope you enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed featuring them!

• Note – These are not in any particular order! 😉

Charles City, Iowa: Restaurants, Shopping, & Culture

Charles City, Iowa is very near and dear to my heart! I grew up traveling there to visit my aunt and uncle, but never really spent time exploring the community. What I found on a trip with some of my fellow Midwest Travel Bloggers was a vibrant community with lots to offer! Restaurants, shops, and more abound to entertain you!

Charles City, IA: Restaurants, Shopping, & Culture

I Went to El Adobe Restaurant and Ordered Pasta

Our trip to Audubon County, Iowa, was full of all sorts of surprises, but probably the biggest one was finding El Adobe Restaurant. Named after it’s Mexican roots and featuring Mexican cuisine may be how they came to be, but their pasta is what sets them apart from other restaurants! Alex, the cook and owner, was trained in pasta and he is now doing it right! During our visit, I indulged in Al Pesto Genovese and would do it all over again! Find out what makes this spot so special by clicking HERE!

3 Reasons to Visit Red Cedar Lodge

Is there anything better in the middle of a Midwest winter than curling up next to a fire in a beautiful cabin looking out over the snow covered ground?! Yeah, I don’t think so either! Winters can get long in the Midwest and to help keep the winter blues away I recommend a trip to Red Cedar Lodge in Charles City, Iowa. Upon arriving your well-appointed cabin, you won’t want to leave! Hibernate in your cabin for a few days or head into Charles City for some great food, culture, and shopping (see the first stop on this list)! Either way, you’re welcome! 😉

Where the Locals Go in Ackley, IA

I’m just as shocked as you that my trip to this town of 1500 made the top 10 list, but it’s just proof how proud they are of everything they have going on! With locally owned Beans on Butler, home decor shops like Yarrow Ave Collection, a meat locker, and more….Ackley is a great place to spend a day or even possibly call home!

Where the Locals go in Ackley, IA

5 Ways to Have an Amazing Girlfriends Getaway in Audubon County

Ladies, I don’t know about you, but I’m always looking for a great place to head for a girls trip! Last spring my mom and I headed to Audubon County, Iowa. What we found there not only suprised us, but actually blew us out of the water! With a bakery & coffee shops, beautiful parks, delicious places to eat, a salon, and shopping its a great place to slow down and relax! Plus, you can take the whole gang with you by staying at the Taylor Hill Lodge. This historic barn has been turned into a gorgeous, spacious, homey, and amazing lodge/bed and breakfast! The views are gorgeous and you won’t want to leave…at least we weren’t ready! How great was Audubon?! Mom and I are headed back this spring if that tells you anything!

Five Reasons You Need to Visit Audubon County, IA

The Best Ice Cream Shops in the Midwest

I did several “round up” type posts this year featuring submissions from my fellow Midwest Travel Bloggers and featuring our favorite places across the midwest including coffee shops, favorite places to eat, and of course ICE CREAM! This post featuring ice cream shops from all over the midwest was a huge hit! Check it out HERE!

3 Reasons (and more) to Visit Sedalia, Missouri

Sedalia, Missouri, has quickly become one of our favorite places to visit! It is definitely a must stop when we travel to Branson, Missouri, from Iowa. Truthfully there are way more than 3 reasons to visit Sedalia, but this post was a huge hit (read it HERE). But, I’d be doing you all an injustice if I also didn’t mention eating at the Ivory Grille (AH-MAZING) and staying the Hotel Bothwell! Check out more and plan your trip to Sedalia!

How to Spend 36 Hours in Sedalia, MO

Places to Eat in Elk Horn, Iowa: 7 Amazing Finds

How can a town of 662 have 7 amazing places to eat?! Well, the town of Elk Horn, Iowa, has figured it out! Not only do they have the amazing Danish Table for a true Danish meal, but they are also home to one of the top tenderloins in the state of Iowa! You’ve got to experience it yourself to see! Read about it HERE!

5 Reasons to Visit Dyersville

Most everyone who grew up in the 90’s have heard of Dyersville, Iowa, as it is home to the movie site of the Kevin Costner blockbuster, Field of Dreams. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that there are so many reasons to visit Dyersville. Of course, no visit is complete without a trip to the baseball field, but the Flints also found treasures like Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Beckers Woodcarving Museum, National Farm Toy Museum, and Country Junction Restaurant! We spent a great day together and know that you and your family will love this growing town! Read more about our day HERE!

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

Pella, Iowa has an amazing Dutch heritage and is a booming community of small businesses! These people and their businesses make for an awesome trip! Whether you grab your girlfriends or your special someone, head to Pella, Iowa for a great trip. Stay at the Royal Amsterdam Hotel to make you feel pampered, grab a great brew at Brew Coffee House, unwind at The Wijn House, visit the Vermeer Historic Windmill, and shop the downtown shops! There are really so many things to do that you won’t be bored, but you’ll be so happy that you made the trip!

5 Ways to Have a Great Trip to Pella

Top 10 Midwest Trips of 2019

We took so many amazing trips in 2019 and these are just the tip of the iceberg! I hope that you’ve enjoyed following along on our trips this year and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support! I can’t wait to see where 2020 takes us!