Road Trip Time

Who in their right mind goes to Iowa on vacation?

I headed out of Albuquerque a few days ago to start a road trip through Iowa. Hu? Why Iowa? I say, “why not?”

My friend Sharon moved to Des Moines last November. Earlier this year we talked about going on a road trip, and finally decided on searching out all the kitschy, wacky roadside attractions that Iowa has to offer. So tomorrow starts our “Tour de Iowa”, and will go for the next ten days.

Days 1 & 2

Hiked along the High Trestle Trail Bridge. The bridge is about 1/2 mile long and crosses the Iowa River. We hiked about 2 miles and saw several birds including a great blue heron.

Visited the Pappajohn Outdoor Sculpture Garden in downtown Des Moines. No, it has nothing to do with the pizza chain. It was named after the venture capitalist and his wife who gifted the first 24 sculptures placed in the park to the city of Des Moines. Saw many sculptures, including two depicting phases of the moon, A giant pumpkin, and a tree.

Stopped by a mosque that was recently built among the cornfields in Granger. The 130-foot tall minaret received the 2024 AIA Iowa Craft Award. This mosque is considered the first purpose-built mosque in the greater Des Moines area, built to serve the large Bosnian population that sought refuge in Iowa after the Yugoslav civil war.

Drove out to see where the crossroads of the original Jefferson and Lincoln highways intersected, in a town called Colo, Iowa. The Jefferson and Lincoln Highways are two historic named auto trails that played a significant role in early American road development. The Lincoln Highway, established in 1913, was the first automobile route to cross the United States, while the Jefferson Highway, also established around the same time, aimed to connect Winnipeg, Canada, to New Orleans, Louisiana. Both roads are now small, two lane roads. About all that’s at the crossroads now is a cafe, motel, and defunct gas station.

Visited Matchstick Marvels, a museum created by a man who has spent the last 45 years creating models from matchsticks. And not just any models - things like the Challenger Space Shuttle, Notre Dame Cathedral, several battleships, the US Capital building, and many more. Incredible!

Along the way stopped at some old, decrepit barns and other farm buildings. Found one that looked like it was about to fall down, then the animals came out!

Tomorrow we head out to find more old barns, attractions, and other places off the beaten track.