#Gates50States

We’re pretty sure a core philosophy and/or motto of all Iowans is, “We can farm it!”  

There was corn growing in patches next to highway exits Ohioans would simply leave for grass.  But we’re soooo thankful for Iowa’s farmers and how they feed our nation.  Iowa may not be glamorous like Wyoming with their Yellowstone and Grand Tetons, or Montana with their Glacier National Park, or Florida with their Disney World, but we were looking forward to learning about Iowa, the important role they’ve played in our nation, and some of the things that make it unique.  We weren’t disappointed.

Everything we wanted to do was quite spread out, so we chose a centralized home location on the northwest side of Des Moines for our first two nights, then moved on to a one night stay at a Holiday Inn in Dubuque. This trip checked all the boxes of “official road trip!”

The drive from Des Moines to West Bend to visit what’s been called the 8th Wonder of the World, the Grotto of the Redemption could not have been more quintessentially Iowan.  We drove on numbered roads between corn fields with wind farms looming above the corn.  There may have been some stoplights in Ogden or Dayton, and Fort Dodge isn’t a small town, but we certainly didn’t drive through any big cities on the way there.

When it was clear we were in town, I remember seeing the Grotto in the distance, a couple of blocks down the road really, and thinking to myself, “We came all this way for… this?”  After we parked and approached the massive work of art on foot, though, it was clear this was a very special place.  Not unlike the Grand Canyon, words and photos can’t do much to accurately describe this place.  The magnitude of geological wonder and consideration of the artistic time invested into the caves, the unmistakable message and portrayal of the life of Christ, it was simply a sight to behold.  Moving from grotto to grotto, cave to cave, our eyes were drawn to every corner, every detail, every statue.  We’re not gifted artists, but we can recognize a fantastic work when we see one, and this was a fantastic work of art.  We regretted our day trip to this remote corner of Iowa precisely 0%.

Outside of Des Moines sits a restaurant we’d read about and were convinced we had to try.  Apparently, this place, Cole’s Famous Tenderloins, makes a legendary chicken sandwich that attracts senators, touring rock stars, presidential candidates, and state hopping families alike.  So we gave it a go, and we can affirm that, yes, this sandwich (along with the rest of Mr. Sturdy’s recipes) is legen… wait for it… dary.

The High Trestle Bridge connects a 25 mile trail from one side of the Des Moines river to the other, and at 1/2 a mile long it is one of the longest trail bridges in the world.  Right here in Iowa!  We Gateses are always up for a hike, so when we read about this place and considered seeing it at sunset, we swung by after dinner to take it in.  What a view!

No conversation about American farming would be complete without mention of John Deere, and Deere’s roots run deep in Iowa.  The kids weren’t old enough to tour the Deere plant, but we got to visit the John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum in Waterloo, and this didn’t disappoint.  Lots of history on display to read and see, and even some tractors to climb on!

We’ve been to many museums and zoos, and the display inside the entrance at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque is second to none.  Further, the wealth of information on display for consumption, ranging from how flooding impacts the local region as well as regions many miles downstream to how river boat construction has changed over the years, was vast yet accessible to the youngest of kids.  This was a bit different from our experience at the NASA Space Center in Huntsville, AL, where the rockets are cool for kids to look at, but the reality is it’s very much a grown-ups museum.

Jenn and I had spoken on many occasions of the importance of training our kids to eat in fancier restaurants, and we put it to the test in Dubuque, Iowa.  A local recommended Pepper Sprout to us, and Jenn liked the idea of local sourcing, seasonal menus, and options for her needs, and believe it or not, the kids really rose to the occasion.  They even enjoyed their own Shirley Temple Cocktails!

The next morning we drove  across the river to Illinois then a short way to Galena to visit Grant’s home, taking great memories of Iowa with us.