The Lincoln Highway was America's first coast-to-coast highway. "Founded" by the Lincoln Highway…read moreAssociation in 1913, it was comprised of extant roads that were marked to show automobilists the way. In the early years, when the Lincoln Highway was being built, if any part of the road was paved at all, it was paved with gravel or macadam. The Portland Cement Association members and Lincoln Highway Association provided states with enough paving material to build one mile of concrete demonstration highway, out in the country, to demonstrate to motorists what a good road could be like. Called "Seedling Miles," the demonstration sections were built out in the country, so if anyone wanted to see what the paved highway of the future would be like, they were forced to drive across lousy roads in order to experience the concrete Seedling Mile. Iowa had only one Seedling Mile, this one on Mount Vernon Road between Mount Vernon (home of Cornell College) and Cedar Rapids. Iowa has now signed the historic highway. You can follow the historic route from the Mississippi River at Clinton to the Missouri River at Council Bluffs by following the signs. As much as this section of highway is historic in nature, I only gave it four stars because you aren't driving on the original concrete from 100 years ago. Linn County tore it up and replaced it a few years ago, but they did put up a monument. Originally, they placed a monument about 4-1/2 miles of east of here but after loud protest from Lincoln Highway enthusiasts, a duplicate marker was placed at the western portal of the Seedling Mile. (The original, misplaced tombstone marker, is located with a kiosk and reproduction bridge in Cedar Rapids, at Lincoln Heights Drive SE. It's a street that was the original route of the Lincoln Highway. It's a loop that avoided a steep hill that has since been cut down that Mount Vernon Road follows.) When you're on this stretch of Mount Vernon Road, you are traveling a section of the most historic highway in the United States, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Very understated piece of historical Americana. It's hard to find but once you do pull off the road…read moreand take a few minutes to read the tourism sign. The area could use some weed removal but it's essentially a piece of concrete road.

I thought I had written a review of Brucemore but hadn't so this is a little late. I took my mom…read more(who had always wanted to go) there in early June. I honestly wasn't excited about going but definitely was wowed. It's worth the price of admission. We had a great tour guide and it was just two of us. Tours are every hour. They definitely have a script but once our guide got warmed up, he shared a lot of information and stories with us. Gardens and property are nice to walk through as well. We were told they didn't have a gardener at the moment but the gardens still looked good. There's a pet cemetery on the property. (The last property owners had lions and monkeys and German Shepherds and other animals throughout their tenure.) Go see it after the tour so you know what you're looking at. Also know that there are some private homes now in in the carriage house and servants' houses so don't explore too much. Very interesting history. Don't miss the basement. (Also know that there are four flights of stairs and no elevator so plan accordingly if needed.)

Wow! What a cool place. The outdoor part of the property is huge and beautiful for walks or taking…read morein nature but the tour of the mansion is something you don't want to miss. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and the house was so well restored with so much of the original furniture and character from the three eras of Brucemore. So impressed and very grateful to have had the experience.

Lovely video before the tour of the studio. This man did a lot of things!…read moreThe studio tour was informative and descriptive of the transition/creativeness of making the loft into a livable space.

Definitely wanted to share my positive experience at this amazing place. The free tour starts with…read morea well-produced video that immerses you into the world of Grant Wood: personal history, career history, accolades and awards, and great backstories to many of his iconic creations. I highly recommend you see this video before attending the art museum, because it is great reference to prime you for what you will see in person. The studio tour is great, and as you are shown all of the features of the studio and are told about its background, what truly amazes is that Wood crafted it all out of a simple, primitive hayloft -- Everything. Keep that in mind, because your respect for him will multiply exponentially. My hosts, Dan and Kevin, were both friendly, accommodating and very knowledgeable -- the passion they both have for the space is authentic and contagious. Extremely pleased I went!

Unfortunately when I visited the visitor's center was closed, but I still had a blast! There is a…read morelot that you can park in, and then travel down a path to a bunch of informational displays about the flood in 1993 that carved out this gorge, revealing all of the fossils. Then, you proceed down the path into a gorge, keeping an eye out for fossils. I saw a bunch of fossils on the bank to my right, before I even made it to the gorge. There were a few people scattered walking their dogs, although one group was actively looking to spot fossils and had the brochure from the Army Corps of Engineers about the different fossils present. All in all, this was a great spot to spend an hour walking around. I did see evidence that people have poached fossils from here, which is a shame. Look, but don't take!

Open area with lots to look at. I'm surprised they let people walk over these fossil imprints. Much…read moreof the rock is cracked and loose. Much of the area has numbers imbedded into the ground to help you find the things.

This is more like the high end suburban/country subdivision of RV Parks, every bit as wonderful as…read moreyou can imagine, unless you HAVE to have a pool, an on site store, and cheap yucky pizza. This county park is stunning and full of great space and the opportunity to really enjoy the beauty that Iowa offers without being stuck in a forest. There are a limited number of spaces with electric, water, and sewer located in loop A. The remainder of the spaces all come with electric and water. The spaces are ample with huge concrete slabs for easy leveling, an additional large concrete patio, and a secure and safe burn out at each site. There is a ton of grass around the sites usable for pick-up football games, frisbee, tag, water balloon wars--name it. Nearby, there are ample walking and biking trails and a dog park that is enormous. The dog park is only about mile from the camp grounds and includes two enormous fenced areas areas--one for large dogs and one for small dogs. Beyond these, there is an all-dog excersise area with a walking path. Off loop B is a walking path that holds a hidden wooden bench swing, which is the result of an Eagle Scout project. This is a great place to really take in the beauty of the area and decompress. There is a lot of rag weed and golden-rod, so be aware and bring medicine if you have allergies. We paid $35/night for full hook-ups--far less than most KOAs and far more beautiful. The campground is typically open from April 15-October 15. Strongly recommended! The common restrooms and showed are extremely clean.

I am giving this a 5 based on the fact got in late and left early. We only needed an overnight…read morestay. The spaces were concrete and so level we did not unhook our truck since we were there one night. Very quiet and exactly what we needed for our purposes!

Thunder Bay Falls is a must see on your way into or out of Galena! It's only about a 10 min drive…read moreout of the way for a majestic view of the waterfall. Depending on how much rain there's been will determine how full the waterfall is- the 1st time I came here, there was a trickle of water. This time (a full year later) was a full fledged roaring waterfall! This is a quick stop- it's just the waterfall! There's a gravel parking lot (usually the other cars are a dead giveaway). There are several viewing areas with selfie stations for you to prop up your phone! The wildflowers are beauty here too. If you brought a fishing pole, go for it! There are signs (and reviews) that clearly state you have to be a member or a guest of something in order to be here... we've never seen anyone enforcing the rules here. It's too much of a treasure to keep people away.

I meannnn... the waterfall was dry when we went so that was a bummer. Not much of a trail to walk…read morearound either. It's nice to visit but definitely probably better to go in the spring or summer when the water fall is actively running. There are a few posts that provide information about why Thunder Bay falls is important to the area. Still pretty cool to check out and get some fresh air.

The National Park honoring the life of Herbert Hoover is inspiring and educational. The complex is…read morelarge and includes a Visitors Center, his original birthplace cottage, schoolhouse, blacksmith, gravesite, park and Presidential Library and Museum. We started our tour in the Visitor's Center. We were greeted by a friendly Park Ranger, who described the layout of the center. A twelve minute movie provides a nice overview of Hoover's life from boyhood to post presidential. The Center also has a room with interactive displays and artifacts. I confess that I didn't know much about Hoover prior to this visit. His story is memorable as he was raised Quaker, became orphaned at a young age, yet managed to attend Stanford University and become a successful geologist. Then, he became president and devoted his life to international outreach. What an inspirational story! Despite cold rain, we took the short walk to Hoover's boyhood cottage, the blacksmith shop where his father worked and the schoolhouse. Each stop was informative. Nice boardwalks connect all the buildings, which are wheel chair accessible. The museum was closed for major renovations and will reopen in 2026. The grave site (behind the museum) is peaceful, simple and lovely. There is nearby parking. The Park is easy on/off US 80. The site was free to visit (although donations are accepted). There were public restrooms in the Visitors Center. I encourage a visit if you like history. The Park is a great place to bring kids. Plan a couple hours.

Admittedly, I don't do much research before visiting an NPS site, as I would like to be educated by…read morethe informational displays present. If I have additional questions, I just look them up later. So, it was a huge surprise to me that this place was pretty sizable. Starting from the visitor's center, you can meander your way through the grounds containing the former president's house (and birth place), his school house, and his original Quaker church. There's also a blacksmithery which has demonstrations over the weekends. Finally, you can see his grave site. I unfortunately did not have time to visit the museum, but the NPS ranger had good things to say about it. There is also a small path to the prairie to give you a sense of what Hoover's family encountered before they farmed the land. Overall, this was a great visit!