What to Do in Iowa?
The Five Seasons of Iowa: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Iowa's fifth season is the Time to enjoy all four
"We lived in a place which was 100 yards from the Pacific Ocean. We were there 15 years and ask me how many times I went to the ocean? Never. Why? Because we were commuting, it was a very crowded community. Just to get to the store to get basic groceries was a project in itself." - Joyce Vista-Wayne, MD, Ottumwa
Year-Round Activities
- Go trout fishing. Northeast Iowa has nearly 20 trout streams that are stocked from April through October. Iowa's lakes, streams and rivers provide great, uncluttered fishing.
- Explore lush forests and explore caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park.
- Ride on a 1920s steam locomotive over a 150-foot trestle bridge and through the Des Moines River Valley.
- Hunt for antiques in Iowa's many small towns or visit Historic Valley Junction in Des Moines.
- Visit historic Amana Colonies.
- Explore Living History Farms.
- Visit Iowa's many museums and art galleries.
- Eat at one of Iowa's great small-town cafes. (For example, at the Lincoln Café in Mt. Vernon, enjoy Grilled Quail with low-country mustard barbeque, Carolina rice and red peas, bacon slaw and fried gulf oysters. Or stop into Coffee Cup Café in the town square of Sully and enjoy a large pork tenderloin sandwich.)
- Get the heart racing at one of Iowa's casinos.
- Visit the covered bridges of Madison County.
- Get to know your neighbors.
Spring and Summer Activities
- Attend the Pella Tulip festival.
- Bike on RAGBRAI: Ride a bike across Iowa in one week with 15,000 of your friends.
- Ride your bike: Iowa is crisscrossed with 1,200 miles of interconnected multi-use trails. Iowa leads the nation in Rail-to-Trail conversions, but you can take any rural highway to explore Iowa's beauty.
- Canoe one of Iowa's many rivers and streams.
- Join a softball league.
- Explore the historic Mississippi and Missouri river valleys.
- Attend horse or dog racing.
- Garden in Iowa's rich, fertile soil.
- Drive out to the country and watch the stars.
- Attend an Iowa Cubs baseball game.
- Go to the fair. The Iowa State Fair is one of the largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country-and home to the butter cow.
Fall Activities
- Attend one of the myriad Farmer's Markets.
- Visit a "U-pick" farm for strawberries, pumpkins, Christmas trees and other fruits and vegetables.
- Hunt Iowa's many fields and forests (deer, wild turkey, pheasants, waterfowl, quail).
- Tailgate Iowa style at any of Iowa's three university football teams.
- Drive Iowa's Great River Road and watch the leaves change color.
- Feed some humming birds at Pike's Peak State Park and take in the majestic overlooks near McGregor, Iowa.
- Watch the bird migration (200,000 snow and blue geese) near Council Bluffs.
Winter Activities
- Watch eagles soar along the Mississippi River in Burlington, Keokuk or Bellevue, Iowa. Eagles congregate along the Mississippi River during the winter because of the open water near locks and dams.
- Attend one of the many unique Christmas parades and winter festivals.
- Ski downhill (yes, there really are ski mountains in Iowa), and cross-country on Iowa's many bike trails.
- Go tubing or sledding.
- Ice skate on one of Iowa's many farm ponds or urban skating rinks (or ice skate indoors at Iowa's hockey arenas).
- Or, just sit next to a fireplace with a glass of Iowa wine and watch it snow.
Links for More Information
www.OutdoorsIowa.com - An Iowa Adventure Guide
www.BikeIowa.com - Iowa biking trails and news
www.INHF.org - Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
www.inhf.org/iowatrails/index.htm - Hiking and biking trails
www.iowadnr.gov/fish/fishing/trout/troutstr.html - Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fish and Fishing
www.traveliowa.com - Your Iowa Vacation Starts Here!
www.ConsiderIowa.org - Find Iowa employment opportunities
Things We Don't Do in Iowa
- Sit in traffic
- Worry about traveling into "dangerous areas"
- Wear masks because of pollution
- Wait in long lines
- Miss our kids' school events
- Take the four seasons for granted