Family Adventures · Iowa Wine, Beer, and Spirits · Northeast Iowa · Outdoors All Year · The Mud Belt-Traveling the Mississippi

Allamakee All Year-Every Season is Road Trip Season in Extreme NE-Iowa

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*Our gallivants have taken us to NE-Iowa many times and I’m happy to highlight our adventures in Allamakee County with all of you. We’re proud to share this sponsored post and our opinions of this amazing region are of our own. Let’s gallivant through memory lane and all our travels in Allamakee County!

The Driftless Area is beautiful region all year long. Especially when you discover Allamakee County for the first time or all over again like we have, year after year.

The winds have led us to Allamakee County several times with each visit showing more of its beauty that we hadn’t experienced yet. Included in that beauty is the unmatched powerful scenery you can’t find anywhere else in Iowa and a population of locals that have never ceased to welcome us like old friends every time. This was felt during our first visit in March of 2017 and every time we’ve been back. Let’s see what we’ve been up to in extreme northeast Iowa!

Scenic Overlooks

Mount Hosmer-Lansing, Iowa

Mount Hosmer is one of the greatest overlooks that you will see on the Great River Road anywhere on the Mississippi River banks. It overlooks the islands of the Upper Mississippi, the iconic Black Hawk Bridge and is just minutes from Main Street-Lansing. Be sure to wave at the neighbors in Wisconsin to the east!

Cedar Point-Yellow River State Forest

Yellow River State Forest has endless hiking trails, streams, and miles of scenic driving. One of the best overlooks in Allamakee County is right here at Cedar Point, which is not too far from the historic fire tower.

Effigy Mounds National Monument-Near Harpers Ferry, Iowa

Near the southern edge county line of Allamakee is one of America’s National Monuments and the only one in the State of Iowa. Effigy Mounds is a sacred Native American site and it’s spiritualism can be felt throughout the entire area. It’s directly off the Great River Road Scenic Byway and if you love nature, history, hiking, and beautiful scenery then you will have a very memorable day at Effigy Mounds.

Delicious Food

One of the greatest hot roast beef sandwiches in Iowa is at Milty’s in Lansing!
The cheese curd capital of Iowa is WW Homestead Dairy in Waukon! Just try to leave without a basket of fried cheese curds. Why would you want to pass that up!
Authentic taquerias in The Hometown of the World of Postville, Iowa! These masterpieces are from El Pariente and they are some of the tastiest and some most authentic flavors you’re going to find.
You like bacon? That was an easy question to answer. Take home some of Iowa’s award winning bacon from City Meat Market in New Albin, Iowa. Don’t forget smoked eggs, smoked salmon, ring bologna, jerky, kopfwurst…..
Gourmet pizza at the Safe House Saloon in Lansing, Iowa! One of the most popular selections is pictured above and they call it the Calypso. Make this pizza night happen.
Breakfast time at Nutmeg’s in Lansing, Iowa!

Off the Beaten Path Gems

Winding gravel roads, rollercoaster blacktops, streams snaking through the timber, and local businesses popping up from the scenic drive all road trip long.

You gotta love a local wine that takes you through rural Allamakee County on a gravel road. Madigan Winery has a sparkling pear wine that is one the best beverages we’ve ever found in our gallivants.
Following Paint Creek will give you one of the best scenic drives through Allamakee County. It will also lead you to Paint Creek Soaps in Waterville, Iowa.
The owners and staff of Empty Nest Winery gave us a memorable and entertaining afternoon just outside of Waukon. I wasn’t kidding about the locals treating us like lifelong regulars and these folks here are pros at that kind of welcoming. Don’t leave without a wine slushy!
Up the hill then down the hill and around the turn near Harpers Ferry. I’m taking about Mohn Fish Market and a bevy of pickled, smoked, fresh, or frozen fish caught from the Mississippi River just a few miles away.
Army Road in New Albin, Iowa. You can literally be on the Mississippi without getting wet!
Just stick to the Driftless Scenic Byway and it will lead you to the treasures of Allamakee County. This route will wind through a region of Iowa you never imagined.

The uniqueness of Allamakee County has always been the number one reason why we return. The Upper Mississippi River blends into the Driftless Area like no other natural wonder in the Midwest. We’ve now made a trip during every season of the year and Allamakee County has shown its everchanging scenery each time. One thing that has never changed is how much we want to return every time we prepare to leave. There’s going to be many more returns to Allamakee County for us and we encourage you all to make some plans of your own. The paths we’ve taken throughout the county is just a start for us and I can’t wait to see what inspires all you in far NE-Iowa. Take the scenic way, down the country roads, onto the dusty trails, through the unforgettable woods, across the streams, up Main streets, and meet the Great River which has been awaiting your arrival for centuries. All in Allamakee!

Where will your Allamakee gallivant lead you?

Be sure to like the Visit Allamakee County Facebook page to see many more reasons why this could be your next amazing road trip!

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