*Right in between the Quad Cities and Iowa City metro areas, on Interstate 80, is one of Eastern Iowa’s premiere communities to shop small and eat well during this holiday season and beyond! Our Gallivant was sponsored by Main Street West Branch. Some of the goods, meals and services were complimentary. The views in this blog post are of our own. Now, let’s Gallivant!
The sunny Main Streets of America are awaiting us all, and that goes double for West Branch, Iowa!
Let’s get this beautiful Gallivant started in a town that’s just minutes away from our HQ in Iowa City! West Branch was voted as one of Iowa’s top 10 prettiest towns, and the locals love showcasing the entire city. Before we get to it’s downtown district, that’s home to 16 buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places-thank you very much, let’s hit the golf course. Not for a quick nine, but for a date night with gourmet splendor. Fore! (The Iowa Gallivant is not responsible for making you duck and causing an anxious moment after that last said outburst…Also it’s almost December and local golfers are hibernating…Why did you think I was serious?)
Date Night
A front yard that the subjects in Grant Wood’s American Gothic painting would love. The Lively for a proper Cedar County good time with the wifey. I wore my good ‘alls for this night out!Would we like cocktails? Do the West Branch Bears love their football? Yes! The Lively has some skilled bartenders that can truly make delicious and refreshing drinks to get any style of night kicked off just right.Out come the entrees and one of the best hunks of pork loin I’ve had in a long time. The Lively’s bone-in pork loin is served with a creamy white wine sauce and topped with smoked trout roe. This makes for a juicy and flavor filled delight that you won’t find at every twist and turn throughout Iowa.Wild mushroom risotto for the Italian comfort food lovers out there. Rich, steaming hot and so good for the soul during a getaway on a chilly night.Chocolate fiends…..You have your heading! The Lively knows how to make each course a memorable one and I don’t think anyone should be passing up on dessert when they’re here. Grab a spoon and introduce yourself to this silky pudding….
Breakfast Time
The sun would set on our date night, but not on our West Branch Gallivant. That’s because we had oodles of Main Street businesses to keep us company, fed, and entertained. Let’s start with the most important meal of the day which is the biscuits and gravy course and it happened to be during breakfast at The Serving Cafe!
Now serving at The Serving Café is this HOT plate of Mom’s Biscuits and Gravy! One of my favorite meals btw. If I’m ever hard to find just check Main Street West Branch because I might be relaxing in a tub of that sausage gravy. Actually don’t call me and I’ll tell you when I’m free. Actually I’ll text when I’m ready…maybe.
Morning Constitutional
I’m bring back all the old sayings. Call my morning walk a “morning constitutional”, especially when I’m cruising the scenic grounds of the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. Just as soon as I get off the Davenport after that big breakfast. Now, hand me the clicker because my stories are about to start.
Park ranger Peter was our guide on a sun filled autumn day in West Branch. President Hoover’s humbled birthplace home is in the background and we heard the unique story of how a small town Iowa kid would become a world leader.The grounds of Herbert Hoover National Historic Site are always beautiful anytime of year. A sculpture of the Egyptian goddess Isis is one of the more mysterious landmarks you’ll find when you’re here, but has a significant meaning. She’s the goodness of life and it was given to Hoover by the Belgian survivors of WWI for his diplomatic efforts after the war. He helped countless Europeans from starving to death and it makes sense that a goddess of life would be a fitting gift in his honor.Along this historic path is the one room schoolhouse where Hoover’s brother and father attended. It’s up for debate on whether or not the future president dropped off an apple to the local teacher’s desk, however.Blacksmiths were still in high demand during Hoover’s youth and we were told the stories of his father making a living here. It was nice to share this tour with a couple from Sacramento, California on a cross country road trip. That Exit 254 comes in handy!From the birthplace to the resting place. One of my favorite overlooks in all of Iowa is where you’ll find the gravesites of our 31st U.S. President and his beloved wife, Lou. It’s only one of two areas in the entire country where you can see a president’s birthplace from his resting place.Don’t forget to grab some souvenirs and get your National Park Passport stamped inside the Visitors Center while at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site! One of only two opportunities to get this stamp in all of Iowa.
Let’s Go Shopping
Main Streets were born for retail, and West Branch fancies itself as one of the best of its kind in the Midwest. Shop Small Saturday is around the corner, but anytime of the year is a great time to wander into West Branch.
Super sonic sweet tooth….Activate! The Honey Den is directly on Main Street and there’s no turning back when you open it’s door.I say you just bring the stockings right in and work those Jelly Belly levers until they’re full at The Honey Den!I love buying bulk. Especially when it’s candy!The sweet side of West Branch goes on and on at The Honey Den!Grab some candy and a variety of other gifts while you’re sugared up!There’s a special section of The Honey Den where you’ll find the salty side of this shop. It’s also the hilarious part of this experience for all us grownups!
Further down Main Street and behind the fire station is the store for you vintage seekers out there at 223 Vintage Co. More Cedar County smiles, too!The youth of this world will never know how great it felt to hang up on a telemarketer with one of these phones. Or how awkward it was to twirl your arm around the cord when gathering the courage to call your crush. Better pick one up at 223 Vintage Co and relive those bygone moments at home!Flour, sugar, Kool-Aid mix? What did your family keep in these classic containers? Popcorn seeds! That was going to be my next guess!Don’t forget about our feathered friends or party crashing neighborhood squirrels this holiday season. They’ll love these houses!Shelf after nostalgic shelf will keep the memory banks going as you make your holiday selections at 223 Vintage Co.
Graceann, how did you know that I needed you!This popular Iowa City area boutique showed up on Main Street West Branch one day and it’s been bringing their fashions to lucky shoppers ever since.You know someone that would love this outfit! Maybe it’s you! Can’t make up your mind of what to wrap up for that special someone? Then get a Graceann Boutique gift card you big silly!Sweater weather! Omg, sweater weather! I love sweater weather!
Lunch Break
I’ve been making trips to Historic West Branch for decades, and one of the main reasons is for one of my favorite pizzerias in all of Iowa. Ladies and gentleman, I would like to introduce to you to my great friends at Herb N Lou’s!
Holy cottage cheese! A salad bar! An actual salad bar! I was hungry for a pizza filled lunch and found a way to have my veggies. Topped with pepperoni of course….One of the best of Iowa’s classics is right here at Herb N Lou’s. Behold! The taco pizza and all its crunchy-zesty goodness!My other cheesy go-to is the Herb’s Heaper. Loaded with tons of topping and they never skimp on the cheese!Ice cream is always a must when gallivanting. It goes great with shopping, too! Main Street Sweets to top this day trip with a sweet lil cherry.These dudes can whip up a mean Polar Bear Brownie ice cream treat. Heck yea I want some whip cream with that!Quick! Get to West Branch and Main Street Sweets for their Carrot Cake Polar Bear before the special changes at the end of November! Then make a return trip for the December flavor. Then use up those gift cards in January and see what the special is. Then Feb….
Keep Shopping
Did you really think we were done with shopping on this Main Street haven for the holidays? Not even close! Let’s just say it’s always pumpkin season in West Branch….
White Pumpkin Studio always has a seasonal theme, and they’re always stocked up with some of the most unique gifts you can buy in the area. Ask about their jigsaw puzzle that’s fit for the side of a barn. Turn that hobby into a profession with that big boy!The Christmas season is in full bloom at White Pumpkin Studio. Are you seeing red and green everywhere, too or is it just me?Snuggle session has begun with Warmies in West Branch! Microwaves aren’t just for leftovers during this holiday season.Yes, you need more socks! What kind of question is that? Stock-up with colorful footwear at White Pumpkin Studio!You’ll find gift ideas for everyone you can think of when you’re at this wonderful Main Street store. Game night just got a little more interesting after this trip!
This incredible structure is home to an impressive museum with rotating exhibits to keep the interest up all yearlong. It also has a handy gift shop for your day trip in West Branch!We all know a history buff and I’m sure there’s a presidential item they’d enjoy from this gift shop.The Christmas season is beautifully illuminated inside the main corridor of Hoover’s museum.I wish Hoover had a smartphone during his 1929 inauguration. I think he’d have a big’ol Iowa grin like this!The museum is full of depictions, pictures and interpretations of Hoover’s long and amazing life. You’ll find out something you never knew about his eventful story each time you visit.
Supper Time
Nightcaps are in order when it comes to closing out this day trip to West Branch, Iowa. The Down Under is directly below the Hoover House on Main Street and you can party with the locals while you enjoy some cold ones and yummy food inside yet another historic building.
Have you met the Nacho Lady of West Branch? You just might bump into her at The Down Under!Meet the Big Mike burger! That beefy and cheesy meal between a fresh bun found a warm home when it arrived to my place setting at The Down Under. What a perfect venue for a holiday gathering! I just love those goofballs in the background…
I was raised in Iowa City and thought I knew West Branch pretty well. Holy Main Street madness was I wrong! There’s much to enjoy and experience during anytime of the year in this stunningly beautiful town, and I know you’ll find even more wonders than we did when you arrive. The locals are eager to see you and the shops are well stocked with goodies of all sorts and sizes. The kitchens are sizzling and the beverages of all styles are plentiful. The scenery is historic and captivating. This is what thriving looks and sounds like on Main Street-America. This is West Branch, Iowa!
Thank you to everyone at Main Street West Branch for making this day trip and date night happen! Like Main Street West Branch on Facebook and follow this fun loving organization on Instagram. Click on their website to stay updated with all the wonderful community events in West Branch, Iowa!
