*You can’t be any further from Des Moines and still be in the state of Iowa then Lyon County! A few miles from Minnesota and South Dakota and one of the most unique areas of Iowa’s rolling prairies. This two day excursion was sponsored by Lyon County Economic Development. The views expressed in this blog… Continue reading The Beautiful Lyon’s Share of NW-Iowa: Cabin to the Casino
Indianola, IA: Warren County Let’s go back to 2017 for just a moment here. We made one overnight visit to this town and it produced one of the biggest booms out travel blog has ever seen. It’s no secret that we were absolutely giddy to hear that Indianola would be Overnight #4 and our return… Continue reading Scouting RAGBRAI-2019: Gravy Crazy, Meaty Sandwiches, and Fine Iowa Wine- Indianola
Winterset, IA: Madison County Our first visit to this area was a fun one back in 2016. We had two hours to kill and we made it happen by packing in a lot of their beautiful City Park. You can click here to see what that was all about and then imagine all the great… Continue reading Scouting RAGBRAI-2019: Winterset’s History of Good Times is RAGBRAI-Ready
*I have a goal to propose to my wife in all 99 Iowa counties. It will take long time and that’s okay because I’m counting on having many decades to complete it. Writing is a true passion and I can’t imagine having The Iowa Gallivant without Monie by my side the whole time. Boone &… Continue reading 99 Counties-99 Proposals: Moment #5 in Boone County
Boone & Madrid, IA: Boone County You need a great meal….I mean meals…and you also need a beautiful state park, local wine, premium hotel room, and a place that has more Christmas cheer than Rudolph, Bing Crosby and Clark W. Griswold have combined. We found it and rolled in it like the first snow angel of… Continue reading Stuffing the Stockings & Iowa Feasting: Boone For the Holidays Part 2 of 2
We’ve been to a lot of places around Iowa and we seem to find ourselves gravitating to the local vineyards and wineries, and for good reason. The wine industry is going great here in Iowa and wine enthusiasts are going local more and more. We have found some skilled wine makers since we started this… Continue reading Iowa Wineries & Our Quest to Discover Them All
Decorah, IA: Winneshiek County Day 2 brought us a day in the low 30’s which made for perfect snowball and fort construction conditions. Our weekend Christmas home at Whitetail Cabin had a great hill for sledding and timber for the kids to go exploring. Yet another perk to this beautiful property just 1 mile outside Decorah. The… Continue reading The Greatest Decorah Christmas of All-Time: Day 2 of 2
Tassel Ridge Winery Star Spangled White Wine: Leighton, Iowa Why oh why do I not cook more seafood? Why oh why do I not grab a bottle of Tassel Ridge more often. I don’t have the answers to those questions. I do know that magic happens when I get this couple together. They really… Continue reading Iowa Recipe Quest-Cooking With Iowa’s Brews, Wines, & Spirits: Tassel Ridge Clam Sauce
Rose Wine: Odessa Vineyards-Wapello, IA The summer is winding down and we still have Labor Day weekend coming up that will yield a lot of camping trips, swirls around the lake, and tailgate parties! Delicious melons from Iowa and all over the Midwest are still in season and you can head to the North Dodge… Continue reading Iowa Recipe Quest-Cooking With Iowa’s Brews, Wines, & Spirits: Odessa Yellow Watermelon Granitas
Louisa and Muscatine Counties We’re taking a sip out of a very scenic part of Iowa as we head to a region that we’re very familiar with. A little wine sampling with some breaks in between as we hike and discover our way through another great rural tour in this area’s wine country. JayJay and Monie’s first stop… Continue reading Eastern Iowa Wine Country
