We left Iowa. I don't think I have ever seen this much corn in my life! Everywhere we went there were corn fields that just went on as far as the eye could see. On driving days, we starting Googling all about corn. We learned that Iowa is the number one corn producing state in the nation. And that the majority of the corn we were seeing was not for human consumption, but instead is used for animal feed and ethanol production. It's also used to make starches, sweeteners and over 4,000 everyday products!
After being in Iowa a week, I can say there is a lot more going on in Iowa than corn. Our first stop was just outside Iowa City at a Core of Engineers campground called Sugar Bottom Recreation Area. The campground was at Coralville Lake. It was a really peaceful and beautiful area and we ended up staying for 5 nights. The sites were large with plenty of places for Scooby to run.
I think we all just needed some down time and enjoyed some lazy mornings:
While there, we visited Iowa City, Cedar Falls and North Liberty. All were fun places to explore. We were amazed at the miles and miles of bike trails that all connected. You could ride your bike across the state if you wanted! We also enjoyed taking our kayaks out on the lake or going on a bike ride in the early morning hours before it got too hot!
The sunsets were amazing:
Our next stop was near Des Moines, the capital of Iowa. We camped at Bob Shelter Recreation Area on another lake called, Saylorville. Our campground was just below the dam and was another pretty campground with some great kayaking and biking trails.
We enjoyed a day trip into Des Moines to the beautiful capitol grounds:
After touring the capitol, we took a nice hike around this small lake near town called, Gray's Lake.
Scooby loves being in the RV and traveling with us. We couldn't ask for a better travel buddy!
We were a bit surprised at how much we enjoyed our time in Iowa! We found some beautiful spots and enjoyed being near some fun cities. We especially enjoyed finding a good brewery after a long ride!
Our time in Iowa has ended and we are now headed on to our next stop, Lincoln, NE. It's hard to believe it is almost Labor Day weekend! We are thankful that the temperatures are coming down a bit. I guess fall really is just around the corner. Even harder to believe that in 5 weeks Mary and Ty will be getting married. Each new stop finds us closer to Idaho and their big day! We hope you all enjoy the upcoming holiday weekend.