From Wisconsin we crossed back over the Mississippi into Dubuque and on into Iowa country. After stopping in Cascade for lunch – touted on the highway billboard as “historical Cascade with shopping and eateries” – we discovered the entire town was deserted and shut down because everyone was attending a wedding. So a Subway sandwich later (because it was literally the only shop open in the entire town) we continued on our way. Rainclouds became more ominous as we got closer to Winterset and we have never seen clouds like we have in the Iowa skies.
Winterset is located in Madison County, home to the covered bridges made famous by Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep’s The Bridges of Madison County. The timber-truss bridges were built in the late 19th century to facilitate transport over waterways and were covered to protect the wooden beams from inclement weather and subsequently decaying. The bridges were added to the National Register of Historic Places in the 1970’s. Of the 19 covered bridges that were built in Madison County, only 6 remain today and so off we went to find them.
Winterset possesses all the charm that we imagined American small towns to have. The town is centred around the courthouse in the middle of the town square. Immaculate storefronts line the surrounding streets and every person we met from Suzy our Airbnb host to Melissa our waitress in the Northside Cafe was so genuinely warm and welcoming. We had a fantastic time in Winterset exploring the town and meeting the locals.
Winterset is the birthplace of John Wayne and you can visit the house he was born in and the neighbouring museum. Also in Winterset is the Iowa Quilt Museum, exhibiting vintage and modern quilts.
Last on our list of things to do in Winterset was to visit the local winery and cidery. Winterset Cidery boasts an array of ciders in different flavors and a rainbow of colours; Covered Bridges Winery not only offered excellent wine tasting but also introduced us to the wonder of the winerita: wine slushies.
As we left Madison County and headed towards the Mississippi again, we made a stop in Iowa’s capital of Des Moines. We wandered around Des Moines’ East Village as the mist began to slowly clear. One of the city’s oldest – and most eclectic – neighbourhoods dating from the 19th century, the East Village is home to several of the state’s most important buildings, including the Iowa State Capitol. The State Capitol was built from 1871 to 1886, and has the distinction of being the only five-domed capitol in the country.
Wrapping up a great few days in Iowa we now continue our journey as we excitedly head to Indiana and Illinois to continue exploring the Midwest, catch up with good friends and attend our first ball game!
S&P