Need Help

I will be traveling across the US with my husband this coming summer. He’s a long haul truck driver and me and my son plan to join him for a few weeks every now and then. I have no clue where well end up stopping in your state so I was hoping you could all help me by telling me cool kid friendly places to see. I know there will be times where we’ll be waiting a day or so to pick up or drop off and I’d love to use that free time to explore areas. I’m the kind of person who likes to plan as much as possible. So any and all recommendations of places to stop and see would be greatly appreciated

Thanks so much for all your help

Lisa

Need Help

If you are on HWY 20 or Hwy 136 and if your son is into Baseball- Dyersville, IA is home of the ';Field of Dreams';- watch the move with Kevin Costner before and after your visit.

Also Manchester IA (Delaware County) home of the ';Fish Hatchery';. Ideal for the little fisherman. My son is 6 and still loves to go and feed the fish- you can see them upclose and personal. Great for a sunny day- bring sunscreen. Open seasonally.

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I%26#39;m sort of assuming you are going to be somewhere on or near Interstate 80? A place kids and adults both enjoy is Living History Farms on the west outskirts of Des Moines (technically, Urbandale, Iowa.) Admission is a bit pricey but you get a lot to look at for your admission fee. Plan to spend several hours.

If you are in Iowa August 9-19, check out the 153rd annual Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. It%26#39;s an amazing experience with lots of food and fun. You%26#39;ll want to book a room ahead of time as hotels fill up.

The Field of Dreams (recommended earlier) is a great idea and the National Farm Toy Museum is also in Dyersville. If you happen to get to Dubuque, Iowa (not far from Dyersville), be sure to check out the National Mississippi River Museum %26amp; Aquarium, then take a riverboat ride on the Mighty Mississippi.

Okoboji %26amp; Arnolds Park, Iowa Visit the Iowa Great Lakes!!! Arnold%26#39;s Park Amusement Park, Lake Okoboji, Spirit Lake etc... vacationokoboji.com or exploreokoboji.com. It is in NW Iowa HWY 9 %26amp; 71. I also recommend Living History Farms in Urbandale, Jordan Creek Mall area in West Des Moines and Adventureland in Altoona, all in the Des Moines area. Enjoy your summer!

If you travel near Iowa City on I 80, you may want to stop in Kalona (a community with a large Amish population) or the Amana Colonies (7 clean, quaint German communal villages with lots of food and craft options).

Further west, there also is the Neal Smith wildlife refuge, which has a bison herd and lots of prairie scenery and Pella, a Dutch community that celebrates its residents%26#39; heritage with Dutch residents, goods and an annual ';Tulip Time'; festival.

And I can%26#39;t recall exactly where it%26#39;s located, but in the summer there is a maze made from corn that is located close to I 80. That has been a hit with a few kids I know.

Enjoy your trip!

If you travel near Iowa City on I 80, you may want to stop in Kalona (a community with a large Amish population) or the Amana Colonies (7 clean, quaint German communal villages with lots of food and craft options).

Further west, there also is the Neal Smith wildlife refuge, which has a bison herd and lots of prairie scenery and Pella, a Dutch community that celebrates its residents%26#39; heritage with Dutch restaurants, goods and an annual ';Tulip Time'; festival.

And I can%26#39;t recall exactly where it%26#39;s located, but in the summer there is a maze made from corn that is located close to I 80. That has been a hit with a few kids I know.

Enjoy your trip!

This can be a surprisingly fun state to visit, but you should really compare your interests with what%26#39;s offered in various places. I travel the state on business and have seen quite a bit of what%26#39;s here. I%26#39;d heartily recommend stopping at a visitors%26#39; welcome facility along most of the major highways; they have a good supply of info there to look over. Feel free to send me an email: heydave';at';cnde';dot';iastate';dot';edu and I%26#39;d be happy to share what I know about the various corners of the state.

Check out Le Mars, IA...its in the NW area about 20 minutes north of Sioux City. Its the Ice Cream Capital of the World and has a visitor center and an old fashioned Ice Cream Parlor.

reptiles