THE PEOPLE OF IOWA WELCOME YOU. Fields of Opportunities. Thus reads the sign welcoming southbound travelers crossing into Iowa from Minnesota along Interstate 35.
A farm site just across the Minnesota-Iowa border on the west side of Interstate 35.
It seems a fitting slogan for a state that’s rural in nature, that stretches fields across the landscape. Sure, larger cities like Des Moines, Dubuque, Ames and Iowa City exist. But it is the small towns and farm sites and the people who live therein which best define this agricultural based state.
I expect all too many travelers have dismissed Iowa, failed to explore her Main Streets and backroads as they zoom along the Interstate, focused only on making good time to reach a destination. I have been guilty of that myself.
Between Iowa’s northern border and Clear Lake, west side of I-35.
On a mid-May trip to Clear Lake in northern Iowa, my husband and I traveled I-35 there, but then took backroads home. We drove through small towns and through the countryside, sometimes stopping, sometimes not. Randy has reminded me if we stopped everywhere I wanted to stop, we would never get anywhere. He is right.
So here are some snapshots from northern Iowa taken through dirty and rain-spotted car windows:
The tornado shelter sign caught my eye in Ventura, a small town just west of Clear Lake.
Along U.S. Highway 18 in the Ventura/Garner area.
The Red Elevator, restored in 2009, gloriously graces the entry to Garner’s Main Street. Garner is located west of Ventura.
Just another view of the historic elevator. We should have stopped to inquire about its current usage and history.
Garner’s downtown with some lovely historic buildings. I would love to see the old corner building, and the clock hanging from it, restored.
A perfect place for an antique shop in Garner.
Iowa is known for its barn quilts and I spotted several, including this one near Garner.
A century farm marker near Forest City.
© Copyright 2015 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
Those old elevators are becoming rarer by the day. Love that Century Farm sign.
So true. I was excited to find this one. And the color red is atypical. Usually they are grey.
Yes, Iowa has quite the reputation(s)!!!! Unless one is taking a route closer to the Mississippi, the roads are very gridded and predictable………equals somewhat boring from a motorcyclist’s perspective…….but the towns are quaint and have the wonderful rural ‘finds’ that make such excursions pleasurable.
Ah, but I am used to the grid roads given my prairie childhood.
Yes and you’re a “prairie gal” and I’m a “Coulee Region”/ridge-valley gal! LOL!
Oh, my, you are a “valley girl.”
LOL!!!!!
Although I grew up in Illinois, I’ve lived in the Northeast since 1989 & I’m always struck by the beauty of Flat in the Midwest.
Made me smile, reading about your exchange between you & your husband about stopping/not stopping.
Some lovely buildings in this town.
I love that you see the beauty in flat. Not everyone does.
Seems like more people miss the beauty in Flat just “trying to get through it”
I think you are right.
Great Captures – love the watering can 🙂 I love road tripping through the back roads and usually have camera in hand because cannot stop at every place of interest along the way. Happy Day – Enjoy!
We share that commonality of travel photography. Back roads are where you see “real America.”
Iowa is my birth place. I grew up in Minnesota, Michigan and Florida, Then moved Out West and was there for 10 years and now moved to the Southeast. I love the flat, the mountains, the water, the rural, the urban, the city. After this last road trip cross country I have seen 31 of the 50 states.
Wow, you have been transient. Me? Minnesota, all my life.
I prefer modern day gypsy – ha! My whole family is that way – one set of parents lives in 2 states throughout the year while the other set is on wheels (RVers) and lives in 2 if not 4 or 5 states throughout the year, my brother and his family moved ten years ago and are thinking of moving to another state next year. My brother-in-law has been in one state his whole life – he likes being rooted in one place.
I am not a gypsy, although I once dressed as one for Halloween, plastic gypsy mask and all.
So glad you got to see some of the countryside of Iowa while you made your way to Clear Lake. I have explored far more of Iowa than I thought I would and there are some really amazing places. Glad you were able to see s em of the fun things along the way.
Yes, I’m glad, too, that we took the back highways home so we could travel at a slower pace and discover rather than zooming along I-35.
I-35 has its time and place but sometimes the meandering is the way to go. Glad you were able to do that.
Agreed.
In the late 19th century, Iowa ranked 10th in state population. The prosperity of those times still lingers in that stately homes of its small towns.
Really. Tenth?
you have provided a picture of america!
Thank you. That is a fine compliment.
Great pictures but I especially liked the century farm picture.
That one was unique.
I love the brick buildings in your pictures! Because of the transportation costs there are very few brick buildings here and I miss that. I love the elevator. With enough renovation I think it would make a great living space, however it would be large. I can imagine adding some more window to the top and enjoying the view.
I love that this small town elevator has been preserved.
One thing I love about traveling back to my native Nebraska is seeing the old elevators. We don’t have many here in Oklahoma.
That would seem logical, that Nebraska has lots of elevators.
I’m beginning to think I need to add “old grain elevators” to my list of awe! I love the watering can farm marker, such a cool idea, I love that it’s a century old family farm!
A few years ago, when I was writing for the now defunct Minnesota Moments magazine, I did a photo essay on grain elevators. Fun to photograph and so important in our small towns.
Wow a really nice slice of small town America. You really should put together a book of your photographs adding a line of prose. I’m sure your readers would buy a copy..
Thanks for your continuing encouragement. I should do this, shouldn’t I?