This summer Benny and I traveled to Madison County and Des Moines, Iowa with my parents. The plan for the trip started with the idea of seeing the covered bridges of Madison County, of The Bridges of Madison County fame.
Covered Bridges of Madison County
In case you aren’t familiar with The Bridges of Madison County, Robert James Waller wrote the bestselling book in 1992, followed by a movie produced and directed by Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood also starred in the movie, along with Meryl Streep. A musical was also developed using the book’s storyline. The book, movie, and musical are all set in Madison County, Iowa, with the covered bridges featuring in the storyline.
There are six bridges in and near Winterset, Iowa. The bridges and the town of Winterset were both enjoyable to explore. We had a very good brunch at The Drift, enjoyed the view from Clark Tower, and explored a few other places in Winterset before moving on to our hotel in West Des Moines.
Des Moines
This was my first trip to Des Moines as an adult. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked visiting Des Moines. We discovered amazing dog parks and a dog bar/restaurant. You can read more about these in Benny’s blog, but I do have to say that the human food at Paws & Pints was delicious. I’m a huge fan of pretzels and beer cheese (or other variation of cheese) and they did not disappoint!
Another highlight in Des Moines was the Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens. The gardens are in downtown Des Moines, along the Des Moines River. The gardens are named after former governor, Robert D. Ray.
We only spent two nights in Des Moines on this trip, but we will be back to explore more that Des Moines has to offer!
Pella
We took the long way home and went through Pella, Iowa, Marceline, Missouri, and made a stop at a covered bridge in northern Missouri. Pella was founded by Dutch immigrants and maintains a strong Dutch heritage. We visited during the day on the 4th of July and many places were closed, but we did take the opportunity to walk around the nearly empty streets. The canal, windmill, and Dutch-inspired buildings were very cute on their own, but I am looking forward to returning when the shops are open (hopefully during their famous Tulip Time Festival)!
Marceline
Marceline is known for being the boyhood home of Walt Disney. Walt Disney moved with his family from Chicago to Marceline at the age of four, before moving again to Kansas City, Missouri. Marceline left an impression on Walt Disney and even served as the inspiration for Disneyland’s Main Street USA. Disney lovers can explore the Walt Disney Hometown Museum and other Disney related sites. We drove by the Disney family farm and snapped a photo of a Mainstreet USA mural before moving on.
Locust Creek Covered Bridge
Our last stop before heading home was the Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site in Linn County, Missouri. It is one of four remaining covered bridges in Missouri and is located off U.S. 36 between Brookfield and Chillicothe. The bridge is down a short 1/4 mile trail. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a stop and short walk!
Review
This was a good, but short trip. I have it on my list to return to both Des Moines and Pella. Be sure to check out Benny’s blog about dog-friendly activities in West Des Moines. Let us know in the comments if you have any recommendations for our next trip.