After a long winter, I’m dreaming of . . .

dappled sunlight through the leaves of tall trees . . .

hummingbirds returning to their feeders . . .

waterfalls trickling over rocky ledges . . .

and blue rivers running through lush forestland under clear skies.

These summer memories took place in Pikes Peak State Park, near McGregor, Iowa, and across the river from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.  This beautiful park offers magnificent vistas of the Mississippi River below, hiking trails through forest and prairie, campgrounds, picnic areas, and playgrounds for children.  Iowa’s state parks are free to visit and inexpensive to camp in, so no matter how long you can stay, it’s a bargain.

Pikes Peak State Park is named after Zebulon Pike, whose other Pike’s Peak in Colorado came after he explored the Mississippi River bluffs in Iowa.

Photo credits: minnemom on flickr.

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children. 
Her family spent an entire vacation in and around Pikes Peak State Park last summer.

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Kids heading into Epcot for a day of fun

This is the fourth and final post in the series about Things for School-Aged Kids to Do at Walt Disney World. You can check out earlier posts for my recommendations on not-so-little kids at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

Walt Disney World’s Epcot is best known as a great park for adults. Eating and drinking around the World Showcase is a favorite recommendation from locals and well-traveled Disney-philes (and a really great way to spend an anniversary, for the record.) The character greetings opportunities seem less frequent and the adults with no children are numerous. You may even be tempted to skip Epcot all together if you’re traveling with school-agers.

Don’t.

Read More »

For many travelers, it seems, Midwestern states like Iowa are just places to be gotten through as quickly as possible.  Travelers who are movie buffs, or looking for a bit of nostalgia, may wish to make a stop in Winterset, Iowa, the next time they’re traveling through.

Winterset is a small town just 15 miles south of I-80 and 15 miles west of I-35.  With the conveniences of Des Moines just 30 minutes away, this town has a draw of its own.  While you may not have heard of Winterset itself, you’ve probably heard of the county where it’s nestled: Madison County.

True to the movie and book The Bridges of Madison County, Madison County does indeed have a concentration of covered bridges.  In fact, one of the most famous movie scenes was filmed right in the Winterset city park, where a covered bridge is in view of playgrounds and picnic areas.

The other Madison County covered bridges are a few miles from town, out in the countryside, where road signs mark the way to see them, and maps are available from the local chamber of commerce.

The bridges aren’t the only thing to see in Madison County, however.  A drive through a narrow, winding road in the city park will take you to to Clark Tower, with beautiful views of the surrounding area.  Winterset is also the home of actor John Wayne, whose birthplace is available for tours.  Winterset is well-known a quilter’s paradise, and food lovers may be interested to know that it’s also where the Delicious apple was first cultivated.

Next time you’re passing through Iowa, I recommend a stop in Winterset.

Photo credits: minnemom on flickr

Linda (minnemom) writes about family travel at Travels with Children. 
She enjoys finding covered bridges with her family.

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I recently took my family on a weekend trip to Chicago on the MegaBus. We found it to be convenient, affordable and relaxing.

MegaBus Double Decker (photo courtesy of MegaBus)

MegaBus Travel in the Midwest

Until last year there were only two good ways to get to Chicago from central Iowa- fly or drive yourself. Then, in May 2010, MegaBus rolled into town. It proved very popular with budget travelers- mainly college students- looking for an affordable way to get to Chicago that didn’t involve a dozen stops. The route from Des Moines to Chicago has two stops – one in Iowa City to pick up passengers and one in Utica, IL for a quick rest stop- and takes about 6 hours, or about the same amount of time as driving yourself. Read More »