Day 1: Omaha to Sioux City
Drive from Omaha airport toward Sioux City (90 minutes, 100 miles) on I-29 along the unique Loess Hills, and exploore the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail along the way.
Loess Hills National Scenic Byway
Majestic views are the hallmark of a trip on the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway. Formed by deposits of very fine, windblown soil at the end of the last ice age, these are not your average hills. Spanning 15 miles at their widest and nearly 200 miles long from Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Joseph, Missouri, you’d have to travel to China to see any taller loess formations. The views include panoramas of the fertile Missouri River valley farmland, forested hills and vast grasslands. Scenic overlooks are strategically placed and offer interpretive signage along with parking. The byway features a 220-mile paved main route, with an additional 185 miles of optional excursion loops that range from interstate highways to gravel roads.
The Loess Hills Scenic Overlook is one of the most iconic vantage points in the Loess Hills, showcasing spectacular views of the forest, prairies, Missouri River bottomlands, and across the Nebraska plains. Preparation Canyon encompasses 4,068 acres in Iowa's unique Loess Hills and is surrounded by dramatic ridges on the north, south and west.
Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Imagine standing on the banks of the Missouri River more than 200 years ago. When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set sail to explore the Louisiana Territory the wide-open landscape they encountered didn’t look like the well-settled Iowa of today. This national historic trail traces the Lewis & Clark Expedition through 16 states and over 4,900 miles. Iowa's leg of the trip is marked by Lewis & Clark Trail signs along Interstate 29 as it follows the Missouri River from Council Bluffs to Sioux City.
Arrive in Sioux City
Lunch: Milwaukee Wiener House
Famous since 1918! This locally-owned, family-owned hot dog shop serves classic Coney Island style chili dogs, homemade chili, and retro bottled sodas.
Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center commemorates the history of the time when Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery traveled through this area. The only member of the expedition to die was Sgt. Floyd; he is buried in Sioux City. The adjoining Betty Strong Encounter Center hosts photo and art exhibits, and activities that explore themes of the land, rivers and people of the region.
Dinner: Marto Brewing Company
World class beer, brewed on site plus a diverse food menu from pizzas and, burgers to salmon and pastas all cooked up in an Italian wood fired oven.
Overnight: The Warrior Hotel
Discover the ultimate pampered stay alongside historic elegance at The Warrior Hotel. Located in downtown Sioux City, this Art Deco-style hotel opened in 1930 and had a successful run until it closed in 1976. Despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, the building was tagged for demolition in the ‘90s before the city repealed its status due to its historical significance.
Day 2: Sioux City to Ames via Fort Dodge
Start your day with some of Sioux City's famous Palmer Candy before heading east on Highway 20 toward Central Iowa
Palmer Candy Company
Palmer's Old Tyme Candy Shoppe houses a small museum with retired candy making equipment, vintage photos and other fun historical items. Sample Iowa’s beloved Twin Bing candy along with homemade brittle, gourmet truffles, roasted nuts and more.
Drive to Fort Dodge (2 hours, 120 miles)
Hit highway 20 from Sioux City toward Central Iowa. Consider a stop at the World's Largest Popcorn Ball in Sac City, or a walk around Twin Lakes State Park.
Arrive in Fort Dodge
Lunch: Olde Boston's Restaurant and Pub
A local favorite, Olde Boston's offers everything from steak sandwiches and pub melts to street tacos and chicken wings.
The Fort Museum & Frontier Village
Discover this 1850 military fort and frontier town with 18 original and replica buildings featuring Native American, pioneer, and military artifacts.
Blanden Memorial Art Museum
The Blanden Art Museum is located in the Historic Oak Hill District of Fort Dodge, a city on the Des Moines River settled in the 1850s and developed as a mining, agricultural and commercial center of Webster County. The museum is a neo-classical public building constructed on private land and financed by Charles Granger Blanden.
Drive to Ames (75 minutes, 60 miles)
Dinner: The IowaStater Restaurant
The beloved IowaStater offers all-American comfort food crafted with tasty Midwestern flair. Try the Soft Pretzel and Beer Cheese Dip, a Cyclone Wrap, or the iconic Iowa Pork tenderloin
Overnight: Gateway Hotel
The Gateway Hotel provides comfortable and intuitively designed rooms plus onsite fitness center, an indoor pool, a hot tub, and a sauna – plus delicious comfort food at The IowaStater Restaurant. The grounds include 1.5 miles of walking paths surrounding the hotel and weaving through 17 acres of beautifully maintained grounds.
Day 3: Ames and Boone
Reiman Gardens
Start your morning in this beautiful public botanical garden, which features 17 acres of outdoor gardens, an indoor tropical plant Conservatory with seasonal displays and Butterfly Wing with hundreds of live butterflies in flight. Don't missing meeting Elwood, the world's largest concrete gnome, standing 15 feet tall.
Drive to Madrid (30 minutes, 22 miles)
High Trestle Trail (park at Grant's Woods Conservation Trail)
The High Trestle Trail is a decommissioned railroad line that has been converted into a multi-use trail. The trail’s main attraction, the High Trestle Trail Bridge, includes six overlooks to highlight the area's cultural and natural history. The 41 steel "frames" over the bridge represent support cribs within a historic coal mine. After dark, the bridge comes alive as blue lights illuminate a section of the steel cribbings.
Drive to Boone (25 minutes, 18 miles)
Lunch: Van Hemert's Dutch Oven Bakery
Van Hemert's Dutch Oven Bakery is a made-from-scratch bakery offering a variety of delicious pastries and other baked goods. Family owned and operated since 1983. Pastries, coffees, donuts, smoothies and a full lunch menu serving Boone, Ames and surrounding areas.
Rail Explorers – Boone
Riders can enjoy beautiful views of the Des Moines River Valley, where is it is not uncommon to see a convocation of bald eagles along the riverbank. The ride’s showstopper is the 750’ long, 156’ high “Bass Point Creek High Trestle”. Riders crossing this bridge have panoramic views of the valley and experience the thrill of soaring high above the creek below.
Continue your Midwest adventure on Interstate 35 toward the Minnesota border (2 hours, 120 miles).
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