Iowa
2024's 7 Most Beautiful Small Towns In Iowa
Summer’s here, but it’s never too late to plan your 2024 travel bucket list. Forget over-crowded destinations, exhausting city breaks, and pricey resorts. This year, get away from it all in one of Iowa’s beautiful small towns where the most stressful activity is picking the perfect backdrop for your vacation snapshots. Here in the heartland of America, you will see the country at its best. Welcoming communities, historic architecture, scenic backcountry roads, and midwestern charm. Visit the Hawkeye State in 2024, and you will find yourself coming back year after year.
Dyersville
Named one of America’s best small towns by the Smithsonian, Dyersville was founded by English entrepreneur James Dyers, who arrived in the area in 1847 and decided to turn the small Bavarian farming settlement into a thriving town. Modern-day Dyersville is a testament to Dyer’s vision with a thriving downtown, unique attractions, and beautiful scenery. It’s also a familiar pilgrimage for fans of the iconic 1989 movie, Field of Dreams, which was filmed in town. The site is open to the public and baseball fans can also get their fix at the nearby Baseball Hall of Dreams.
Dyersville is also home to one of Iowa’s two basilicas. Open daily and offering group tours, the imposing Basilica of St Francis Xavier is a gorgeous example of medieval Gothic architecture. To enjoy the best of Dyersville’s natural attractions, take the 26-mile Heritage Trail, which follows the old railroad into the deep valley of Dubuque County, meandering through old mining and mill towns.
Pella
Pella is a one-of-a-kind community in central Iowa that owes a lot to its original inhabitants. Founded by immigrants from the Netherlands, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d been miraculously transported over the Atlantic to Europe. Home to North America’s largest working windmill, this beautiful town is heavily influenced by its Dutch heritage, which is on full display at the Pella Historical Village and Vermeer Mill, a cute recreation of a miniature Holland village.
Get more Dutch flavor on Main Street, you will find the Pella Klokkenspel, a traditional clock framed in an old-world courtyard. Mechanical figures appear and perform a spirited dance when the clock chimes. Stroll around the Molengracht Plaza, a replica of a Dutch canal, for more photo-worthy scenes and finish up with a bite from the Jaarsma Bakery, family-owned and operated since 1898 and home of the best Dutch pastries in Iowa (probably).
Winterset
Don’t be fooled by the name, Winterset is a beautiful destination all year-round. This small midwest town is famous for its stunning covered bridges and was the inspiration for the film, The Bridges of Madison County. You can see the bridges for yourself with a short self-guided tour on the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway. But Winterset is more than pretty bridges. It’s also the birthplace of America’s favorite cowboy, John Wayne. Learn about the actor’s life on and off screen at the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum downtown. Also downtown, you’ll find the Madison County Historical Complex, a historic village consisting of the 1856 Bevington Mansion, blacksmith shop, log post office, school, and other 1800s structures.
Eldora
Founded in 1853, Eldora’s beautiful downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Check out the Hardin County Historical House for a stunning example of Victorian architecture. This family home was built in 1891 and includes a carriage house and historical library. You’ll also want to see the 1913 Grand Theatre, which has been restored since its heyday and still has the original canopy and marquee. Located on the Iowa River, Eldora also has plenty of scenic riverside trails and pathways to tempt nature-loving visitors. Visit the Sac and Fox Wildlife just outside town for incredible views over the Iowa River Valley.
Okoboji
Explore Iowa’s Great Lakes from the beautiful town of Okoboji on West Lake Okoboji’s eastern shore. Enjoy these stunning glacially-carved lakes from Okoboji’s busy waterfront, where you can pick up the Iowa Great Lakes Trail that winds over 40 miles around the lakes, past sandy beaches, green city parks, blooming wildlife preserves, and tranquil creeks. Also, on the water, you’ll find the world’s largest ice fishing house, the Fish House. This floating restaurant takes weekly cruises around the lake in the summer and is a great spot to enjoy a sundowner on the water.
For a glimpse into Okoboji’s long history as a lakeside settlement, visit the Westport Schoolhouse. Built in 1896 and used until 1952, this tiny museum is located in the sprawling 70-acre Kenue Park, where you’ll also find the Dickinson County Nature Center.
Bentonsport
The entire village of Bentonsport is designated a National Historic District, making it a must-see on any Iowa itinerary. Located on the Des Moines River, Bentonsport was once a steamboat town. Now, it’s a small community with a quaint downtown full of antique shops, craft boutiques, and perfectly preserved historic buildings from the mid-1800s. You’ll get a great shot for your vacation scrapbook at the old truss bridge, restored and opened to the public as a pedestrian walkway with beautiful views over the river. Bentonsport’s former locks are now a blooming rose garden.
From there, it’s a short stroll to the Indian Artifacts Museum, which houses over 5,000 Native American artifacts. For a truly unique shopping experience, visit the Iron and Lace Shop. This fascinating pottery and blacksmith shop was built using 100-year-old posts and beams salvaged from old barns. Browse the store’s collection of ironwork, hand-woven rugs, and pottery to pick up a one-of-a-kind gift.
Clear Lake
If relaxing on the shores of a spring-fed lake, toes in the sand sounds like the perfect vacation, head to Clear Lake, Iowa. This beautiful small town is made for long summer breaks with perfect fishing, water-skiing, and boating. Keen anglers can catch Walleye, Yellow Bass, or Catfish in the 3,684-acre natural lake. Or you can take it easy with a lazy ride on the Lady of the Lake, an authentic paddle wheel excursion boat that offers regular cruises and narrated tours. It’s not just the water that draws tourists to Clear Lake. The town has a more somber claim to fame — it’s the site of the 1959 plane crash that killed legendary musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson. Today the crash site is memorialized with a poignant glasses marker.
Idyllic Iowa
Don’t underestimate Iowa. This isn’t a flyover state, it’s a stop-and-stay-a-while state where beautiful small towns nestle against sprawling glacier-carved lakes, amid rolling farmland, and in lush river valleys. Historic mill towns, European-inspired settlements, steamboat ports — you never know quite what to expect from an Iowa vacation. Visit in summer to enjoy stunning hikes, fun on the water, and sunny strolls downtown. Plan a winter break to try snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and cozy holiday markets. Iowa is idyllic all year round!
See Governor Reynolds sign tougher animal torture law
Gov. Kim Reynolds signs a bill creating new felony penalties for animal torture at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
Ember was an 8-week-old puppy when she came to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa “horribly abused,” animal welfare advocates recalled.
Officers of the state’s largest animal shelter found the dog thin, shaking and stained with blood, unable to stand or sit, when they were called to assist Des Moines police during a domestic violence investigation in March.
The puppy, who they later named Ember, suffered from a broken leg and jaw, a severely injured eye and another injured leg, bruising and swelling and a fractured jaw — an injury veterinarians say is consistent with multiple instances of abuse.
“This poor puppy was tortured,” said Tom Colvin, CEO of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
But on Monday, May 11, Ember joined animal welfare advocates, state lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa in Des Moines to witness Iowa’s chief executive sign a law that would impose stiffer penalties in animal abuse cases such as Ember’s.
House File 2348 makes it a felony to torture companion animals, answering animal welfare advocates’ calls to fix Iowa’s status as the only state without those penalties on first offense. Before the new law, it was an aggravated misdemeanor to torture companion animals on first offense in Iowa.
In April, the bill unanimously passed the Iowa House and Senate after it stalled in the Senate for several months. A final push from animal welfare advocates helped send it to Reynolds’ desk.
“You’re doing really good,” Reynolds assured the now-5-month-old puppy as she signed the bill, while onlookers cooed over the furry guest of honor. She ended the ceremony with a gentle paw shake.
“This is already the legal standard across the rest of the country and it’s only commonsense that we adopt it here in Iowa, because this isn’t just about being punitive,” Reynolds said. “This is about cracking down on intentional, willful and malicious infliction of pain or prolonged death on innocent animals — horrible acts of violence that are evil in their own right and also certainly linked to violent crimes against people.”
Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, who floor managed the legislation’s passage in the Senate, cited research showing linking animal abuse to violence against humans.
“This law protects companion animals from heinous acts and provides appropriate punishment for anyone committing these unthinkable actions against companion animals,” Bousselot said. “But it also protects our communities. … It’s the right thing to do for those pets like Ember (that) have received torture, have been tortured, have been put through pain, and now those perpetrators can be punished appropriately.”
Under the new law, a person would be found guilty of animal torture who “intentionally, willfully, and maliciously mutilates, burns, poisons, drowns, starves or causes intensive or prolonged pain or death to a companion animal, or provides anything of value to another person to do the same.”
The measures enhances penalties to a class C felony for repeat offenders of animal abuse, animal torture, injury to or interference with a police service dog, bestiality or an act involving a prohibited contest such as dog fighting.
In Iowa, a class D felony is punishable up to five years in jail or prison and a fine between $1,025 and $10,245. A class C felony is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of a maximum fine of $13,660.
Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, who introduced the bill and owns three German shepherds, said the legislation was “long overdue.”
“It’s a commitment to what Iowa stands for, that in our character we want to protect our pets,” Fett said. “Our pets are there for companionship, for comfort, for therapy, for service, for working, and what better way to protect them … than by passing something like this? They deserve the value that they bring to our homes and our families, so elevating this penalty to a felony was the right thing to do.”
Colvin said this gives law enforcement another tool to crack down on animal abuse.
“Ember was fortunate enough to be a survivor of animal torture, but there are so many other ones that aren’t,” Colvin said.
Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa City police are asking the public’s help identifying persons of interest connected to a vandalism investigation.
Police said a business was vandalized in the alley behind the 200 block of East Washington Street on Sunday at 2:35 a.m.
Investigators would like to speak with the persons of interest pictured. Police ask anyone who recognizes these individuals to contact them.
Anyone with information or security camera footage of the incident should contact the Iowa City Police Department at 319-356-5275. Iowa City Area Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers assesses the Cyclones’ spring
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers assesses the Cyclones’ spring
Spring commencement arrives at Iowa State this weekend, with a whole new generation of Cyclones set to get their diplomas and move on to the next things in their lives.
The options and choices will set their path for, potentially, the years and decades ahead.
Which got me thinking about the choices and circumstances of this school year that came for Iowa State athletics. There were no shortages of inflection points at which, it seems, programs and an entire athletics department pivoted to new directions.
Let’s explore.
What if Iowa State had hired Taylor Mouser as head football coach?
This seems to be the most discussed “Sliding Doors” moment for Iowa State football fans regarding head coach Matt Campbell’s departure to Penn State. And with good reason. It’s the most obvious, could have had the most immediate impact on the program and would have been largely seen as a continuation of the most successful run in school history.
Would promoting the Iowa State offensive coordinator, though, have been the right move?
If you assume a best-case scenario in which some of the star Cyclone players on offense – think Rocco Becht, Ben Brahmer, Carson Hansen, etc. – stay at Iowa State and a bulk of the coaching staff does as well, there are still likely defections that weaken the roster. Nothing like we saw back in December, but, still, there would be holes – and Campbell’s shoes – to fill by a first-time head coach taking over for a legend.
The calculation, as I see it, has to be – does the Year 1 continuity and relative stability gained by hiring Mouser provide for better long-term results than hiring Jimmy Rogers, who has the benefit of head-coaching experience?
It certainly would have made the fan base feel better back in December, but would it have positioned Iowa State to have better results in 2027 and beyond?
The roster almost certainly would have been “better” in 2026 if Iowa State retained Mouser, but would that have created a more solid foundation for the future or just delayed decay?
This “What If” becomes a lot less intricate and interesting if Rogers just wins a ton this fall and going forward.
What if Penn State had been able to hire Kalani Sitake as its football coach?
I think this is the most interesting question on the list.
By reports, Penn State was on the verge of hiring Sitake from BYU when the Cougars’ boosters – led by the Crumbl Cookie fortune – banded together to put together a financial package to keep Sitake in Provo.
What if they hadn’t, though?
Sitake goes to Penn State, and Dec. 5, 2025, is an uneventful day in Iowa State history rather than one of its most feverish.
But … what happens a few weeks later when Sherrone Moore is fired at Michigan?
Rather than plucking 66-year-old Kyle Whittingham from Utah/forced retirement, do the Wolverines try to make a Michigan Man out of an Ohioan? Does Campbell inherit the seat of Bo Schembechler?
And, for the sake of this thought exercise, if Campbell did move to Ann Arbor, does the timing of that decision change athletics director Jamie Pollard’s options and calculus about Iowa State’s opening? Is Jimmy Rogers still available? Or would he have taken a different opening or opted not to leave Pullman at that later date? Is Mouser the answer in this scenario?
Or is the Buckeye State distaste for the state Up North too much and Campbell returns for Year 11 at Iowa State?
Addy Brown on what went wrong in Iowa State’s loss to Syracuse
Iowa State’s Addy Brown talks about her team’s struggles in a loss to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament.
What if Addy Brown doesn’t get hurt?
Iowa State women’s basketball was 14-0 on Jan. 4 when it played Baylor in Waco, and the season felt sure to realize the potential that was clear before it started with one of coach Bill Fennelly’s best rosters.
The Cyclones, though, returned home with their first loss and with Addy Brown sidelined with a back injury.
Four more losses in a row followed, and when Brown returned to the floor after six weeks, the Cyclones’ season was floundering.
They salvaged an NCAA Tournament bid, but a first-round exit gave way to a roster collapse with nine players – including Brown and superstar Audi Crooks – leaving via the transfer portal, putting Fennelly’s tenure and future under fire.
If Brown doesn’t get hurt – or just isn’t out as long – does that change the trajectory of the season? The offseason? And what the eventual end of Fennelly’s Iowa State career looks like?
What if Joshua Jefferson doesn’t roll his ankle?
The most recent “What If” I think is also the most straightforward.
If Jefferson’s ankle doesn’t roll in the early minutes of Iowa State’s first-round NCAA Tournament blowout win over Tennessee State, I think the Cyclones get a long second weekend in Chicago, but the Final Four drought probably remains intact.
Jefferson’s rebounding and offensive impact are, I think, enough to give the Cyclones the edge against Tennessee, but Michigan, the Cyclones’ would-be Elite Eight opponent, was just a juggernaut.
I’m not sure even a full-strength Iowa State team would have had more than a puncher’s chance. The Wolverines were just one of the best college basketball teams we’ve seen over the last few decades.
Iowa State columnist Travis Hines has covered the Cyclones for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune since 2012. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.
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