After crossing the Mississippi, we took a slightly longer route across part of Iowa to stop in Riverside. I wanted to stop and see the Future Birthplace of Captain Kirk. We came in through Highway 22, going west. Highway 22 turns into 1st St. On our right, just as we entered town, we saw a few shops and pulled in. Between 41 1st St and 51 1st St was a lamp post with a banner that pointed the direction to see the marker. We almost felt like we were walking into someone's backyard as we stepped between the two buildings. The monument to Captain Kirk is well done. It almost looks like a tombstone, actually, and is nice. It was worth the little detour to check out. We snapped some photos for me to send my ... read more

We've had the best time vacationing in Chesterton. First, of all things, our bed & breakfast absolutely made our vacation. We stayed at Riley's Railhouse, which is converted from an old train station. It's a beautiful building right next to train tracks. Our room was upstairs with a small balcony, and Oliver would run out every time he heard a train whistle to watch the trains go by. Everything at the bed & breakfast was train themed, which the kids loved. There were even Thomas the Train pillows and blankets, and a toy Thomas the Train set for them to play with. Seriously, best vacation for a four year old ever. Even though it was fun for the kids, the bed & breakfast wasn't some tacky tourist place. It was just beautiful, well-maintained, with nice innkeepers ... read more

We're quickly discovering that one of the perks of living in Iowa is that we're in driving distance to many great cities and cool places in the US. It's perfect for road trips! Oliver has been asking to go to the beach, so we decided to take a long weekend and head to the Indiana Dunes. Since we were driving through Illinois, I wanted to take the opportunity to stop at Lowden State Park to see the Black Hawk Statue. Our drive route should be dubbed the road trip of Presidents. I wish we had more time to stop and check some stuff out. We passed through West Branch, Iowa, which advertised a Herbert Hoover museum & library. Until that moment, I hadn't known he was from Iowa. Although he wasn't the most beloved president, I ... read more

Out in the cornfields north of Clear Lake, Iowa, Buddy Holly's plane crashed in the early, snowy morning of February 3, 1959. Also on board were two other early rock 'n roll pioneers, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. That day is remembered as the day music died, and it was inspiration for the hit song, "American Pie." I wanted to check out the memorial. Andrew is pretty easy-going and agreed, but I don't think he knew what to expect! I handed him a page of fairly obscure directions that led to a cornfield. From Highway 18 in Clear Lake, Iowa, you turn north on 8th Street. The town gives way to cornfields. Take it to 310th Street, which is a gravel road, and turn right (east). Turn left (north) on Gull Avenue. You'll pass some ... read more

Andrew, the kids, and I drove down to Pella to see their annual tulip festival. They advertise, "You can't say Pella without two lips!" Ha. The town is adorable, and the main streets around the public square are mostly original architecture from when the Dutch settled in the mid- to late-19th century. Actually, the whole town and festival surprised me. It seemed less like the tulip festival that I was expecting and more a grand Dutch festival. Tulips weren't all that prominent in the festival. Don't get me wrong; there were tulips! We learned that there are over 20,000 bulbs planted in the public square. It's just that I was expecting fields of tulip flowers, and maybe a windmill. Instead, we saw people in their handmade Dutch costumes with intricate stitching, beautiful Dutch buildings, original log ... read more