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Although at times serene, and almost always verdant, nothing about
IOWA truly stands out: this 55,000-square-mile chunk of the Great
Plains doesn't even manage to be completely flat, it just wobbles
up and down a little. The state is the very essence of smalltown
America, close to the geographical center of the mainland US, and
ranking decidedly average in size, population and level of personal
income. Even the cities seem at times to be merely villages grown
large.
Iowa's history, too, has been relatively uneventful. It was opened
for settlement after the Black Hawk Treaty of 1832, a one-sided
exercise in negotiations with the Sauk Indians, conducted after
many of them had been chased down and slaughtered in neighboring
Wisconsin and Illinois. The Northern European immigrants who replaced
them made agricultural development their prime concern, turning
Iowa into the " Foodbasket of America " - a role it generally
achieves with scrupulous efficiency.
Tourist attractions in Iowa are few and far between; its most visited
destination is the throwback Germanic enclave of the Amana Colonies
. However, the state does also hold a few oddball sites, such as
the original locations for the movies The Bridges of Madison County
(in south central Winterset , birthplace of John Wayne) and Field
of Dreams (near Dubuque in the northeast). You can also see, but
not enter, the original house that featured in Grant Wood's much-parodied
American Gothic painting (at Eldon in the southeast, and now owned
by the state).
Greyhound buses out of Chicago call at all Iowa's major towns,
with at least seven services per day in each direction along I-80.
St Louis is also well served by six daily buses from Des Moines
and Iowa City; these towns are connected less frequently with Minneapolis/St
Paul. Amtrak's east-west route misses the cities, stopping instead
at assorted small communities in the south, though a bus usually
makes the short trip to Des Moines from Osceola. The only sizeable
airport is in Des Moines. Somewhat surprisingly, Iowa is a good
place for cycle touring . Each year the extremely popular cross-state
bike ride - the RAGBRAI - attracts thousands of entrants, any of
whom can tell you that the plains aren't always flat (tour details
tel 1-800/474-3342, ).
See what Iowa car rentals has to offer today. Choose a link
above to view today's special Iowa rental car rates from different
agencies! Click here to get started with a car
rental quote now!
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