Hugh Calloway

Iowa does not always announce its prettiest views from the highway. Sometimes you have to follow a country…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 26

A good croissant flakes a little. A great one makes your shirt look like evidence. This Des Moines…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 26

Push open the door in this quiet Iowa village, and the present day loosens its grip a little.…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 25

Decorah can make a pizza craving feel very reasonable. You wander downtown, think about grabbing something simple, and…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 24

The best Iowa meals do not always wait near the easiest exit. Sometimes the road gets rural before…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 24

Some sandwiches arrive politely. Others show up looking like they need their own zip code. In Des Moines,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 23

In Iowa, the best dinner plan sometimes starts with the GPS looking a little confused. Is it ridiculous…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 23

Some Iowa mornings still start the old-fashioned way. The coffee is hot. The grill is already working. A…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 22

Iowa mornings get a lot harder to rush when cinnamon rolls are involved. First comes the bakery smell:…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 22

Some bridges just get you across a river. This one comes with a story big enough to stop…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 21

Morning alarms are easier to forgive when pancakes are involved. In Iowa, breakfast still feels like a proper…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 21

Eastern Iowa can look quiet from the road, right up until the land drops into something sharper. Prairie…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 20

Iowa changes shape in the northeast, and the cornfield postcard suddenly feels like old news. The road drops…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 20

Iowa looks a little different when the trail suddenly drops underground. In this eastern Iowa cave park, the…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 19

Some museums feel quiet in a dusty way. This Iowa stop feels quiet in the “wait, is that…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 19

Iowa summer can feel a long way from palm trees, until the slides start twisting overhead. At this…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 18

A casino buffet always feels a little like a gamble, even before you reach the carving station. Inside…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 18

The lunch rush has a language of its own, and this Des Moines deli speaks it fluently. You…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 17

There is a tiny roadside flex near Valley Springs that beats a whole stack of souvenir magnets. Stand…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 17

Some road trip stops solve a problem. The better ones steal an hour. This southern Iowa store belongs…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 16

A great Iowa burger joint does not need neon hype or a glossy menu. Give it a hot…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 16

Most Iowa road trips come with cornfields, county roads, and maybe a gas-station coffee that tastes like regret.…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 15

A sunflower field can do strange things to an ordinary Iowa drive. One minute, it is all quiet…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 15

Iowa breakfast counters can look simple from the outside, then surprise you the second the plate lands. In…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 14

Summer in Iowa hits different when you realize the whole state is basically a playground waiting to be…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 14

Iowa still has towns where time feels like it took the scenic route and never quite hurried back.…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 13

Fish and chips in Iowa sounds like something you might order with cautious optimism. Then a plate like…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 13

Dinner at an Iowa supper club should not feel like a pit stop. It should feel like the…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 12

Iowa beef does not need a spotlight, a slogan, or a dramatic menu description. Put a properly cooked…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 12

June weekends in Iowa do not need much to feel like a proper little getaway. Give me a…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 11

Some flea markets are quick little browsing stops. This Iowa one is more like a full-blown treasure expedition,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 11

A great meal in Connecticut is never hard to find but one that still feels like a genuine…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 11

Iowa has a history stop that feels unusual before you even step inside. Along the Missouri River in…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 10

Some places do not need size or spectacle to make you pull over. Along a quiet Iowa highway,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 10

Some Iowa road trips need a lake view or a scenic overlook. Others only need a cheeseburger big…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 9

Iowa state parks have a sneaky way of proving people wrong. You expect quiet fields and easy trails,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 9

Some Iowa restaurants are easy to forget by the time you reach the parking lot. This Davenport classic…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 8

Des Moines has a retro hangout that feels like it was built for the part of the night…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 8

Iowa takes steak seriously, and honestly, it would be strange if it did not. This is a state…

By Hugh Calloway · Jun 7