Hugh Calloway

Iowa has a serious burger streak, and I am starting to think it has been quietly enjoying the…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 26

Only in Iowa can a quiet farming town casually claim a future space legend. Riverside may look like…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 26

I have been betrayed by too many sandwiches that looked impressive and tasted mostly like bread. So when…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 25

I love roadside stops that sound too ridiculous to be real. A giant popcorn ball weighing more than…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 25

Most fabric stores give you a few aisles to browse. This Iowa shop gives you more than 11,000…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 24

Casual food is easy to find. Casual food that actually makes you stop mid-bite is a little harder.…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 24

Iowa summers deserve more credit, especially when a beach this large sits just outside Polk City. Big Creek…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 23

Ribs are not a quiet food, and honestly, that is part of the fun. You sit down, reach…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 23

Country roads in Iowa are good at keeping a surprise around the next bend. Near Winterset, one of…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 22

I usually do not expect an ice cream stop to come with a rooftop, a mini history lesson,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 22

Some Iowa road trips come with a surprise you never saw coming. In Story City, that surprise happens…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 21

I never think of Iowa as the kind of place that shouts about wellness. That is what makes…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 21

Cedar Rapids, Iowa is one of those cities that can make you regret eating before you arrive. The…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 15

Weekend plans sound better when a buffet is involved. In Iowa, this country restaurant gives travelers a hearty…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 15

Highway 17 smells different near Luther when the smokers are working. Fields roll by, the town stays tiny,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 14

Iowa bargain hunting gets a lot more interesting when one small-town thrift store makes Black Friday look like…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 14

Some shops make you browse. This one makes you lose track of time. Behind an unassuming storefront in…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 13

Old train depots are able to make regular time feel a little too modern. This Iowa stop still…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 13

Iowa City has plenty of places where you can grab a quick meal, but every now and then,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 12

Iowa and Italian food might not sound like the most obvious road-trip pairing, but that is exactly why…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 12

Some meals start with a table. This one starts with a parking spot and someone walking up to…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 11

A great view can buy a restaurant a few extra points before the food even arrives. Iowa has…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 11

Some Iowa stops are meant to take ten minutes. This one has other plans. You walk in thinking…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 10

Iowa has plenty of food traditions, but the loose-meat sandwich might be the one that confuses first-timers the…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 10

Rural Iowa has a funny way of testing your food assumptions. You roll past fields, quiet roads, and…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 9

Iowa diners have a special talent for making a simple meal feel like the best idea you have…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 9

A cheesecake chimichanga sounds like the kind of menu item someone invented after staring at a fryer and…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 8

Some mornings deserve more ambition than whatever is easiest to grab while half-awake. Iowa brunch has a way…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 8

Fabric shopping rarely stays a quick stop for long. You walk in with one project in mind, and…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 7

Iowa restaurants have a funny way of humbling your expectations. You pull off the road thinking you are…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 7

Some roadside stops wave politely for attention. This one stares at you from the side of a barn…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 6

Gluten-free baking has spent enough time being underestimated. Iowa seems ready to correct that, one cookie, cupcake, loaf,…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 6

At some point, even Iowa starts sounding too plugged in. More data centers, more construction talk, more people…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 5

Breakfast gets more serious when the plate has borders to defend. One corner is for eggs. Another is…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 5

Some Iowa restaurants do not make dinner feel casual. They make it feel like a small scheduling achievement.…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 4

The house looks calm at first, almost too calm for the story it carries. It sits on Fuller…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 4

Some summer places do not need much explaining. You see the lake, hear kids splashing somewhere near the…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 3

A good farm stop always starts with a small lie you tell yourself. You are just going to…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 3

Iowa may not be the first place your brain files under “serious ramen,” but that is exactly what…

By Hugh Calloway · Jul 2