Nadia Corwell

Oh, Iowa, you charming, understated darling of the Midwest. You are often thought of for cornfields and friendly…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 4

The best fish plate in Iowa usually announces itself before it reaches the table. You hear the crunch.…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 3

The street parking gives the secret away first. Cars line up along a tiny Iowa main street, the…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 3

I planned to spend a couple of hours at this Iowa orchard. Eight hours later, I still had…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 2

Breakfast tastes a little different when the Mississippi is moving past the windows or morning light is spreading…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 2

I drove past cornfields and gravel side roads in southern Iowa expecting a sleepy fishing dock, and instead…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 1

Something magical happens when you leave the highway behind and follow a gravel road toward an Amish store…

By Nadia Corwell · Sep 1

I thought I was heading toward another ordinary Iowa farm stop. Then the road opened up beside a…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 31

Fewer than 450 people live in this river town, and I counted more barges than traffic lights during…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 31

I have learned that ranking Mexican restaurants is a dangerous game, mostly because every great taco makes the…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 30

I have wandered through plenty of antique shops, but four floors of salvaged doors, stained glass, and old…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 30

There is something oddly thrilling about watching how everyday things get built, and Iowa happens to be packed…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 29

The chocolate smell reaches you before the counter does. Truffles shine behind glass, cotton candy tubs stack up…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 29

The room is small enough that you notice almost everything. Plates pass close by, conversations stay low, and…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 28

Pizza buffets are already tempting, but an Iowa pizzeria with a jungle gym downstairs is playing a much…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 28

I like places that make you work just a little before lunch. This Iowa seafood shack does exactly…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 27

The almond smell gets you before the doorway does. Butter, cinnamon, and warm pastry drift onto the sidewalk,…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 27

Iowa’s Driftless Area always feels like it is keeping a few secrets for itself. The bluffs rise higher…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 26

The whistle gets to you before the parade does. Steam drifts through the grounds, iron wheels start moving,…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 26

I have a weakness for country stores that make a simple grocery stop feel like a small adventure.…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 25

The lake gets your attention before the menu does. Water glints beyond the patio, ceiling fans move the…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 25

I have learned that fabric shopping can get expensive suspiciously fast, especially when every print suddenly feels essential.…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 24

I thought I was walking into a bookstore, not somewhere that would make me want to inspect every…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 24

I thought I knew what belonged on an Iowa dairy farm, and kangaroos were definitely not on the…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 23

I have waited longer than I care to admit for a plate of pasta, but when an Iowa…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 23

I am weak around bookstores that also sell little things I absolutely did not come in for. This…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 22

The smoke reaches you before the meat case does. Hickory hangs in the air, the door swings open,…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 22

I have a soft spot for restaurants that seem completely uninterested in chasing trends. They know what works,…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 21

The first plate is where good intentions usually fall apart. Sweet-and-sour chicken lands next to mashed potatoes, sushi…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 21

I like a getaway that does not make relaxation feel like another item on the schedule. This Iowa…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 20

The quiet is the first thing you notice. Not empty quiet, but the pleasant kind, with clean sidewalks,…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 20

I did not expect a stingray to become the highlight of an Iowa road trip, but here we…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 19

An old roadside cafe does not need shiny booths or a trendy menu to make people pull over.…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 19

I trust an Italian restaurant a little faster when the room makes me want to slow down before…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 18

A fabric shop spread across several large downtown buildings already sounds like the start of a good little…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 18

I was never much of a book fan. Back in high school, I hated reading assigned texts and…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 17

A good steak dinner does not have to come with a high price tag to feel worth your…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 17

I knew I had made a good booking when a deer wandered past my deck before I had…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 16

Iowa knows how to make a homemade pie feel like the whole reason for a road trip. Flaky…

By Nadia Corwell · Aug 16