Iowa - A Simple, Beautiful State

During my vacation, I had the chance to visit Iowa. When telling people this, many seem quite stunned. "Iowa!? What is in Iowa?" is one of the most common responses I receive.

It was my goal this year to visit family, particularly my grandfather who lives in Iowa. I haven't been to Iowa for the past five years and visiting the state was truly a memorable, worthwhile experience. I spent several days in Iowa (near Cedar Rapids) and had a wonderful time. I can't wait to visit again!

There is something unique about Iowa. There are rolling hills and fields of green, long stretches of endless land in the summer. The houses are unique and the communities rather small and quaint. Whenever in Iowa, I tend to think of the movie "The Wizard of Oz."

Iowa, in my eyes, is an incredibly simple and beautiful state with down-to-earth people who are kind-hearted and who have a great sense of humor. It's one of the few safe places that I know of and truly cherish.

In Iowa, there are farms everywhere. I mostly saw cattle, goat, horses, and chickens, although I am sure there are a ton more of other animals. It would've been nice to see sheep and to take a picture of one, especially since my name is Mary. It would've also been nice to have seen the corn crops! I heard the corn in Iowa is sweet and some of the best.

In Iowa, I noticed there's also a "main street" in almost every town. I am not sure if this is throughout every town, but I found it quite interesting. Main street is a street with a gas station, restaurant, post office, and other essentials.

I can't believe how cheap breakfast is in some of these small towns! In fact, you could get a wonderful meal for $4 which is almost unheard of anywhere else. Lunch and dinner was just as reasonable.

Another thing I noticed about Iowa is that there are quite a few churches! The church below reminded me of a school house. It really caught my attention because of how simple and beautiful it looked. A classic example of why Iowa is so unique!

There were many interesting homes in Iowa too. I saw brick houses or wooden, white homes that looked so classic! I also saw an extraordinary home, as it resembled a farm house.

There is a lot of history in Iowa. The photo below is of Grant Wood's first school. Grand Wood was a painter born in Anamosa Iowa. One of his most famous and highly recognized paintings is"American Gothic." The painting datesback to the 1930s.

I took nearly 300 photos in Iowa and one of my favorite is the one below. I can only imagine how lucky it would be to live here, in such a peaceful, simple, and safe environment!