Midwest travel is at its vacation best in Iowa. Sightseeing ranges from historic frontier forts to culturally rich cities, from authentic American farms to Old World charm in places such as Pella and the Amana Colonies to world-famous movie sites, including Field of Dreams and The Bridges of Madison County.

Geography
Iowa is centrally located in the heart of North America, a welcoming place to stop and visit. With the Missouri River to the west and the Mississippi to the east, Iowa is the only state bordered by two navigable rivers.

A farm north of Sibley in Osceola County marks Iowa's highest point, 1,670 feet above sea level. Conversely, Iowa's lowest point is at the confluence to the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers in Lee County, 470 feet above sea level.

Iowa's four distinct seasons provide a wide range of temperature variation through the year—a perfect place to celebrate summertime sunshine and winter wonders!

Northwest
Iowa's Great Lakes resort region takes you straight into the great outdoors and right into the pages of American history. Family fun runs the gamut from the Inkpaduta Canoe Trail to the footsteps of Lewis and Clark along the Missouri River, from a rough-hewn frontier fort at Fort Dodge to a jewel-encrusted grotto at West Bend.

West Central
The crossroads of the American West is full of natural wonders. Here you can explore the rare Loess Hills, drive Western Skies Scenic Byways, and watch millions of waterfowl at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge. Or you can climb inside Elk Horn's Danish windmill, shop for antiques in Walnut village, or find luck at Council Bluffs' casinos.

Southwest
Travel the trail of Mormon pioneers, Swedish immigrants and French colonists who settled this corner of Iowa. Southwest Iowa invites you to swing to Big Band sounds in Glenn Miller country, fish silver lakes crowded with walleye and bass, bag your limit of pheasants, and catch rodeo fever at Sidney's Championship Rodeo.

North Central
The "Top of Iowa" is all about going places. Dows' antique railroad depot welcomes you to explore sandstone caves, take a float trip along the Iowa River, set sail on aptly named Clear Lake, and tour the world's largest motor-home factory. Nature centers, wildlife preserves, Buddy Holly's last gig, and one-of-a-kind museums round out your trip.

Central
Welcome to the center of things for town and country fun. Iowa's capital, Des Moines, is a futuristic skywalk city renowned for world-class entertainment, Living History Farms, and its open-to-the-public governor's mansion, Victorian Terrace Hill. College and professional sports, glittering casinos, antique shopping, historic museums, diverse cultural events, and child-centered fun make Central Iowa a family-vacation destination.

South Central
Here Iowa's largest lakes, Rathbun and Red Rock, beckon. You can "go Hollywood" at Winterset's Bridges of Madison County movie sites and birthplace of John Wayne. Thrill to the roar of national sprint car racing in Knoxville or follow Amish buggies down quiet country roads. See Grant Wood's American Gothic house or travel to Dutch Pella.

Northeast
The Mississippi River wraps around Iowa's Northeast corner. Your travels in this scenic country may lead to prehistoric burial sites at Effigy Mounds National Monument, to the Devil's Backbone at Iowa's oldest state park, and to the old Fort Atkinson Preserve. You'll also want to make time for Waterloo's Science Museum and Decorah's Vesterheim Norwegian Immigrant Museum.

East Central
If you like variety, you've come to the right place! The seven Amana Colonies offer quaint shops and wineries with Old-World charm right next door to Williamsburg's bustling outlet center. Herbert Hoover rests in peace at his Presidential Library and National Historic Site, not far from the cultural attractions of Cedar Rapids and "Hawkeye" Iowa City.

East
When you go East, you'll be able to: explore deep caves and historic Civil War graves; see what inspired Grant Wood and Mark Twain; catch trout in cold-water streams and baseballs at the Field of Dreams. Destinations range from Mississippi riverboat casinos in the Quad Cities and San Francisco-like Dubuque to Dyersville's National Farm Toy Museum.

Southeast
Southeast Iowa invites you to: relax in Van Buren County's historic riverboat ports; hike over 9,000 acres in Shimek State Forest; bike Snake Alley, the crookedest street in the world; visit the re-enactment of the Civil War Battle of Pea Ridge; hide out in an Underground Railroad station; and secure the frontier at Old Fort Madison.

Amana Colonies
Founded in 1855 by a German religious group seeking freedom from persecution, the Amana Colonies are one of eastern Iowa's premier tourist attractions. The colonial way of life survived until 1932, when the colonists decided that their lifestyle was no longer practical in this increasingly modernized world. Highlights include the Museum of Amana History, the Amana Furniture Shop, and the Millstream Brewery. Amana boasts several excellent restaurants serving hearty German style meals.

Riverside
Of interest to Star Trek fans, this is a town several miles southeast of Iowa City that has been designated the official future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk. Nestled under an apple tree behind a barbershop is a monument marking the spot where Kirk will supposedly be born on March 22, 2228. During the last weekend of June, Riverside becomes a Trekker Mecca with its annual Trek Fest.

Kalona
Down the road from Riverside is Kalona, a small town in the heart of Iowa's Amish country. Black horse-drawn buggies are a fairly common sight in Kalona and its environs. Amish crafts can be purchased here, and in the last weekend of September is the Fall Festival, where you can sample Amish food, watch demonstrations of traditional Amish skills, and buy hand-made quilts and crafts.

Devonian Fossil Gorge
The great flood of 1993 unearthed a layer of fossil-rich rock adjacent to the Coralville Dam. The fossils are of ancient corals, shells and other marine organisms. In fact, the nearby city of Coralville was named after similar coral fossils found in the area.

State Parks
State park and recreation area trails provide access to visitors while ensuring user safety and resource protection. Iowa trails are used by hikers, people with varying abilities, as well as those using a variety of transportation forms including touring and mountain bikes, horses, roller skates, skateboards, cross-country skis, snowshoes, snowmobiles, dogsleds and wheelchairs. The Department of Natural Resources provides 600 miles of trails within state park and recreation areas. Some state parks have self-guided interpretive trails. These include points of interest, plant identification and site interpretation. Brochures are available at trailheads and park offices. Fully accessible trails can be found at Ledges, Big Creek and George Wyth.

Area: 56276 sq.mi, Land 55875 sq. mi., Water 401 sq.mi.

Population: 2,869,413.

State Capital: Des Moines.

Largest Cities: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Waterloo.

Agriculture: Hogs, corn, soybeans, oats, cattle, dairy products.

Industry: Food processing, machinery, electric equipment, chemical products, printing and publishing, primary metals.

Topography: Watershed from northwest to southeast; soil especially rich and land level in the north central region.

Flag: Having three vertical stripes blue, white and red the Iowa flag resembles the flag of France. On the white stripe is a bald eagle carrying a blue streamer in its beak. The state motto " Our Liberties We Prize, and Our Rights We will Maintain" is written on the streamer. The name of the state is emblazoned in red letters.

State Motto: Our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain.

State Bird: Eastern Goldfinch 50states List.

State Flower: Wild Prairie Rose - Rosa pratincola.

State Nickname: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, Waterloo.

State Tree: Oak - Quercus.