by Amanda Rink, Editor
When Howard and Pam Blount boarded a tour bus in Des Moines, they didn’t expect to find much beauty in Iowa. Halfway through their week-long journey with Heart of Iowa Tour, that is just what they found.
“We’ve done a few tours with this company,” said Pam with an undeniable Southern drawl. “But I’d always wanted to see the Amish country. And I didn’t know Iowa was this pretty!”
The Blounts, visiting from Texas, were among a group of 21 Midwesterners and a handful of out-of-staters who signed on for the seven-day cultural and historical tour across central and northern Iowa. The itinerary includes everything from alpaca farms and riverboat rides to the John Wayne Birthplace and a stop at “Iowa’s Prettiest Farm.”
But it was the Heartland Museum in Clarion that offered the group something deeper… a real look at the rural heart of the state.
“Our goal with these trips is to explore places that are kind of off the beaten path,” said the group’s tour director. “But we’re also looking for something that’s very specific to a community. The Heartland Museum is just that.”
The Heartland Museum tells the story of everyday Iowans in a way that resonates easily.
The museum stop was part of a packed Day 3 itinerary, which also featured a visit to the Fort Museum & Frontier Village in Fort Dodge, and a photo-op at Iowa Falls’ Swinging Bridge. But despite the full day, the Blounts and the rest of the group took their time inside the Heartland Museum, soaking in the displays, from antique tractors and a replica main street to tributes to farm life and rural innovation.
“It’s a surprise,” said Howard, gesturing around the museum’s exhibit hall.
For many Iowa natives on the tour, it is about rediscovery. “A lot of folks are from Iowa, but they just never had time to explore,” the tour guide explained. “Some have partners from out of state and want to show them the hidden gems. Plus, quite a few of our stops are featured in Our Iowa Magazine, which makes it even more popular.”
By the end of the day, the group left the Heartland Museum with more than photos; they left with a new appreciation for small-town Iowa.
