Often in a small Midwest town, the local gasoline station include the pumps, a convenience store,…read moremaybe a small cafe, and sometimes a tank wagon service to deliver fuel to the Country. The Looft's complex has all this. This is where I stopped for gasoline on the way from Ames to Spirit Lake (via my hometown of Estherville). Swea City was basically my last chance before running out and I certainly would have not made it to Armstrong. I also had a chance to buy some snacks in the convenience store and briefly watch the regular morning meeting of locals over coffee.

Almost all Kwik Star (and Kwik Trip if you're in Wisconsin or Minnesota) stores are laid out with a…read moresimilar floor plan, there are a few different floor plans depending on the footprint of the store and when it was built. Some are mirror images of one another, which I refer to as left hand stores and right hand stores, depending on which way you turn to approach the cash registers. This is a right hand store. When you go into the store, you'll get that feeling of Deja vu, which is exactly what the owners want you to feel. This store is newer so it uses the newer floor plan. It's left handed. Karuba Coffee, Dunkers, doughnuts, and hot foods are straight back. Rest rooms are on the far end, take a left at the cooler. Lottery forms are back there, too, for processing at the registers. The no-fee ATMs are to your left as you enter the store. Out on the gas island, you'll find Unleaded, Unleaded Premium, E-85, Unleaded 88, and Diesel #2. The store is 24/7. If you happen to drive an 18-wheeler, there is a separate truck fueling station. It's easy in and easy out with no silly roundabouts to come through. You'll find Diesel #2, Premium Diesel, and Diesel Exhaust Fluid. This is a nearly complete auto and truck plaza, there's no car wash but that's about all that's missing. It's a complete convenience store with sandwiches, coffee and soft drinks and almost anything you could need in the coolers, freezers and food gondolas. Like all Kwik Trips, the bakery all comes from La Crosse and it's pretty good. It's everything you've come to expect in a Kwik Trip and a whole lot more.

Here's a novel idea: Don't advertise a rewards program that you will not honor…read more Wanted to use my rewards points today and your clerks were unable to scan my rewards barcode or have any other way to redeem my points. BUT the points were still deducted from my Earnify app. So you literally stole from me. whats worse is that when I had the audacity to question it, the one clerk got rude with me and told me to "get my food or leave" and that "Earnify is BP and we are the lakeland." The other clerk virtually threw my change at me and I heard them talking trash as I walked out. Your store has opted into the program by participating in the points system via fuel purchases. When you opt into something, you are agreeing to honor it! I am a regular customer who comes in several times a week. I have never been treated so rudely by your staff until now. And the only reason I am giving 4 start instead of less is because I know this is not the typical experience here. Usually my experience is great.

Their pizza is better than caseys, more toppings and great crust! The fried pickles are crunchy…read moreand the pepper jack cheese balls are more addictive than cocaine. The staff is friendly and heapful, facilities are clean, mobile pay at fuel pumps. And they have the best ice cream in northwest Iowa.

I was driving from Bloomington, MN to Des Moines, IA. A full tank of gas would have got me to Des…read moreMoines fine. However, I had made a stop in Elma, IA to visit my friend at the cemetery. It meant that I needed a gas station before I hit my final destination. I did a search on my map app and found this BP gas station at Dows Junction. It was on my route. Perfect! After doing a pit stop across the street at Dows Rest Area, I headed over to Dows Junction. It has BP, a convenience store, Godfather's Pizza, and Arby's. I visited half the businesses here. BP was my first stop. I then hit Arby's because I needed fuel. I love the BP app. It's so easy to keep your points and credit cards stowed. You pull out your app and indicate that you want to pay for gas. The app locates the gas station where you are at, you enter your pump number, the app unlocks it, and you fuel away. The app is Canadian credit card-friendly. Many American-based apps can't handle postal codes when it comes to entering your credit card information with a billing address. This app does. There must be five or six pumps here. There were a handful of folks pumping gas when I got here. When I left, it was still doing steady business. The pump that I used worked well. This gas station was exceptionally clean and nicely maintained. The best part about using the app is that when you purchase a cumulative total of $100 worth of gas fill-ups, you unlock a five-cent-per-litre discount off all gas purchases for the rest of that month. Considering how crazy gas prices have been, it was a nice discount to take advantage of. I liked fuelling my car here that I came back the next day to fill my car up as I drove back to Bloomington. It's a decent gas station. I'd return here if I plan on doing another road trip to Des Moines. (442)

Many unhealthy snacks options here. Fuel dispenser worked well. Access is poorly marked. Men's…read morerestroom not the best, with leaking toilets. The women's was clean. The inside of the facility had a moldy stench.

When I come to Iowa to visit my 95 year-old Dad, we usually enjoy a road trip day. We love taking…read morecountry roads, going through small towns, and chatting along the way. Our latest road trip to us to Clear Lake and particularly the Surf Ballroom and later the Buddy Holly memorial. As we arrived, the rental car needed gas, and my Dad needed a bio-break. From this Casey's, the Surf Ballroom was just a couple blocks away. Call that another way to describe a Convenience Store.

Oh, the sexual innuendo convenience store chains in Iowa. Used the bathroom and checked out their…read moremerch. I found a clear Kum and go plastic bag for stadium events, can koozie and flashlight. There are also t-shirts and hoodies. Iowa has hard liquor in their convenience stores and a walk-in beer cooler. Sign at registers cracked me up. Am I the only one with a dirty mind?

This Kum&Go is located near the Diamond Jo's Casino, off the 35 freeway. The store is very clean,…read morethe bathrooms are well maintained, and the food selection is great. The phone app helps expedite payment and pump activation when refilling your gas tank. The employees are friendly, and parking is convenient if you aren't getting gas at the pumps. Access in and out of the lot is well designed, and the route back to the freeway or casino is easy to find.