Do not stay here. The electric power is "dirty" and will trip all your RV protections leaving you…read morewith no power and a hefty bill. Showers only produced hot and I mean HOT water!! Terrible place!

Pretty campsite with a friendly cat. We stayed close to the bathroom which was great! The showers…read morewere nice and hot and the campsite was accessible and flat. Bathrooms could be more tidy.

A terrific welcome center at the top of Iowa on Highway 35, loaded with sensational customer…read moreservice, and everything that you might need on another automobile or truck journey. They have a great wall of Iowa travel brochures, vending machines, Internet access, maps, travel guides, and a gift shop that features locally-made items. Four patriotic rocks and historic markers also are there. Clean rest area. Roomy tables to catch up on email or messages. I have to compliment staff member Char, would was such a pleasant, kind person and was all about making the visit a good one. We should all be as nice as Char!

So this has to be one of the cutest welcome centers I encountered in the entire state. On the…read moreoutside it looks like a quintessential Red Barn and silo and they keep the theme going on the interior. The information packets for things to do in the area are hung along the walls and on the front of another little Red Barn in the inside and all the tables and chairs have an adorable black and white cow pattern motif. There are clean restrooms and lots of vending machines inside and they even have a little store called The Barn Boutique that sells miscellaneous artsy craftsy and touristy items. It was very cute. Whoever designed this welcome Center definitely had travelers in mind and did a great job!

still Sunday night but after almost two hours of hydroplaning I'm tired even though the rain has…read morepaused briefly here and there and it's still not really blowy and no lightning or thunder but there's so much water on the road that I've taken up boating as my new hobby... a break in the weather as I pull up to the curb, snap a couple pics, and after getting inside for a little relief down it comes and stops and comes again... super abundant parking for anyone not clever enough to stay off the road until this point... it was pretty much just me. basic sheltered facilities for a welcome center with vendo-land in the foyer and a whole lotta info and mappage locked up for the night and just out of reach but still several displays of regional interest material for the late night crowd...

We love this rest area and could likely write a book from our stops here over the years. Great…read moreplace to stop with the dogs on the way south or coming home heading northbound. The Northwood Rest Area, aka Top of Iowa Rest Area, is located just off I-35 at mile marker 214. It's just south of the Minnesota border and the exits off i-35 allow traffic from both north and south to stop here. It's a large rest area with lots of parking for cars and tractor-trailers. The rest celebrates Iowa's farming heritage and the main building looks like a big red barn. Clear Lake and Mason City are south of here. If you're a fan of The Music Man by Meredith Wilson, or Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture, Mason City would be a fun stop. Also in the area is Clear Lake where Buddy Holly played his last concert at the Surf Ballroom (still there) and flew out of the airport for his final flight. The crash site is walkable depending on weather. The area is ADA compliant and has rest room facilities. It also has phone, TDD, a weather monitor, vending, Wi-Fi, an RV dump station. This is the rest stop I pulled into when a tornado was hot on my tail. The storm shelter is in the men's bathroom. There is a welcome center that is staffed during business hours. They used to serve coffee and had amazing cookies, but Covid messed that up. The upper level also has a gift shop - we usually buy post cards if it's during business hours. This is a great place to stop. stretch your legs and take a quick break before heading back onto the interstate.

This was a convenient redt stop off the interstate. Lots of space to walk your pet or have kids…read moreburn up energy in a safe manner. Bathrooms are clean, and there are plenty of parking spots. Vending machines should be available, but I suggest going to Kum & Go, located several 100 yards away, and getting fresh food or snacks there.

The place kind of looks like it used to be a diner, then they tried to turn it into a sports bar…read more It gave some mixed signals, but my husband and I loved the burgers we ordered. He said he was a tad disappointed in the beer; it was a bit warm. I only had water with my burger. The coleslaw was just so-so. There's a very nice patio area (we ate inside) and I saw that they do live music on the weekends. (We visited on a Monday.) There's an entrance to the restaurant via the hotel and obvs. vice versa. The hotel looked super nice! We were staying at a hotel across the lot and didn't want to drive anywhere for dinner, so we were happy to have the place available for us. Thanks for a nice dinner all the way from Nebraska!

Stopped by for a late lunch since we were staying at the hotel…read more Our waitress was friendly and generally attentive, but it wasn't the best service we've had. Our order was taken quickly, and came out in a reasonable amount of time. There was a large funeral across the street and apparently the attendees gathered here afterwards because it was pretty busy for a Saturday afternoon. But it was still not too crazy and we were able to have a conversation at a reasonable volume. Lots of TVS playing sports. Some reviews referred to it as a nightclub which seems a stretch. At least in the afternoon it was family friendly.. The espresso martinis were strong and all alcohol. But what I'm used to and not my favorite but we definitely got a nice buzz! The cheese curds were average; the pizza fries were an interesting concept. It would have been nice if the cheese had been melted more. The pepperoni was somewhat spicy. The fries were really good! I truly enjoyed the quinoa bowl. The pork belly was crispy and crunchy and just delectable. It worked well with the quinoa and vegetables. I'd happily eat this regularly. Prices are average. Especially for a hotel, one might even consider them reasonable. It's a good option if you don't want to leave the hotel.

almost Monday morning but after driving though the rain all night I realize that I'm done even…read morethough it's been just a few minutes since the welcome center. taking an extended pause here and the sun should be coming up in about six or seven hours or so and the Spam museum doesn't open for a while past that.. it's still wet out and not blowing or lightning or thunder - no weather at all as I pull up and walk around snapping pics or after getting inside for a little relief... basic sheltered facilities with a well hidden vendo-land if there is one and not a whole lot of anything else except this way cool windy walking path that would make for a good nature hike in drier, cooler weather. there's abundant parking for large and small vehicles and it was pretty much just me on the little side over night. got a dog walk area and a four level water fountain so everyone can get a drink. the whole place is nestled into the woods like it's hiding from modern life... and there's this fabulous little creek running along out front and I wouldn't be surprised to see a bunch of nature visiting between dawn and dusk....

This was actually a very pleasant overnight stay. The owner was very helpful and polite booking on…read morethe phone. When I arrived the rooms were ready for me with the AC running to cool down the rooms. The place was a little off the highway, but worth the drive. It had a cottage appearance and didn't have any creepy people or cars sitting around. The room was a little dated with old looking decor, but that was really my only con. The room was super clean! There wasn't dust on anything! The baseboards were spotless, the fake plants didn't have dust, the beds were pretty comfortable, and the bathroom was clean. One improvement I suggest would to start placing the wifi password in the rooms or make sure it's given to customer at checkin. I forgot to ask for it and did without since it was so late . I would suggest this place and stay again.

If you're visiting Winnebago, This is the best place to stay in Forest City if you leave your rig…read morewith them. Pets are very welcome and there are plenty of parks near to walk in. I'm handicapped and the privacy afforded me and my CNA the sense like being in my own home. Michelle was very responsive and polite in all the texts and communications. The building is a classic downtown building with easy access and The room is like an efficiency apartment and very comfortable, clean, and private. The shower is amazing. The kitchenette was easy to navigate for fixing meals. There are restaurants within walking distance that are decently priced and serve more than you expect. Wi-Fi is very strong and free. The Parking is across the alley in a city lot and Michelle provides a parking hangtag, free. Also, there is a public laundry just off the parking lot. Stores are close by if you need them. I REALLY recommend it as it's a great place to stay when you are without your RV.