So how does a tourist from San Francisco wind up at Sattre?…read more Easy! Miss a turn on a dark Decorah night and start a backroads gravel-kickin' adventure! We didn't actually get into the store - it was after 11pm... but for a couple of lost left-coasters a five-way crossroads tells you to GET HELP! So, we owe a debt of gratitude to the crossroads and Sattre store, which will be forever embedded in our minds and will be an important destination next time we come through the land of the Vikings. Getting straightened out without navigational aids - just enough clouding to block the good ol' North Star - is easier said than done in Decorah when your cellphone is on AT&T.... literally backing up or going forward 20' could be the difference between "NO SERVICE" and one flickering bar. Plagued with cellephonicus interrupticus, we tried getting directions from the front desk at our hotel... but they managed to get us deeper into Iowa's heart of darkness. I asked the hotel desk to give me the number for Decorah police. That took care of it. Just another ten-fifteen on gravel roads and then a sprint to downtown. Victory, so sweet! A three-hour tour, Iowa style. There's a song in there somewhere... hey, how about a few lines.... Never been so lost as I was in Sattre, Yet somehow, it made me sad when I was found. I didn't know that crossroads Could come to mean so much, Yes I'll see you The next time I come around.

Ah Yes, The Satre Store is an Iowa "not to be missed"! Five gravel roads do come together at the…read morecrest of a hill, a beautiful, but dusty spot in Big Corn Country.

Did you know that you needed a Packers sweatshirt?* Neither did I…read more Horsfalls convinced me of that, not through any high pressure sales tactics, but rather, through price. You'll end up with a lot of deals and possibly a wheelbarrow full of junk and a much lighter wallet or checkbook, if you're not careful. New wallet? Check. Spices? Check. Rubber spatulas? Check. Walking stick? Check. Hunting socks? Check. Hawkeye calendar? Check. Wait, none of that was on my list! And I don't even go hunting or even like the Hawkeyes, aagh! I hate you and love you, Horsfalls! The owner is great to talk to and his mind is razor sharp. Be sure to visit both locations for maximum wheeling and dealing. You can curse me later. * It's my favorite sweatshirt, so I'm actually quite happy.

This is probably the busiest place to check out that has a lot of attention into small town. It's…read moreso popular it has a second store but it only visited one of the stores. Horsfall in Lansing has everything practically that you can think of here from groceries, office supplies a variety of practical needs that you wouldn't expect. The store can be very busy but getting through the aisles is a big challenge because it's very narrow like going through a bodega in New York city. Staff here is very friendly. I would not recommend shopping here if you are claustrophobic

Easy off and on location by US 20 West in Holland, IA. Staff was busy stocking but sprang to the…read moreregister to quickly ring up my Godfather's Pizza purchase (Yum!) Great layout and pleasantly spacious. Arby's, bp gas/Gulf gas station and separate diesel lanes. Clean restrooms and the usual variety of snacks and miscellaneous items for sale.

We needed gas but also had a kiddo in dire need of a bathroom. The Mill was one of the few we came…read moreacross during that stretch of highway. This doesn't look like your average gas station from the outside-- or what it offers inside. There is plenty of parking and this spot really is pretty popular, with many folks local and not perusing. Bathroom were clean and the staff was friendly, but not super helpful. What I was most impressed by was the massive gift section. There were Hawkeye/Cyclone items, decor, wine and much more. Had I spent more time there, I am sure I would have walked out with a birthday present for my mother in-law or mom! Additionally, there is an Arbys (with a drive thru) and Godfathers housed here. Plus a robust amount of prepared food in the gas station itself. This is a gem!

Love the veggie omelette and breakfast potatoes for breakfast on my weekends off with a glass of…read morespicy V8. I have been coming here often for the past 10 years. The wait staff, clerk, and kitchen staff are are friendly and helpful. It is a small cafe within a convenience store out in the middle of NE Iowa. This is the place where farmers hang out.

This is one of my favorite breakfast or lunch places to eat whenever I visit my grandparents. The…read moremeals are cooked in big portions for a good price. Food is delicious!! I haven't tried the dinner menu but I bet it is tasty. The people there are very welcoming and it is usually the same people everyday! It has a very homey feel! 5/5 recommend!!

Kwik Trip! The location like most Kwik Trips was amazing clean both at the pumps and inside the…read morestore, Walking into the store you'll find boxes of Kwik Trip Glazers tempting you to take a box home. If you don't know about Glazer's Donuts I'm not going to explain.... Just trust me and buy a box, you'll be hooked. The staff is friendly, shelves well stocked and the coffee is always hot and fresh. Kwik Trip, You got me with the fresh coffee and Glazer Donuts.

I already summed up the experience for that LaCrosse KT. The 3rd worst location in town…read more I drove by 4 stores that day. The first was probably one I should've stopped at. The second, by the direction I was traveling at the time was too dumpy to consider even slowing down for, the one after that was similarly dismal by exterior appearances. Finally as I was done with my work in town I was heading out, and had to get a road soda and use the facilities. They were dire, at best. Getting an energy drink was the best option since the coffee station was lacking, and it was filthy anyway. An empty store, dirty floors, coffee and the hot foods were unstocked. The lazy clown was busy with social media and having a swearing contest with a trashy woman who was pissing about some injustice she'd been through. I wish I'd have driven a couple miles further and gone to the first store at the northern most end of this town. Today I was back in this area where, for another small electrical troubleshooting job, and I did stop at the nicest KT. Maybe later I'll think to write about its far superior management and perhaps even the ownership is corporate run, because I can't imagine the other three were. They have to be private franchises that have little adherence to their parent company's policies