Constructed in 1870 by Eli Cox, this 79 foot long timber town lattice truss covered bridge is the…read moresecond oldest of the six surviving in Madison County. Originally traversing the North River, in 1979 it was moved to its present location inside Winterset City Park. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. There is ample parking, and access to the park is paved. We recommend a visit at the peak of fall foliage, when the park is breathtaking.

As an avid amateur photographer and Iowa native... How can you not make the hop, skip, and a jump…read moredown (over or up) to explore the covered bridges of Madison County...? Here's a secret. I've never seen the movie or read the book, but I did run into Clint Eastwood and his entourage back in the day (1995ish). We weren't able to get too close though. Lol The covered bridges take you back to a much simpler time. When people and cars just weren't as complicated as they are now. The construction of each one seems to be a little unique and diffent from the next. It's too bad that they have been plagued by graffiti artists, people who can't seem to leave things as they find them, and even arson over the years. If you live within a decent driving distance you can experience the bridges in all the seasons. It might sound a little silly, but as a photographer sometimes a few months can make a world of differece in your pictures...sometimes even days. While there is curb appeal to all the bridges Roseman is probably my personal favorite. The Roseman bridge location also has a nice little gift shop you can stop at to take home a momento of your visit (open May 1st through the end of October). Don't miss the shopping opportunities in downtown Winterset. Expect to get dusty, as most of the bridges are on gravel roads, and enjoy your visit!

Nothing says you are in Des Moines like the Travelers Sign down town…read more The umbrella sign was erected in 1963 on top of the Insurance Exchange Building on Grand Avenue in Downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The sign was the logo for the Travelers Insurance Company until the logo was abandoned in 1995. The Sign is 50-foot wide sign, that's about 40-foot tall, can easily be seen driving down I-235 and is is still one of the first sights that drivers from the east notice when approaching the downtown on I-235. This is a must for photos! You can now see the sign all over local t-shirts and mugs as a Des Moines Landmark! I personally love that our city is being covered from the storm by a giant umbrella!

Many places to visit with lots of awesome local entertainment. Great fun for the family or even a…read moreday-date! We spent hours on the tour and didn't even hit all locations. We ended at Carl's Place (a local bar) which is listed as a "point of interest" on the tour's map. Having a cold beer was a perfect ending to my tour of the neighborhood. This was a really well-organized event. Most (if not all) of the staff were volunteers from the neighborhood. They were all welcoming and friendly. Great community outreach.

This weekend was the 41st anniversary of the Doors to the Past walking tour of the historic homes…read more Lots of volunteers at the homes-all of them were very friendly-even with the rainy/cold weather. It was so interesting to be able to tour numerous homes in the Sherwood area. Some have been renovated back to their original charm. Some are "works in progress" and some had amazing modern touches. It was amazing to see the original plaster details still present and restored tin ceilings. These home owners take great pride in these historical homes and have graciously opened them for the public to view.

Very nice rock with a very artistic mural dedicated to the soldiers who served and protected their…read morecountry. They definitely do a great job maintaining and keeping it clean. There is signs letting you know not to climb on the rock or no touching the rock at all. The colors come out more during the sunny days.

This is the Madison County Freedom Rock. Completing the Freedom Rock tour of all 99 Iowa counties…read moreis something my girlfriend and I have been working on for the past few years. We are four rocks away from the end of our journey at this time. Not only do we learn about the military involvement and the contributions of veterans in each county... A lot of times we stumble on other hidden gems, that we had no idea even existed, as we venture further into our own backyard. As happy as I am going to be when hit 99 and finish our Freedom Rock Tour...a little part of me is going to really miss these trips. We'll just have to find another "tour" to pick up! When you are checking out each Freedom Rock make sure you explore the surrounding area for other points of interest. And please remember to support local businesses...! Visit https://www.thefreedomrock.com/ for more information on Iowa's Freedom Rocks and the tour!

If you remember the movie or read the book this is a great stop. The bridge is closed for vehicles…read morewhich is nice for pedestrians to walk around. A beautiful well maintained bridge in a serene setting down a long dirt road. Perfect!

As an avid amateur photographer and Iowa native... How can you not make the hop, skip, and a jump…read moredown (over or up) to explore the covered bridges of Madison County...? Here's a secret. I've never seen the movie or read the book, but I did run into Clint Eastwood and his entourage back in the day (1995ish). We weren't able to get too close though. Lol The covered bridges take you back to a much simpler time. When people and cars just weren't as complicated as they are now. The construction of each one seems to be a little unique and diffent from the next. It's too bad that they have been plagued by graffiti artists, people who can't seem to leave things as they find them, and even arson over the years. If you live within a decent driving distance you can experience the bridges in all the seasons. It might sound a little silly, but as a photographer sometimes a few months can make a world of differece in your pictures...sometimes even days. While there is curb appeal to all the bridges Roseman is probably my personal favorite. The Roseman bridge location also has a nice little gift shop you can stop at to take home a momento of your visit (open May 1st through the end of October). Don't miss the shopping opportunities in downtown Winterset. Expect to get dusty, as most of the bridges are on gravel roads, and enjoy your visit!

An unexpected find on the property of the Iowa State Capitol was the Iowa Holocaust Memorial. But I…read moreguess I shouldn't really be surprised - many of the concentration camp liberators were Iowa citizens and many of the concentration camp survivors moved here after the war. Lists of the camps and the dates of their liberation are here as are many quotes from survivors and other notables. How do we bring about "Never again!"? By educating people and reminding them of the horrors that came before us. Kudos to Iowa on building this great memorial.

This Holocaust memorial is right in front of the Iowa State Capitol, just down the steps. We were…read morewondering around downtown and came across this somewhat small but mighty memorial. It was an excellent time to talk to our son about history and reflection. It was especially interesting to me as a German citizen and I recognized some of the cities in the pictures; the regions where I grew up. This sparked some great conversations among us and a good time to learn more about each other and our past as a while world. It is beautifully made to last forever surrounded by the front lawn of the Capitol and flower gardens. Make sure you stop by when in the area. Lots to be learned and reflected on here...

This is the Warren County Freedom Rock. Completing the Freedom Rock tour of all 99 Iowa counties…read moreis something my girlfriend and I have been working on for the past few years. We are four rocks away from the end of our journey at this time. Not only do we learn about the military involvement and the contributions of veterans in each county... A lot of times we stumble on other hidden gems, that we had no idea even existed, as we venture further into our own backyard. As happy as I am going to be when hit 99 and finish our Freedom Rock Tour...a little part of me is going to really miss these trips. We'll just have to find another "tour" to pick up! When you are checking out each Freedom Rock make sure you explore the surrounding area for other points of interest. And please remember to support local businesses...! Visit https://www.thefreedomrock.com/ for more information on Iowa's Freedom Rocks and the tour!

The NORWALK FREEDOM ROCK is an amazing tribute to the United States of America and its military…read moremembers. I thoroughly appreciate the time this Artist spent in dedication to the men and women in service (past, present and future).

When I first moved to the Des Moines metro I lived in the Sherman Hill area and then pretty much…read moremoved to the West side of town. But Des Moines is a pretty small city so I've spent my share of time on the North, South, and East sides too... I had a friend who needed notary services and we were trying to figure out a good place to meet up along with another party. The East Side Library came up as a possible spot. We agreed on a time. I grabbed my ledger, stamp, and a couple of pens and headed in that direction. I'd never been here before. The parking area is pretty good. It's a decent sized lot right off of Hubbell. Not near as big as West Des Moines or Urbandale... But suitable for this facility. The library itself didn't seem near as busy as some of the others in the metro. We quietly grabbed a table. I had a few minutes to look around and check things out as we were waiting for the last of our group to arrive. The East Side Library has that typical library feel to it. It reaks of organization which is unusual to me... I normally live my life in a slightly organized chaos... Lol It looked like they had a pretty good selection of books. Rosie's Ocean...their themed children's area. A fireplace nook for quiet casual reading. Computers and wifi. They appeared to have several meeting rooms available for use. After a few minutes with everyone at the table... Our business was conducted. Notarizations were completed etc. And we were on our way home. While not exactly the biggest libary in the metro... I was impressed by what I saw here! If you live in this area or are just passing through... Stop in and check the East Side Library out!