I never thought that I'd end up having a favourite rest stop in my life. I do now. It's this one in…read moreDows, IA. I was driving down to Des Moines from Bloomington. The trip would take roughly four hours by car. I was oddly feeling sleepy. I also needed a pit stop. The next rest stop was in Dows. Sold! This rest area is nicely curated. It had a lot of parking spots. There were picnic tables outside, with places to barbeque (or grill). You could walk around the place to stretch. If you have a furry pet, there was lots of grass for both you and your pet to stretch out. What made this rest stop tug at my heart strings occurred when I walked into the building. The theme inside was Pac-Man. OMG! It was as if someone made a rest stop with me in mind. There was a Pac-Man banner, complete with ghosts, above the vending machines. Even the garbage receptacle was Pac-Man-themed. Awesome! To whomever designed this rest stop, thank you! Long live the 80's and Pac-Man! The women's restroom was exceptionally clean. The stalls do cater to shorter women, though. When I stood in one, I could technically see other women walking into the washroom and wash their hands. It's rather odd being a voyeur without being able to avoid it. Dows Junction is across the street, so you can grab some food and gas your car up before leaving Dows. I don't know when I'll be back doing a run down to Des Moines again, but Dows was a pleasant surprise. This rest stop made my day. (441)

This rest stop is beautiful! There were plenty of covered picnic tables, some with bbqs. The…read morewomen's bathroom was extremely clean, no weird smells, plenty of stalls (14), and a diaper changing station. There is plenty of parking. The bonus for me is they had a nice pet exercise area. My pup was able to spread his wings and run around. I would definitely recommend staying here for a pit stop, or even sleep.

Easy off and on from I-35, clean building and restrooms.nice areas to walk dogs too. Vending…read moremachines, computer technology.

This rest stop is very clean and new. There's plenty of sitting spaces and garbage bins. It's not a…read morepopular spot so it's not crowded.

The rest stops off of I-80 in Iowa are gorgeous. Many rest areas in other states are treated as…read moreutilitarian buildings, however this one elevates it to a work of art. The building is themed as a tribute to century farms in the area, with it being shaped as a clerestory window barn. However, it builds on the design with an open concept with natural lighting, which let the bright early autumn sunlight to filter through into the building. The roof is supported by glulam framing which adds to the natural, warm feeling that the space gives off. In the back, there's a room that has all glass walls, providing views of the forested area in the back with a trail. Around the building there are picnic tables and a pet relief area. The bathroom themselves were sparkling clean!

Clean clean clean! Modern facilities, look brand new. So well maintained! Excellent facility. Best…read moreroadside rest stop you will find.

After driving four hours across Iowa, it was time to take a break. This stop doesn't look like a…read morestop, because there is a windmill arm towering out front. Indeed, the rest stop is themed to educate visitors about windmills, which are prevalent in the adjacent two counties. Adair County hosts one on the largest wind farms in the country. And I could see why as it was very windy out. The rest stop is new with picnic tables under windmill themed pavilions. The building with restrooms is filled with windmill art and factoids throughout. The stop is immaculate and offers state maps. The art was designed by David Dalhquist with others assisting. There is a small playground for toddlers so they can work out pent-up traveling energy. (If only they could harness that energy.) Inside, there is a bank of vending machines. Parking for cars and trucks is limited, but was not crowded during my visit. The building and lots are handicapped friendly. There is a pet walking area. I like stops that teach about the surrounding area. The windmill stop is interesting and worth checking out.

Very clean classy rest stop. Definitely don't shy from stopping in here if you need the facilities…read moreand they have some snack machines as well. Space to picnic and stretch out while on the road.

Lovely grounds with metal mesh picnic tables on concrete slabs in the grass, shaded by lots of…read moremature trees. Designated pet area at beginning of parking area has one picnic table in the shade (2pm in July) and no waste bags. No walking path around building. Grass is 'buggy' in July, fyi. Grass area backs up to corn fields. Plenty of parking for most types of vehicles. Saw a class-A RV towing a car parked with the semi's so there's room. Plenty of trash bins line the parking areas and recycling bins are near the building. Doors to building and restrooms have handicap auto open push buttons by each door. Restrooms are a bit older and clean-ish. No hooks in stall - they were removed. Probably to keep your belongings safe from a 'grab and run'. Leave your bag in your vehicle. Toilets are low, so good for kids. No tourist brochures in the building. A separate small enclosure, close to the bathroom building, houses several vending machines with both beverages and snacks.

when nature calls you can answer here without too much fuss or bother…read more westbound is a modern rest area with a modest structure in a large lawn sporting about two dozen spots each for cars and trucks it's everything a person would expect from central Iowa but fewer corns and soy beans but you can see them from here.

Honestly, I don't know why I keep trying to get gas here. The pump almost never works.read more

Always a good stop on our way to visit family out West. They have a great variety of foods so you…read morecan always get what you're looking for. Bathrooms are always clean and staff very courteous.

Cleanest, gas station bathrooms I've ever been in!! if you're traveling, definitely stop here!read more

They have clean bathrooms, in the women's bathroom they have flowers and a good smell, the cleaning…read morepeople do a great job, the cashiers' customer service needs to be improved.

Just off I 80 east before the Casey Iowa exit is a very nice rest area to take a break…read more Really nice picnic areas, space walk around, walk your pets, go look at the cornfields! Clean and well maintained restrooms with easy access for all. Information and maps available inside. Also serves as a great stop if there's storms in the area.

Good rest area. Everything looked clean. Parallel parking for trucks can be a pain when some leave…read moretoo much space and/or not enough space.

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.