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    Tiffin Rest Area

    5.0 (6 reviews)

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    It has "Iowa" written all over it!
    Jerry M.

    As you approach this rest area, you first notice the nib in front, then see this rest area has Iowa written all over it. The University of Iowa in nearby Iowa City has been offering the famous Iowa Writer's Workshop since 1936, the first such creative writing programs offered in the United States. Numerous writers, either from Iowa or with ties to Iowa through the Writer's Workshop, are world famous and have a myriad of awards and prizes between them all. Seventeen Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to graduates of the workshop. A tile banner embedded in the floor invites you in with a line from Jack Kerouac's 1958 novel, "On The Road" where he says, "...between the East of my youth and the West of my future..." and here, that "between" is Iowa. Kerouac stopped in Johnson Country, to rest, on his cross-country journey that became the foundation of "On The Road." The entire decor of this rest area is dedicated to the written word, even the exterior lighting resembles pencils. Wooden block letters of M and W identify your appropriate rest room, a scrolling marquee in the lobby gives you a continuous selection of quotations. Tiles list writers who have ties to Iowa. Outside, picnic shelters have steel "pages" to act as screens, each has a quotation from an Iowa writer laser-cut into the "page." Come, sit, rest awhile and drink in the literary nectar of Iowa.

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    Westbound I-80 Tiffin Rest Area #10

    Westbound I-80 Tiffin Rest Area #10

    (8 reviews)

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    This is one of the cleanest rest stops I've ever been to! We're on the road a lot because we have…read morefamily and friends that live all over the country so finding nice rest stops along the way are our little wins. The bathroom is so well kept and huge. There's also a bunch of places to hangout outside under large trees if you want the shade. From covered picnic tables to places specially for your pets, this rest stop has a little bit of everything for everyone. There was someone even in a hammock just chillin' between two trees, perfectly unbothered. There was plenty of parking both for cars and trucks. There were also a ton of maps both state and local as well as various guides for food, attractions, and entertainment. We'll definitely be keeping this location in mind the next time we're heading to Iowa or on the same route.

    This is one of a new generation Iowa rest area. This Westbound rest area was Completed in January…read more2001 on I-80 at mile post 240. With the home of the ACT organization located in Johnson County, and with Iowa students scoring among the highest in the country on the most common entrance exams to college. Education theme was a perfect fit for this rest area. They have larger picnic shelters that have features similar to an old school house. As you can see the foundation is building blocks with pictures on them. The 2nd roof looks like it could house the school bell. Stacks of books with history of trucking, Iowa Artists, and others look like pillars that support the front of the rest area. You can see they have a masonry leage that goes around the building to look like one long book shelve, with books sitting on it. With there bindings showing classic literary works, and other great books. Every where you look you have planters and lighting features that look like oversize children's building blocks. Inside there is also some art work inside that you can view. Another important story is the Amana Colonies that settled in this area. They had a unique brotherhood was founded in Germany. Oppressive government at the time forced them to seek a new home in this great land of America. Around 1,500 people lived in 7 villages and owning 25,000 acres in Iowa. They have a great story to tell but will save that for another video. They had a huge impact on Iowa, and we all could learn a few things. It might be the smartest county in Iowa since it has the University of Iowa in it. It also held the first territorial capitol of the state located in Iowa City on the grounds of the University. This rest area has a little trail that has various grasses and wildflowers that are native to the prairies. 3 boy Scouts panned and planted this area so you could see what the early settlers seen when they crossed the prairies of Iowa. Some of the other rest area videos will talk about a little about some of the travelers, that has crossed by them over the years. Thank-you for all your comments and viewing the video. I have other videos I would like you to view.

    Northbound

    Northbound

    (5 reviews)

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    It seems unusual, if not downright odd, to write a review of an Interstate Highway rest area, but…read morethis is a unique case. It's located on the northbound side of I-380, a spur from I-80 that begins in Iowa City, passes through Cedar Rapids and terminates in Waterloo. This is the only rest area on the 73 mile spur. (There is a southbound rest area across the freeway.) Prior to the opening of this facility, there was a woefully inadequate building serving the rest area. The entire property has been refreshed with the centerpiece being this new building, a standardized Iowa DOT design, that opened in the fall of 2012. New picnic areas and several interesting pieces of decor make the grounds comfortable and attractive. It's the decor that makes this rest area unique and interesting. Eastern Iowa is Grant Wood territory and this entire rest area is designed around the life and work of Iowa's most famous artist. Wood was born about 40 miles northeast of here in 1891. His family moved to Cedar Rapids in 1901. Wood took an apprenticeship in metalwork, attended an art school in Minneapolis and enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1924, he returned to Cedar Rapids and rented a loft. It had no address, so he named it "5 Turner Alley" which is commemorated here, on the east wall of the building. Wood also helped found an art colony in Stone City, where students lived in ice wagons. Picnic tables are framed by wire frame wagon structures to commemorate the living quarters of artists in Stone City. Other features of the rest area that pay homage to Wood include the window frames that are modeled after the house windows in his painting, "American Gothic." The windows are lit with LEDs that change colors at night. The Iowa state quarter is represented in the east entryway - the quarter also pays homage to Wood and his influence on the Iowa art scene. The colorful terrazzo floor mural depicts rows of Iowa farm crops and blends into the rest room vestibules. The vestibules feature Grant paintings, transcribed to ceramic tile, continuing the theme. A small plaque depicts his most famous painting, "American Gothic" and tells the story of the painting and how it came to reside in the museum at the Art Institute of Chicago. The Northbound Rest Area, at mile marker 12 on I-380, is more than a common rest area, it's a living museum of Iowa and it's most beloved artist. EDITED TO ADD: The American Gothic House is located in Eldon, Iowa, about 2 hours southwest of here. It has its own Yelp listing with several reviews and is worth looking up on Yelp, even if you're not going to visit.

    Very limited parking for truckers but overall still a nice and convenient rest stop. Clean…read morerestrooms and vending machines. Picnic tables with overhead roofs and plenty of art displays around the outside of this rest stop.

    Long Hollow Scenic Overlook

    Long Hollow Scenic Overlook

    (4 reviews)

    This overlook buries the lede: It's not just, or primarily, a scenic overlook, but a large rest…read morearea. That was unexpected! Honestly it's really weird highway marketing. The "scenic outlook" part of it is the drive from the freeway to the rest area. And it is a beautiful vista to be sure, but... there's not really any place to pull aside and look at it. When I've encountered scenic overlooks in Oregon, or when I was in North Carolina near the Blue Ridge Mountains, there was a part of the road set aside with the explicit purpose of folks pulling over to look. Here, you can look as you're driving along but once you get to the parking you can't see anything. There are nearly a dozen picnic tables scattered about the place, some more secluded than others. There's also a garden, which has a couple of bench swings to sit and enjoy the surroundings a bit.

    Long Hollow Scenic Overlook is both overlook and rest stop…read more For the rest stop, they have bathrooms, plenty of parking, picnic areas, and scenic places to sit outdoors and enjoy some fresh air and reprieve from the road. They even have bench swings to leisure on. The scenic overlook is best accessed close to the entry. It offers a stunning view of rolling hills and tree dotted farmlands. It is seriously stunning and serene. We spent longer than we thought we might, simply gazing at the landscape, listening to the birds, and breathing in the fresh, country air. Definitely worth the stop if you're in the area. Get to it!

    Tiffin Rest Area - reststops - Updated May 2026

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