Winterset, IA
Long trip from Des Moines – 30 miles. Arrived by 10:00 and parked in a very nice city park campground. Early was good. 35 camp spots. When we arrived four of the spots were taken. By the end of the day there were only a couple of spots open. Middle of nowhere but it was Friday (start of weekend) and there is a festival next weekend that people may be early for.
City park has this neat maze.
Fall colors are just starting in middle Iowa.
Winterset is a delightful mid-west town that is exactly what you would picture a mid-west town looking like. Quiet, tree-lined streets (LOTS of trees and they are just starting to change colors. Pretty), mid-west farm style houses on large grassy manicured lots with very few fences anywhere. Little kids sitting on house steps waving as you walk by. Friendly people everywhere. Very comfortable feel.
Winterset has several other draws. It is the home town of Fons and Porter. This is a mother – daughter team that produces a quilting TV show that Sue watches 4-5 times a week. Had to visit their store. Sort of a Mecca thing. Looked like a quilt store. A small one at that.
Winterset is also the birth place of John Wayne. The house he was born in is a little larger than Herbert Hoovers birth place but not much.
We found a clever geocache in the backyard.
Winterset is also the county seat of Madison County, home to numerous covered bridges immortalized in book and movie. We spent much of the day on a driving tour to see the bridges and other sites of interest.
This is the oldest. Over 140 years old. The one below is the next oldest. The rest were built by a different person. Note roof difference.
This little bridge was a site in the movie.
Stone one-room school house.
Inside of school house taken through window.
I guess Francesca is a character in the movie. Don’t know which came first.
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