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Make My Drive Fun: Davenport to Sioux City

Came across this website and figured I'd use it to see what fun there was in Iowa. Looks like the recommended fun stops are:

1. Atomic Cannon
2. Iowa 80 Truck Stop (is the fun in the showers?)
3. The Black Angel of Oakland Cemetery
4. University of Iowa Natural History Museum
5. Zombie Burger + Drink Lab
6. Huston Cemetery (I guess cemeteries are considered fun in Iowa?)
7. Bonnie and Clyde Dexter Shootout Marker
8. Lastly, the Site of the first train robbery in the west (I suppose there is a marker there as well?)

No Casey's?

FYI, there is a Casey's pretty close to #8 in Adair(the town with the smiley face on the yellow water tower).

CSB alert: My parents grew up in Adair and I had an uncle and grandfather that at one time portrayed members of the Jesse James Gang during the town's annual Jesse James Days festival.
 
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There are no views to be had along I-80 IMO that you won't find elsewhere in Iowa. Stopping in Des Moines for lunch is probably the highlight if you take 80 from Davenport all the way to western IA before turning north for SC. My suggestion would be to stop for lunch in Iowa City or Cedar Rapids after getting off 80 and then taking I-380 north up to Waterloo, IA and then taking US Hwy 20 west all the way to Sioux City. You miss out on the famed Des Moines skyline, but you also contend with far fewer semis and out-of-state folks trying their best to GTFO of Iowa.

That said, it's been at least 4 or 5 years since I last took US 20 west of where it intersects with I-35, so maybe it's gone to complete hell since then. Please other HORTers correct me if this is a bad idea.
We did the 80, 680, 29 route to SUX many times in the early to mid 2000's. Because of the major improvements on to HWY 20, we've switched from 80 to 380 to 20. It saves us about 30 minutes. The options for stopping and breaks are not near as good on 20 though once you leave W'loo area. I'm surprised there is no gas station at the 20 35 intersection. Seems like a wasted opportunity......

There is a nice scenic overlook tower on 680 we've stopped at in the past.....
 
They sell more than videos. You mean you’ve never been on a cross-country trip and had a need to pull off the interstate for some crotchless panties, a couple dildos and some lube?
If you're a truck driver, I bet they have some stories about what they've seen while passing cars along the interstate and looking down inside of passing cars?
 
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They forgot the world's largest popcorn ball in Sac City! Now there's some fun, let me tell ya.
And while you're in Sac City, you ( @NoleATL ) could make a stop at Sac Liquor.....
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Close!
She was wounded in the eye by flying glass at a shootout in Missouri a couple days before. Buck was also shot in the head and his brains were exposed but he was able to get around ok somehow.

In Iowa they had another shootout and she was captured and Buck shot multiple times. He was taken to the hospital and was lucid for another few days and interrogated by police, then died.


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You are very close. They were hiding in an abandoned "amusement park" then called "dexfield park" which was a common roadside attraction during the depression. The park had a "zoo" as well as rides and even down hill ski slopes. The gang was discovered when a local person noticed a group of strangers buying excessive medical supplies. (They were attempting to clean bucks head wound). Buck was incapacitated during the shootout and blanche covered him with her body which is also when she got glass in her eye). Clyde ran to the top of the hill and stole a Ford from the guy who lived in the lodge of the ski hill. They stole that car, drove it to Redfield, and stole another Ford before heading south. Blanche was treated in the Redfield hospital as was Buck but he died of his injuries. The doctor noted how incredibly gruesome the injury was and how clean the wound was. In the photos you can see the flat spot right above the guard rail, which is the base of the ski hill and where the shootout happened. I also went down the road and took a shot of the side hill so you can still see the ski runs cut in the side hill.

 
Interesting... I put in Omaha to Orange City, the unfortunate drive we'll be making to visit the in-laws who moved there and I learned this happened:


If your staying in Sioux City for the night and traveling to orange city. Be careful with speeding once you get on u.s. 75 and ia hwy 60, north of Sioux city in the two closest cities of Hinton and Merrill.

If you decide to take hwy 20, it's a good easy ride, not much to stop and see. Webster city, Early, and Holstein are your best bets for gas stops on 20 west of I35
 
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when will this drive be? we could get DSMBoyz Inc back together for a lunch.

El bait shop/high life lounge is a fun stop for lunch in Des Moines. Drive by Kinnick is Iowa City.

I grew up in sioux city. it's largely forgettable. One of the best places in town is a hole in the wall dive bar called Miles Inn. Get a charlie boy and a schooner of banquet beer.
They hate outsiders at the Miles Inn. I can’t imagine the reaction if a big city gay like the OP showed up.
 
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And...they generally try to pass each other at 62mph while going up a hill which slows them down, then both speed up and toy with your emotions by hitting 73 at the bottom of the next hill, all while taking 4.5 miles to complete the pass.
While one or both of them is watching season 3 of Stranger Things on a dash mounted iPad while high on meth and posting on HROT about Slow Joe.
 
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I lived in Orange City for over a decade, how local is your significant other?

I'm sure I know someone who knows the handful of proudly out gay dudes.
 
It will be a game of Death Race 2000 with all the trucks. Concentrate on that.
What is interesting is that I have been on different interstates in NY, VT, ME, NH, and MA in the past few days and the lack of semis is really weird and enjoyable.
 
Came across this website and figured I'd use it to see what fun there was in Iowa. Looks like the recommended fun stops are:

1. Atomic Cannon
2. Iowa 80 Truck Stop (is the fun in the showers?)
3. The Black Angel of Oakland Cemetery
4. University of Iowa Natural History Museum
5. Zombie Burger + Drink Lab
6. Huston Cemetery (I guess cemeteries are considered fun in Iowa?)
7. Bonnie and Clyde Dexter Shootout Marker
8. Lastly, the Site of the first train robbery in the west (I suppose there is a marker there as well?)

No Casey's?

Honestly, the only fun I would do is to see if I could make it the whole way without refueling or going to the bathroom. And I live in between them.
 
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No real suggestions from me as we exited I-80 pretty quick to go to Dubuque. That said, Iowa has speed cameras on I-80 as you enter from Illinois.
 
I lived in Orange City for over a decade, how local is your significant other?

I'm sure I know someone who knows the handful of proudly out gay dudes.
Not local at all. His sisters, mom and nieces/nephew have slowly followed one of the sisters there last one moving there 2 weeks ago.
 
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