Hogback Covered Bridge nearing sunset.
When you hear someone refer to "The Bridges of Madison County," I bet your first thought is the movie with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. If you are an avid reader, it's the best-selling novel that preceded the film by a few years. Many people are not aware that those beautiful covered bridges Clint's character went to photograph are located in a picturesque area of Iowa less than an hour's drive from Des Moines.
One of Iowa's newest byways, the official name for this area, is the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway. At 82 miles long, this drive includes beautiful natural places and unique destinations like John Wayne's Birthplace. There's enough to see and do in Madison County to fill a two—or three-day weekend. But, if you are like me, you may need a second trip to see and experience it all!
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National Geographic calls the spring migration of the Sandhill Cranes through central Nebraska “one of the greatest wildlife phenomena in North America.” If you are a birder, a wildlife photographer, or a nature lover, I consider this a “must-do” on your bucket list!
In 2017, I was lucky to spend the entire migration season in Nebraska with the Sandhill Cranes. It had been on my bucket list for quite some time. I had gotten a small taste of it about 10 years ago when my husband completed a two-month assignment in Grand Island. That year, we left at the beginning of March when the cranes were just starting to arrive, but what I saw in those first few weeks literary blew my mind! |