Sioux City Live Cam

The Ghost Players at the Field of Dreams in Dyersville

Arrive in Dyersville. Tour the largest farm toy manufacturer in the country. Enjoy a collection of over 25,000 farm toys dated from the 1920's to present. Visit the world-famous baseball field carved into a corn field - the "Field of Dreams" movie site.

Following a country lunch, continue west to Waterloo/Cedar Falls. A collection of antique farm implements takes you back to the days when Iowa's farmland was tamed. Tour an authentic ice house which depicts the now extinct ice harvest through a variety of displays.

Have fun on the farm with an old-fashioned hayrack ride and barbecue! Overnight in Waterloo/Cedar Falls.

An entire John Deere tractor will be manufactured before your eyes. After lunch travel south along a scenic route through some of the world's most fertile farm land. Learn the history of a successful agricultural community as you tour sites in Vinton. Visit a wholesale distributor of herbs, spices, coffees and teas in Norway. Overnight & entertainment in Cedar Rapids.

Experience turn-of-the-century rural life at an authentic 1900 farm. On a city tour learn what makes Cedar Rapids the largest exporter per capita in the country, see the largest cereal mill in the world and several other agricultural industries. Travel to the Amanas for a hearty lunch at the Ox Yoke Inn.

Travel this afternoon through agricultural time... Visit one of the most unique round barns in the United States - the Secrest 1883 Octagonal Barn just outside Iowa City - a monument to the ingeniousness and determination of our early settlers. In the Quad Cities meet a local farmer who will introduce you to his farm and how it operates.

Dinner tonight features farm-like atmosphere. Several farms and agricultural industries in Eastern Iowa offer tours. Travel the country roads for scenic views of hilly farmland dotted with dairy cattle and painted hues from green to gold; study the unique architecture of Iowa's historic barns; and meet some of the most friendly people in the world.

An aerial view of Effigy Mounds National Monument

Arrive Keokuk. Tour the Keokuk River Museum - exhibits aboard a retired steamboat that has been designated a national historic landmark. Continue to the Lock 19, Dam and Hydroelectric Plant - the largest lock on the Mississippi River and site of an electric plant built in 1913 which still generates power. (From this point November through April, you can get close views of the majestic bald eagles wintering here.) The National Cemetery in Keokuk is one of 12 original National Cemeteries - designated at the same time as Arlington Cemetery; it is the only one west of the Mississippi. A guided tour features the Civil War section where both Union and Confederate soldiers are buried. April groups will enjoy the Civil War Reenactment: Battle of Pea Ridge - an ABA Top 100 Event.

Travel north on the Great River Road to Fort Madison, where after an early lunch you will experience life in the early 1800s military fort at Old Fort Madison on the banks of the Mississippi River. In Burlington stretch your legs with a walk down Snake Alley - the crookedest street in the world, then tour the Heritage Hill National Historic District either by coach or on foot. This 29 block area of the city features a variety of architectural styles and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From here head to Mosquito Park for a breathtaking view of the Mississippi River. Continue north to Muscatine for a peek into the past at the Pearl Button Museum, where the history of the button industry - once a major employer - comes to life.

Enjoy a casual dinner, entertainment and sunset in the Quad Cities.

Start your day with learning about the heritage and wildlife of this region along the Mississippi River at the Putnam Museum. The museum also features Asian and Egyptian galleries with a 3,500 year-old mummy and hosts many temporary national exhibits. Spend an hour or so shopping and touring on your own in the historic Village of East Davenport. As you travel further north, stop at the Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead and see where this icon of the Wild West got his start.

The beautiful Mississippi Belle II in Clinton offers nostalgic riverboat atmosphere, an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, the beauty of the Mississippi and gaming entertainment. Following your afternoon cruise, learn the story of early Mississippi river-area settlers and local lumber tycoons at the Clinton County Historical Society museum.

Tonight's activities will depend on the time of year - cheer on the Clinton Lumber Kings Class A baseball team, or enjoy a performance of the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Clinton Symphony Orchestra or the Gateway Ballet Company. Overnight in Clinton.

A guided tour of "Simply Beautiful" Jackson County will take your breath away. A step-on guide will meet you at the welcome center in Sabula - Iowa's only island city - and take you to Bellevue State Park where you'll enjoy a beautiful scenic overlook and butterfly sanctuary, the Picturesque Luxembourger Village of St. Donatus and to Maquoketa Caves State Park where you may hike or spelunk - or both. In Maquoketa, shop 'til you drop at Banowetz Antiques featuring 100 dealers of fine antique furniture, toys, housewares and more. Don't worry about your packages, they deliver! Enjoy a picnic lunch at one of the parks or at one of the homestyle restaurants along the way. Continue north along the Great River Road toward Dubuque and stop at Crystal Lake Cave for a narrated guided tour of delicate and rare natural crystal formations.

Step back in time and dine in elegance during the five-course Victorian House Tour and Progressive Dinner in Dubuque. Overnight in Dubuque.

Enjoy a hearty Iowa breakfast, a bit of nostalgia and a big piece of pie at Iowa's oldest restaurant and pub - Breitbach's in Balltown. Continue your scenic tour of the Great River Road along ridges, curves, hills and limestone bluffs toward the river community of Guttenberg. Stop here for a tour of the Lockmaster's House Heritage Museum, one of the last remaining lockmaster's houses on the Mississippi River. Follow River Drive though town for lovely park views of the river.

Further along your adventure discover Effigy Mounds National Monument, an archeological park that preserves more than 200 mounds - some in the shapes of birds and bears - from the prehistoric Woodland Indian culture. A ranger-guided tour and recently renovated visitor center and museum make the history and beauty of this monument come to life. Many visitors spot eagles soaring as they marvel at the view from Fire Point.

Kick back and relax with and old-fashioned hayrack ride and chuck wagon barbecue at Scenic Ridge View Exotic Animal Ranch in Harpers Ferry. End the evening enjoying music around the campfire and the peaceful sounds of coyotes barking and owls hooting. Overnight in Marquette.

An Amish home near Kalona

Arrive in Decorah. While visiting Iowa's home of Norwegian charm, tour the Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum complex and learn about Norwegian immigrants to the United States. During the last weekend in July your activities here would be at Nordic Fest - a celebration of Norwegian heritage. Lunch is full of Norwegian delights at the museum restaurant.

A beautiful drive down rural roads in Buchanan and Fayette Counties takes you to a simpler life. This large Amish settlement offers lovely scenery, and stops at common Amish shops where you may purchase quilts, leather goods, pastries and preserves. Visit the historic Wapsipinicon Mill in Independence for a peek at ag-processing past. In Cedar Falls the Ice House Museum depicts the now extinct ice harvest through a variety of displays.

Have fun on the farm with an old-fashioned hayrack ride and barbecue. Overnight in Waterloo/Cedar Falls.

During an entertaining and informative three-hour tour, an entire tractor will be manufactured before your eyes at John Deere Tractor Works.

Travel along a scenic route through some of the world's most fertile farm land. Learn the history of a successful agricultural community as you visit the Ray House, a Victorian home on the National Register of Historic Places in Vinton. Next, tour the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School - once attended by Laura Ingalls Wilder's sister Mary.

Enjoy a fabulous ethnic dinner at Zindrick's in the Czech Village and overnight in Cedar Rapids.

Enjoy rolls and juice at Ushers Ferry, a quaint turn-of-the-century village replica in Cedar Rapids. Experience grandeur with a visit to one of only 18 properties of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the U.S. - a beautiful Queen Anne-style mansion - Brucemore. In Iowa City, visit the last capitol of the Iowa Territory and the first Iowa state capitol, the Old Capitol Museum. Depart to Kalona. At the Kalona Historical Village learn about how Amish and Mennonite cultures cause past and present meet daily. Lunch today is served family style in a Mennonite home.

In Swedesburg, an afternoon snack of Swedish pastry awaits you after your tour of the Swedish American Museum. Travel to Mount Pleasant for a visit to the Midwest Old Threshers Museum where you'll step back in agricultural time with steam traction engines, antique tractors, implements and tools. A special exhibit discusses women's contributions to the family farm. For five days ending Labor Day this museum comes to life with the annual Old Threshers Reunion. Step back to the days of opera houses and traveling theater tents as you marvel at the collections of costumes, painted scenery, show posters, trunks and more at the Museum of Repertoire Theatre Americana.

Tour Timberplain Farm and stay for supper. This first class farming operation offers a peek into modern farming and an opportunity for an outdoor country meal with musical entertainment. Travel to Keosauqua. Overnight at the historic Hotel Manning.

After breakfast at the hotel, a step-on guide will offer you local notes about the picturesque, historic Villages of Van Buren which are scattered along the original route of the Mormon Pioneer Trail. Enjoy shopping and watching artisans at work in Bentonsport and see the point where Brigham Young and his followers crossed the Des Moines River on their route west. The Fort Madison, Farmington and Western Railroad Rides and Museum offers a fun ride over the river and through the woods on a full-size train. Its recreated village features antique cars, railroad cars and locomotives.

In Fort Madison, take in the beauty of the Mississippi River, the gaiety of the 19th century and the excitement of gaming action aboard Catfish Bend Riverboat Casino. See living history demonstrations and visit with costumed interpreters at the Old Fort Museum. Overnight in Fort Madison.