In springtime 2015, I met a woman who lived in Mason City, Iowa, which was two and half hours from me. I would travel her way every other Friday after work. On one trip north, I began to realize I was going through counties I have never heard of before (such as Bremer and Chickasaw counties), and I began to wonder what special things existed in all of these various counties. So, every time I went north, I picked a county, and every time she visited me in Iowa City, she picked a county. After we went our separate ways, I reconnected with a friend and told him what I was doing and wanted to see if he wanted to tag along. I had three rules to follow:

1) They pick the county.

2) They pick the music played on the radio.

3) They don’t pay for gas.

I always promise a great time. I’ve had a number of friends join me on these journeys across the state. At one point, I was able to take one friend to all four corners of the state. I slowly learned museums and attractions across the state are open Memorial Day to Labor Day. Years later, I met a friend, and he suggested when I go to these communities, I should try to go for a run. My first thought was I didn’t know where I would go in these small communities. He told me I didn’t have to run far, just run a mile. The larger the communities, you can run more, you can attend festivals and compete in local road races. I guess you could say the rest is history!

IOWA SCENIC VIEWS BY FOOT