Rolling hills, blue skies, and stories waiting to be told—welcome to Iowa. From scenic byways to river towns and bike trails, we’re spending three weeks uncovering the beauty and history of the Hawkeye State, one stop at a time. Let’s hit the road!

Day 1

MISSISSIPPI RIVER

The seven black areas are the parts of Iowa that we will explore. We have campgrounds reserved in the middle of each marked area and will spend a few days radiating out from the campgrounds before moving on to the next campground. All but one campground is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers.

DAY 1

Wednesday, May 1, 2025

GRANT RIVER CORPS OF ENGINEERS CAMPGROUND

For our maiden voyage in 2025, we will spend three weeks touring Iowa. Two years ago, we began RVing in Iowa; however, we had to cut the tour short when V-Jer, our travel trailer, developed a mechanical problem. Actually, it wasn’t V-Jer’s fault; it was mine. I forgot to unhook V-Jer’s emergency brake when I moved Saturn, our cargo van, forward. The emergency brake cable followed the van and consequently set V-Jer’s brakes to full brake mode. Unfortunately, when I reinserted the cable, the brake on the driver’s side would not release. 

We called a mobile RV mechanic to fix the issue. For $250, he did, but he found a couple more minor issues, so we packed V-Jer up and headed home.

One doesn’t usually equate Iowa as a must-see tourist state, and we were pleasantly surprised to find it to be such a beautiful area that we had to return and complete our original plan. So, here we are, embarking on a spring tour. At precisely 9:06 am on Thursday, May 1, we headed out of our driveway. It was a 3.5-hour drive to our first destination, Grant River Army Corps of Engineers Campground on the Mississippi River, 25 miles north of Dubuque, Iowa. We drove through a cold rain that continued well after we set up at the campground. 

Knowing it was going to be a rainy day, I hoped to get set up early enough to visit Dubuque’s Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. It was 2 pm by the time we were set up. I checked the museum’s website, hoping that it was open until 7 or 8 pm. No such luck; it closed at 4 pm. There was no sense in rushing into town for that. We stayed put, organized V-Jer a bit more, and took a walk around the campground in between rain showers.

The campground is terrific, as most Corps of Engineers campgrounds are. The sites are a little closer together than in many campgrounds, but you get all the amenities, including electricity, water hookups, clean and level sites, great restrooms, and shower houses. Additionally, the mighty Mississippi provides a wonderful backdrop. The only peculiar feature is the train tracks that border the campground, with trains passing by every 20 minutes. They don’t bother me; I love the sound of trains, but most people might be turned off by them, especially at 3 am. 

Above and below: Evening Glow & River Flow! Our teardrop tucked in for the night at Grant River Campground, where the Mississippi meanders and spring leaves stretch toward the sunset. Just us, the trees, and that coral-kissed sky.

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