Plan Your Spring and Summer Getaways to These Nearby Destinations
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Dreaming of sunny adventures while wrapped in your winter blanket? Perfect timing. Whether you're craving a weekend escape ASAP or plotting a longer getaway for summer, you'll find fresh inspiration here.
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Start Planning Summer Vacation—Now
These relatively nearby destinations are fantastic, but you might want to start reserving your accommodations soon as they do fill up (especially Door County, Itasca, and Minnesota’s North Shore).
Itasca State Park: Where a Veteran Des Moines Travel Editor Goes for Summer Vacation
Have you ever tried to do a Minnesota Northwoods vacation? I have, and it didn’t go so well (lots of driving, for not a lot of payoff). The area is so vast, you have to know exactly where to go. Here, veteran travel editor Christine Riccelli carves it out with the precision of a surgeon.
Why Door County, WI, Is My New France
What gives a destination a “distinct sense of place”? For me, it’s a combination of natural beauty, a deep sense of history, and a food culture that’s truly regional. France has all these things at every turn. And so does Door County.
Northeast Iowa—with Two Destination Restaurants Worth Building a Trip Around
The area of Iowa I love most nestles in the hills, cliffs, and bluffs of the driftless area and is anchored by the Mississippi River, which is always a marvel. Add two destination-worthy restaurants and mix in some spectacular autumn colors in coming weeks, and you’ve got some great reasons to head east right about now.
Great Spring Getaways
No need to wait until summer. These nearby destinations are just the ticket for a quick weekend trip. P.S.: I’ve enjoyed Omaha even in winter—the Old Market area has a lot of cozy venues.
Is Iowa City the "Culinary Capital of the State"? This 36-Hour Itinerary Will Tell You a Lot
Sometime in this century, Iowa City grew up, maturing from fun college town to that, plus a worldly small city. Any food-lover should make the trip. Add some cultural attractions between meals, and Iowa City makes for a great food-focused weekend getaway.
K.C. Restaurants Worth Building a Trip Around + What to Do When You Go (Besides Eat)
Since 1994, I’ve visited Kansas City on average at least once a year (excluding the pandemic). I adore this city—of all the places you can go that are three hours from Des Moines, this destination makes you feel like you’ve traveled much further than a mere three hours. It feels slightly southern, very western, and entirely itself.
Five Great Omaha Restaurants That Are Unlike Any in Des Moines
I’ve always enjoyed Omaha—enough to visit it at least a dozen times in the last two decades. But to be honest, I never thought of it much more than a simply a bigger Des Moines. That view changed on a recent five-day getaway there. In the past year and a half, Omaha’s public spaces have been reshaped in ways that are truly astonishing, making me love all that’s new, but also making me see what endures in a whole new light.