This is the Iowa Off The Beaten Path episode.
Back in October I took extra time on a trip from Iowa City to Des Moines. I decided to take Historic Iowa Highway 6 as it parallels north of Interstate 80.
That was such a good idea.
There were lots of small towns, not much traffic and quaint views of rolling hills.
I really enjoyed the drive, which began on an evening, then included an overnight stop in the town of Grinnell.
The next morning, I explored Grinnell, including Grinnell College, which has a great reputation as a sort of Iowa private Ivy college, in a similar vein to Luther College in Decorah.
Then midday I drove more on Historic Iowa Highway 6, going further west to Newton, about 30 miles northeast of Des Moines.
Newton is where I caught up with a Sioux City former colleague, Chris Braunschweig , who has worked for the Newton News newspaper in Newton for the last eight years, and is currently the associate editor.
I also walked downtown Newton, then took Highway 6 some more to get to the Des Moines metro.
And once back to Siouxland, to add context to my views and gather key impressions, I chatted with two people, including Grinnell resident and college professor Mike Guenther, and did a fresh interview with Chris B.
Those two guys discussed the towns they live in, how they were founded, and what those places are known for. Guenther and Braunschweig also debated the value of taking a slower pace, and checking out places in Iowa that aren’t on interstates or in big metro areas.
All that and more are included in this edition of What’s The Frequency.
If you want to learn more about the Historic Route 6 a great place to start is the US Route 6 Tourist Association.
*Click on the audio link above to hear the entire show.
What's The Frequency, Episode 101.
