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MAP BY JOE ELBERSON
NEBRASKA & IOWA
Reaping Fun Along I-80
From lavender fields to tanking float trips to alpaca meet-and-greets, these off-exit, agritourism stops make road-tripping through Iowa and Nebraska far more exciting than the 761 miles of straight, flat interstate seem to appear.
By Amity Moore Joyce
Between the Colorado-Nebraska border and Chicago, I-80 can feel like a long, lonely stretch of interstate—not due to a lack of fellow travelers sharing the road, but a lack of things to do. Iowa and Nebraska seem to stretch on forever, without any place to stretch your legs. It looks like nothing is doing except cows, corn and soybeans. While it’s true that this is a large loaf in America’s Breadbasket and the exits and amenities might be farther apart than your recently potty-trained toddler can handle, you can find plenty of fun, family-friendly, agriculturally related attractions within a few miles north or south of this east-west/west-east, straight, flat road trip.
Nebraska
The mother-daughter trio running Our Lavender Co.
OUR LAVENDER CO.
»» Exit 107
Stop and smell the flowers off exit 107 at Our Lavender Co. in Big Springs, Nebraska. Located just 4 miles south of I-80, this 5-acre farm bursts into purple-hued blooms in mid-June, and the flowers peak in July and August. Those are the best months to take advantage of the farm’s pick-your-own-bouquet program because you can see and smell all the different types of lavender at the height of their beauty and fragrance. From May through August, stop by for a tour and hear the origin story of this fourth-generation farm, learn about the farming process and get acquainted with the many ways lavender can be used. Be sure to pop into the gift shop for lavender-infused finds, including a perfect road trip pick-me-up: lavender lemonade!
Floating down the North Platte River
DUSTY TRAILS LLC
»» Exit 177
Less than 5 miles off exit 177 near North Platte, trade your steering wheel for reins or a paddle, and enjoy a Nebraska outdoor adventure at Dusty Trails. Saddle up for a scenic, 3-mile-long horseback ride through Buffalo Bill’s Scout Rest Ranch and beside the North Platte River. Another equally fun and uniquely farm-related option is “tanking”—using a stock tank to float down the North Platte. Armed with a cooler and paddle or pole to push off sandbars or away from stumps, “tankers” enjoy a leisurely float. In addition to stock tanks, Dusty Trails offers tubes, standup paddleboards, kayaks and canoes, all of which can be mixed and matched with a stock tank to ensure your best float on trips that range from 2 miles to 10, depending on the water level.
WESSELS LIVING HISTORY FARM VIDEO
»» Exit 353
In York, fuel up on Nebraska beef at McLean Beef Cafe and step back in agricultural history at Wessels Living History Farm. The cafe—complete with a beef vending machine!—lies about 1 mile north from the exit and serves breakfasts and burger lunches featuring its beef. An onsite meat market also sells the locally raised beef, which is dry aged for two to three weeks. If you miss the store during opening hours, grab steaks, American wagyu ground beef, and maybe even a side from the 24-hour meat vending machine.
One mile south of the exit spreads the Wessels farm that brings to life 1920s farm life. Spend a day or a couple hours shelling corn; viewing antique tractors and a combine restored by the farm’s founder, David Wessels; and feeding the animals. It is a real working farm that welcomes visitors from May through September. In between helping with farm chores, poke around the buildings that make up the site: a timber frame barn, a 1920s windmill, a granary, a chicken coop, a machine shed, a Lutheran church and a schoolhouse.
Iowa
Milk & Honey’s breakfast classic, Eggs Benedict
MILK & HONEY
»» Exit 40
Savor the flavors of locally sourced ingredients from in and around Harlan, Iowa, at Milk & Honey, a restaurant on the town square serving breakfast and lunch. This community-minded eatery runs daily specials and organizes events for its patrons to meet Iowa farmers and makers. Find it about 12 miles north of I-80 in the historic Boone Building, one of Harlan’s original commercial spaces. For its skillets, burgers and omelets, it serves eggs, beef and pork that have been ethically raised at Rosmann Family Farms and Pin Oak Place.
Recently sheared alpacas and newborns are spring sights at Rusty Stars Alpacas.
RUSTY STARS ALPACAS
»» Exit 106
Seeking some cuteness on your I-80 drive? Look no further than Rusty Stars Alpacas, where fuzzy South American natives, alpacas, have found a home in Winterset. Pet them, feed them and buy wearables made from their fleece. Hats, slipper socks, regular socks, scarves and gloves, alongside yarn, dryer balls and stuffed animals are for sale in the Alpaca Store. While it’s great to shop for things to keep out any Iowa chill, the best part is meeting the 50 or so alpacas, plus one llama.
Feeding farm animals in Iowa at Living History Farms
TRAVEL IOWA
»» Exit 125
Scoot off I-80 about 2.5 miles north to Urbandale to visit Living History Farms. At 500 acres, it tells a broad story of how agriculture came to be Iowa’s No. 1 industry. General visitation is open May through October, welcoming travelers to browse the visitor center before boarding a tractor cart to access the farm sites. Together, the four sites present a fascinating timeline of 300 years of agriculture that begins in 1700 at the Ioway Farm with a glimpse into Native American tribal farming. The Pioneer Farm of 1850 represents a 4-year-old farm in transition between producing solely for the family’s survival and producing for profit. The 1900 Horse-Powered Farm shows how farming changed with the advent of machinery and horse-drawn equipment. Not so much a farm as a place where farmers went to buy and sell goods, the 1876 Town of Walnut Hill recreates a frontier town, complete with shops, businesses, a church, residences and more.
Lucky Star Farm chickens
»» Exit 239
For a look at a contemporary working farm, schedule a tour at Lucky Star Farm. These 20 scenic acres near Iowa City invite visitors to come learn what it takes to care for chickens, turkeys, ducks, goats and llamas. While learning about them, you also get to pet goats, maybe even doing a little yoga with them if a spring goat yoga session is scheduled! Enjoy walking around the farm, pausing at the fish-filled pond and learning about silvopasture, a sustainable farming concept in which livestock, trees, pasture and other grazing areas are integrated as a whole farming system.
If you are planning a trip to Iowa or Nebraska, visit AAA.com/Travel for savings on hotels, rental cars and more.
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