American Discovery Trail: Iowa

Centennial Bridge, Rock Island, Illinois

This week, we crossed the Centennial Bridge over the Mississippi River, from Rock Island, Illinois to Davenport, Iowa. We also passed 1,600 miles, which means we are very close to one third of the way to the California Coast, so this is progress.

The trek across Iowa on the American Discovery Trail is 512 miles, which should take just over 100 days, so that will take me into next year. The path winds back and forth, reaching the northernmost point of the entire trail, but then turning back and exiting the state a little south of where we came in, crossing into Omaha, Nebraska.

According to the ADT website, approximately 90 percent of Iowa is farmland, and more corn and beans are grown in Iowa than in any other state, so I may just post a lot of pictures of corn (which is more photogenic than beans) as I cross the state.

One of the first places I encountered in Iowa is Wildcat Den State Park. This picture is the Pine Creek Grist Mill, built in 1848.