Iowa's Historic Hills Scenic Byway
On the 85-mile Historic Hills Scenic Byway, brilliant color fills valleys and rings farm fields along gravel and asphalt roads connecting the Villages of Van Buren County.
Bonaparte, Iowa.
Bentonsport Presbyterian Church, Bentonsport, Iowa.
The Bonaparte Inn, Bonaparte, Iowa.
Autumn color paints the valleys and family farms between the Villages of Van Buren County, seven historic burgs punctuating this quiet 85-mile drive along the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa. During the Scenic Drive Festival (October 13–14, 2012), craft vendors and friendly pancake feeds add to the small-town appeal.
Creative class In Bentonsport, the husband-wife team of Bill and Betty Printy (aka Iron and Lace) draw scores of art-lovers with her Queen Anne’s lace pottery and his hand-forged metal pieces. Watch them work during the fest.
For maps and trip planning