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Loess Hills, Iowa
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The Loess Hills, which the wind sculpted from silt deposits as glaciers retreated eons ago, dominate a narrow section of western Iowa in the Big Sioux and Missouri River valleys. The region stretches from Akron (about 25 miles north of Sioux City) south through the Council Bluffs area to Hamburg, just north of the Missouri state line. While the silty loess (pronounced "luss") soil is common, it's accumulated in such proportions in only a few places (Germany, China and Iowa).
The region's prime attraction is its distinctive geography. Midwest Living Senior Travel Editor Linda Ryberg describes the massive mounds as "rumpled velvet with sharp creases." On the hills' well-drained, sun-exposed slopes, desertlike areas shelter plants, including yucca, that you'd expect to find only in the West.
Visitors can take a half-day or daylong drive following signs that mark the 220-mile Loess Hills National Scenic Byway, past high bluffs, deep ravines and occasional apple orchards. The main route runs generally north and south between Akron and Hamburg. Shorter loops take you to scenic views, historic sites and public parks. Now and then, you pass through wide-spot-in-the-road towns, where owners of homey cafes serve up tips about exploring the hills along with their lunches.
One of the best views is along State-183 north of the town of Missouri Valley. The wind seems to sing at Preparation Canyon State Park's overlook (about 30 miles north of Missouri Valley), where you can survey the hill's unusual horizontal ridges.
For a scenic byway brochure, contact: Western Iowa Tourism Region (888/623-4232). For self-guided taped tours or daylong escorted bus tours through the hills, including a stop at Small's Fruit Farm Pie Parlor, contact Loess Hills Hospitality Association. (712/886-5441).
Besides staying at small motels in the region or lodgings in the Council Bluffs and Sioux City areas, you can overnight among the hills at the Country Homestead Bed and Breakfast, a clapboard farm home in Turin (50 miles north of Council Bluffs). Doubles from $75 on weekends (712/353-6772).
