A Midwest Roadtrip

This past weekend my husband and I took a little Midwest road trip. Our main destination was St. Louis, Missouri, but we gave ourselves a few days to get there and a few days to make our way home. Looking back, I think the journey was just as memorable as the destination.

We traveled through three states: Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri – and one of my favorite parts of any road trip isn’t just seeing places I’ve never been (even after spending nearly my entire life in the Midwest) it’s the people you meet along the way.

Our first overnight stop was in Keosauqua, Iowa. I didn’t even book our hotel until we were already on the road and knew how long we wanted to be on the road. We could have chosen a newer hotel, but instead we picked one with history and character. It was over 100 years old and may have even been haunted! There were even ghost hunters in the lobby when we arrived, the rooms still used real metal keys, and there wasn’t even anyone at the front desk – just a note with our keys waiting for us.

The next morning we visited a locally owned coffee shop while American flags lined Main Street. We had a wonderful conversation with the owner, who recommended several places to explore in the Villages of Van Buren.

One of those stops was the Dutchman’s Store in Cantril. The best way I can describe it is that it’s like Costco run by the Amish. I could have spent hours there, and honestly, that place deserves a blog post all by itself.

We also stopped in Bonaparte, planning to stay only a short time. Instead, we spent hours wandering through town. I was amazed by how many historic buildings still had their original tin ceilings, hardwood floors, and architectural details intact. We met a couple who had purchased several downtown buildings, even though they weren’t originally from the area. They invited us into one of the buildings they had transformed into their home, complete with the original shelving from its days as a general store. They also showed us their art studio. They even gifted us a 48-star American flag another story that deserves its own blog post.

As someone who owns a historic building, places like Bonaparte make me both happy and sad. Happy because there are people investing their time and resources to preserve these treasures. Sad because I think about all the buildings across America that no longer exist, or those that were stripped of their original character and sent to a landfill. Once that history is gone, we can never get it back.

Once we reached St. Louis, we spent a morning exploring St. Charles, and I can’t recommend it enough. The historic district is filled with beautifully preserved buildings, boutiques, restaurants, galleries, and so much charm. I already know I’ll be back.

On our way home, we stopped in Hannibal, Missouri. We definitely didn’t allow ourselves enough time there. Between the hometown of Mark Twain, the museums, the famous cave, and everything else to see, I think we’ll be making another trip next summer.

Of course, we also had to stop in Burlington, Iowa, because I’d never seen Snake Alley. I absolutely loved Burlington. Before looking it up while we were there, I would have guessed it was much larger than Mason City, but it’s actually smaller. The city is filled with incredible homes, beautiful commercial buildings, and an impressive downtown. I couldn’t help but notice numerous old brick industrial and commercial buildings sitting vacant. If our country is ntruly faces a housing shortage, those buildings seem like perfect opportunities to create unique apartments and condominiums while preserving their history.

One of the saddest sights of the trip was in Dallas City, Illinois. We drove past an incredible stone building that I assumed had once been the courthouse. It was absolutely stunning but abandoned and slowly falling apart. Next to it stood another beautiful building that appeared to have once been a school, also sitting vacant in severe disrepair. I honestly don’t know if either building can still be saved.

As America celebrates its 250th birthday this year, I hope more people will recognize the incredible historic buildings that still remain in communities across our country. They aren’t just old structures – they’re pieces of our shared history. I hope more people choose to invest their time, energy, and resources into preserving them before they’re lost forever. Once they’re gone, we can never build that history back.