Since we made the move from Iowa to Ohio in 1989 it never ceases to amaze me about the lack of knowledge in my flyover state. "Where are you from", someone will ask. My answer is I grew up in Iowa. And then they'll make some comment like, "Oh, I've never been to Boise before. Is it nice?"
I would like the world to know my Hawkeye state is NOT flat farmland populated by hogs. Actually, California has more hogs than does Iowa and I'm talking about the kind that feed on corn and pig slop.
Entering Iowa from the east on I-80 one will cross the Mississippi River. The bridge is so high you can see for miles and this is the only spot in the river that it runs east to west, not north to south. If you expect to see flat land you'll be disappointed. The farmland is a scenery of rolling hills. In winter when the crops are down it is drab but during the rest of the months the greenery is beautiful in its grandeur.
And the people-------------the people are the best. If your vehicle is parked aside the highway every car with an Iowa license plate will stop and ask in you need assistance. They might be wearing bib overalls and sporting work boots but they're as nice as nice can be.
People have asked us why, after all these years, we don't move back. Have you ever heard the saying, "You can't go home again?" There are only three things I know of that can go home; salmon, Monarch butterflies and elephants and all for the wrong reasons.
Oh, Iowa does have large towns, but not too large. Sixty to one hundred thousand is pushing the limit and that's fine with me.
Twenty years ago Iowa had more towns of 2,000 and less than any state in the Union. Do you know what this means? There was less chance of friction between neighbors. People were more inclined to help each other out in times of turmoil and trouble. And when there was a funeral the town showed up to pay their respects.
What a great State.
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