It takes about 2 hours to drive from Des Moines, IA to Omaha, NE. I had an AirBnB lined up there and had all day to get there. This was going to be one of my “work on the road” days. These are fun because I get to work from different types of places. The Bridges of Madison County are a little south west of Des Moines so it was the perfect side trip for the day.
I got my morning work routine completed and headed out of the AirBnB early. I grabbed a cup of coffee on the road and arrived at the first bridge.
Madison County used to have 19 covered bridges. There are only six left. I was able to see four of them.
Back when these were built, bridges were covered to protect the flooring timbers from the weather and make them last longer. The flooring wood was much more expensive than the rest of the structure.
The Imes Covered Bridge
The Imes Covered Bridge was easy to find. It’s right there when you get off the highway and is located in a well traveled area.
It was built in 1870 and had been moved twice over the years. I find it amazing that they can just pick up a bridge and move it somewhere else.
I took a walk across the bridge and noticed signatures all over the inside. Although this seemed to be a thing at all of the bridges, I opted not to sign.
There was another person there that morning as well. A dude that was traveling through Iowa and having his own road trip out of South Dakota. I ran into him later at a different bridge as well.
The Holliwell Covered Bridge
About 30 minutes down the road is the Holliwell Covered Bridge. This bridge was built in 1880 and is one of the bridges featured in Clint Eastwood’s movie. I found the area to be quiet and peaceful although there were plenty of tourists coming and going.
I took this opportunity to grab my chair and to walk down to the stream that went under the bridge. I fired up the hotspot and got some work done. There were no tourists down there and is was such a beautiful place to be. I feel blessed and grateful that I am able to work in so many unique places.
Getting work done at the Holliwell Bridge
Winterset, IA
The hub of Madison County is Winterset, IA. I had some meetings lined up in the afternoon so headed into town. I stopped at the Winterset Chamber of Commerce and used some of their space to take my meetings. I also walked around the town a bit.
I stopped in the local pharmacy for lunch. For those that don’t know, my grandfather started a pharmacy in the early 1900’s in Pottsville, PA where I was raised. My dad took it over and worked their his entire career. He would talk about back in the day when the pharmacy actually had a soda fountain and counter space. I often find myself stopping at independent pharmacies when I see them in small towns. They are rare now a days and a throw back to the past. The pharmacy in Winterset still had a soda fountain, so I stopped there for lunch.
Winterset Chamber of Commerce
Winterset City Hall
Cedar Covered Bridge
The Cedar Covered Bridge was built in 1883. In 2002 and in 2017, the bridge was destroyed by arson, however, was rebuilt both times. The bridge sits in its own park, the Cedar Bridge Park, (Quite the original name!) so I took advantage and fired up my hot spot for a while. In 1993, to promote the book, “Bridges of Madison County”, Oprah Winfrey hosted her show from this park. The Cedar Covered Bridge is the only covered bridge in Madison County that you can still drive over.
Cedar Bridge Park
Cedar Covered Bridge
Yup… video of me driving over Cedar Covered Bridge
My next stop was on my route, it was later in the day and I did need a gift for my friend that I would be staying with in Colorado. My work day was mostly complete, although, I would check the numbers and make some adjustments when I reached my AirBnB in Omaha. I bought a bottle for Wayne, and figured, since I was there, I’d get a tasting!
The facility was bright and airy and the woman giving the tasting was very knowledgable. I was allowed to have a small tasting of five different wines. I find wine tastings pretty funny because you get such a tiny little amount. But I guess that is the point. They were all excellent! She also helped me decide which of the final three bridges I’d go visit. The remaining bridges were all a little out of the way.
Hogback Covered Bridge
Built in 1884, this was my favorite of the four bridges. I had to travel a few miles of gravel roads to get to it and it was really out in the middle of nowhere. It was so peaceful and quiet that I ended up just sitting here for a stretch just being… and taking pictures.
