Who knew IA was just the other side of a border with MO?
But if you want to follow the Mississippi, you first have to cross it at Illinois,
Hwy 61 is now just the Great River Road, having lost its split personality and shed its border state "Little Dixie Highway" moniker back in MO.
Continue north and you'll cross the Iowa River.
If you're lucky, at dusk.
Further north you can reunite with the Great River at Dubuque. But before getting there, I stumbled onto Maquoketa Caves State Park,
which is worth a detour to see the caves and lush grounds. Videos here.
Just beyond it, rural Iowa as you might imagine it. See more Iowa farmland here.
Then onto Dubuque, Iowa's "Masterpiece of the Mississippi."
The weather was perfect and sculpture-studded Riverwalk fantastic,
particularly for eating leftover pizza.
More Dubuque River Walk here.