The Loess Hills National Scenic Byway

Oftentimes, when traveling to and from my beloved Iowa Mountains, I take the scenic route. I take the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway (LHNSB) route, to be exact. Running nearly parallel to the Loess Hills for almost the entirety of their length, this drive is almost as beautiful as hiking in the Hills themselves. 




Awhile back, the four of us took a easy hike into Waubonsie State Park. Here's our view from the main Overlook.




I admired the Winter flora and fauna.








Although we took I-29 down to Waubonsie, as is our usual route, we always take LHNSB home. Here we take a bridge over a creek, the Iowa Mountains visible in the background.



One of the farms scattered along the LHNSB.



A meandering view of some farms along the byway.


After we got near the end of our journey along the LHNSB, we made a stop at Bodega Victoriana Winery in Glenwood. We had never been there before but had always wanted to stop. Bodega has good reviews and is part of the Loess Hills District Wine Trail and the Western Iowa Wine Trail. As a frequent traveler within the Iowa Mountains, I've stopped at a few of the Wineries over the years, including the Loess Hills Vineyard, Silver Hills Winery, Sugar Clay Winery & Vineyards, and, now, Bodega Victoriana Winery.



Cocoa the dog.


We were greeted by a few denizens of Bodega: a dog and a cat, namely.



Leon the cat.

I can't wait until Spring is in full bloom and we'll start spending more time in the Iowa Mountains as well as traveling along the LHNSB and the other little byways that run through hill country. There are plenty of places to stop and seasonal events to go to. If you're interested in exactly what these places and events are, you can find that information in the LHNSB link I posted in the beginning of this post.


So, if you ever find yourself over the way of the Loess Hills, take the scenic route. You'll be glad you did.

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