Nearby Destinations to Des Moines

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• Historic Covered Bridges of Madison County www.madisoncounty.com, Winterset. When built in the 19th century, few might have guessed the fanfare attributed to the bridges, features of both the novel The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller and later Clint Eastwood-directed movie of the same name. No admission or gate to walk thru.

• Knoxville Raceway, 1000 N Lincoln St, Knoxville, +1 641 842-5431 www.knoxvilleraceway.com/index.aspx. Roughly 30 min southeast of Des Moines. The Raceway holds 24,000 spectators and is filled each August when the Knoxville Nationals take place. The dirt track features sprint car racing and events start in April and last through October.

• Iowa Speedway, 3300 S 24th Ave E, Newton, +1 641 792-8722, www.iowaspeedway.com/default.asp. Iowa's largest racetrack, featuring Indy Car Series, ARCA Remax Series, USAC Racing, Rolex Sports Car Series, ASA Late Model Series, USAC Silver Crown, and USAR. About 30 mi east of Des Moines via I-80.

• National Balloon Classic, Launch field, 3 mi (5 km) east of Indianola via Hwy 92, +1 515 961-8416, www.nationalballoonclassic.com/default.asp?m=9. Indianola is 12 mi (19 km) south of Des Moines via Hwy 65/69. Features hot air balloon competitions.

• Field of Dreams, Dyersville, Various Websites including www.leftandcenterfod.com. Considered one of baseball's most-treasured landmarks. The field is the same used in the film, "Field of Dreams," nominated by the Academy Award for Best Film of the Year of 1989. The film, based upon W.P. Kinsella's book "Shoeless Joe," starred Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. The field is owned by two families amid much controversy. No admission is charged to visit the field. Various events, including baseball and softball games, take place on the field at various times during the year. Approximately 200 mi (322 km) northeast of Des Moines via I-80 and US Highway 20.

• RAGBRAI www.ragbrai.org. For one week in July, domestic and international riders come to partake in one of the nation's top amateur cycling events. The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa starts with cyclists--usually more than 10,000 of them--dipping their rear wheel in the Missouri River, trekking eastwards across the state until finally dipping their front tire in the Mississippi River. The event showcases small town-Iowa hospitality and changes routes each year. Non-riders can join the cyclists in live music, food, and all sorts of activities the towns set up for those who attend.

Minneapolis-Saint Paul ← Ankeny ←	N  S	→ West Des Moines → Kansas City
Omaha ← West Des Moines ←	W  E	→ Iowa City → Davenport

• www.madisoncounty.com
• www.knoxvilleraceway.com/index.aspx
• www.iowaspeedway.com/default.asp
• www.nationalballoonclassic.com/default.asp?m=9
• www.leftandcenterfod.com
• www.ragbrai.org