Lots of people think Iowa is just a lot of corn fields. Granted, we have a lot of corn here, but we also have many other beautiful things.

Iowa is beautiful in the fall, especially along the Mississippi River. Take a trip on the Great River Road, which runs along the Mississippi River. You will have a wonderful view of the bluffs, the fall foliage, and the Mississippi River. If you do go on this trip, be sure to stop in Dubuque, Iowa, and visit the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. This museum is wonderful, and if you have children, they will enjoy it. There are a lot of hands-on things for children to do.

While you are on your trip, you can stay at one of the many bed and breakfasts that are available in that area. You will have a wonderful experience, and you will be served an incredible breakfast, usually including eggs, waffles or pancakes, toast, bacon or sausage and many other choices. You will get to eat your breakfast with other people who have stayed there, and this is a great way to get acquainted and see where everyone is from.

I grew up on a farm in northeast Iowa, so I have lived here all of my life. Our farm included 200 acres. We raised pigs, guernsey cows, and chickens. In addition, we had a lot of cats and a dog. We had a big woods on our land, so the deer and other animals would occasionally come close to the barn. Sometimes the deer would drink water with our cows early in the morning. I would not have traded that time in my life for anything. I believe I learned a lot of values from living on the farm.

In addition to rural living, Iowa has three state universities. We have the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa State University in Ames, and the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Our state has a lot of basketball and football fans, and we are very proud of our athletic teams. In addition, all of our state universities are nationally-known.

We are a very friendly state, and the crime rate is low compared to many places in the nation. Our schools are always ranked high in the national rankings. Iowa is a great place to raise a family.

The winters here are cold, and we get quite a lot of snow sometimes. It gets below zero sometimes in December, January, and February. The summers are sometimes hot with temperatures in the 90's, but this is usually just in July and August. Our spring and fall seasons are very comfortable with temperatures in the 60's and 70's.

I hope you will visit us sometime.