Travel Highlights: Our Weekend Visit to Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa
Our very first trip on our full time travel adventure was to Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
My brother is a freshman studying aerospace engineering (seriously y’all, he’s so smart and this big sister is so proud!) and we’d never seen his campus, so we had to make it our first stop.
It was a quick weekend trip (because it’s November in Iowa — brr!) and we’re so ready to head south and find some warmth. But, we couldn’t have asked for better weather (highs in the mid-60s!) and really enjoyed our weekend here.
Here’s the highlight reel:
First Impressions
Iowa State University is a truly beautiful campus, especially if you’re a nature lover. Mitch and I were impressed by all the natural beauty on campus that encourages students that encourages students to get outside:
- Hammock poles are placed among the many trees on campus — what a relaxing way to rest or study!
- The quad is a massive grassy lawn where kids can soak up the sunshine, dotted with wooded areas to escape the rays.
- Lake LaVerne is home to two swans, Lancelot and Elaine, who captured the attention of everyone who walked by.
Where We Stayed
When we pay for camping, we’re going to support state and national park campgrounds as much as possible. But it’s November in Iowa and the public park campgrounds were closed for the season.
We stayed about twenty minutes off campus at an RV park called Whispering Oaks Campground in Story City, Iowa. The campground was quiet, easily accessible, and had a nice play area for the kids right across from our campsite. We would stay again!
What We Did
Since we were only here for a quick weekend visit and we’re still getting the camper ready for full time travel, we didn’t explore too much of what Ames had to offer. Next time, for example, we definitely want to check out Reiman Gardens.
The highlight of our trip was the two hour campus tour my brother gave us and visiting with him. Here’s some photos of campus:
We had a beautiful weekend in Ames, Iowa visiting with family and touring the Iowa State University campus!
Have you been to Ames? Drop a comment with your favorite places to see and things to do!
