Weekend with the kids: Bridges of Madison County, IA; The Brass Lantern B&B

November 7, 12:49 PMMadison Parenting Tweens ExaminerDeborah Nies

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The famous Roseman Bridge - cloudy day.
Photo: D. Nies

I am starting a new, sporadic series of features about interesting places to take your children when a long weekend trip is possible. Welcome to Long Weekend #1 - Iowa. Yes, Iowa.

My family recently took a 4-day trip to Winterset and Greenfield, IA. The drive from our Madison, WI to Madison County, IA is an easy (major highway) drive of about 5 1/2 hours or 350 miles.

You may ask, what's there to see in Iowa, right?

Well, for starters, Winterset is the birthplace of John Wayne...henceforth in our family to be known as, "Who?" Apparently, my tween daughter has never seen a Western movie. We are now working on that in our home. John Wayne's 4-room home, located in Winterset proper on 2nd Street, is open for tours. Each year, the town celebrates his birthday.In 2010, set aside May 28th and 29th, if you're interested in attending.

Probably the main draw for tourists though, is that there are six covered bridges in the Winterset area. Bridges were covered to protect the expensive lumber that was used for the flooring. It was less costly  to replace the lumber covering the sides and the roof. Bridges were typically named for the nearest resident.  Check out my slideshow below for pictures of the bridges, as we were fortunate enough to have time to visit five of the six covered bridges in the area.

HIGHLIGHT: A visit to Winterset City Park holds Cutler-Donahoe Bridge, the limestone 3-story Clark Tower, and a unique English-style hedge maze for the kids to get lost inside.

In 1995, a "little" movie was released called, "The Bridges of Madison County," which was based on Robert James Waller's book of the same name. The movie starred Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep who had a four-day love affair, and the covered bridges served as the setting for the romance. The covered bridges have been around for over 100 years, but the book and movie are really what put Winterset, IA on the tourism map.

The theme and the content of book and movie are probably not appropriate for most tweens. However, I explained the background of both to my tween, and the knowledge enhanced her visit to Winterset and the covered bridges. She sat on the same Northside Cafe stool as Clint Eastwood (known as "Who #2" in our family now - Westerns, again), and posed like Meryl Streep did on the Roseman Bridge. (Tween loves Meryl in Mamma Mia movie.)

Winterset loves to celebrate their bridges, and they know how to throw a great party. Since 1970, each year there has been a Madison County Covered Bridge Festival. In 2010, the festival will be held October 9th and 10th.

If you're wondering where to stay, and it's in your budget, I wholeheartedly recommend The Brass Lantern Bed & Breakfast which is a short drive (25 miles) from Winterset. The Brass Lantern is owned by Terry and Margie Moore, and it is located in Greenfield, IA. Like your own private swimming pool in a 2 1/2 room bed & breakfast? Check. Exceptional tasty breakfast? Check. Friendly, helpful, gracious hosts? Got 'em. You and your children will LOVE the Brass Lantern.

To receive future articles by Deborah Nies, scroll to the top of this article, and click on SUBSCRIBE. Your e-mail address will not be shared with anyone else. Do you have a story idea concerning Tweens? I'd love to hear from you! E-mail your ideas to me at niesgirl@chorus.net.