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Best roads through Iowa

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  #21  
Old 04-25-2016, 01:45 PM
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Dave,
Both roads are good. Hwy 2 has more traffic and J40 goes through more small towns including Keosaqua , Bonaparte and Bentonsport.
Both have the same scenery but 2 does run through Shimek State Forrest and the Des Moines river.
Wuzfuz
 
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  #22  
Old 04-25-2016, 01:51 PM
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What a great state. I lived there as a kid and rode my 1977 Suzuki GS400 all over the state. All their roads are great! And the people as well.
 
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  #23  
Old 04-25-2016, 03:48 PM
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I would recommend taking J40 from Bloomfield to Bonaparte, then jumping over the river and taking 2 to Donnellson. From there you can turn south to Keokuk.


I grew up in the area.
 
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  #24  
Old 04-25-2016, 04:15 PM
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Originally Posted by davey019
I kind of like 65 south and this would cut out Des Moines. I could go over the interstate and end up close to Pella and go through Ottumwa and over to Mt. Pleasant. I would have to start seeing what time it would be by than to start looking for rooms. I wonder what a good place to stay down in this area. I would like to make Keokuk, but I would just have to see what the timing would be.
Looks like HWY 6 would take me back to far north. This way I could also take 34 for a ways.
Hwy 65 is great for getting around Des Moines. I am not sure how you would be coming in to Des Moines but 163 is the quickest way out to Ottumwa. It is 4 lane divided though. Hwy 5 is more scenic and fun from Carlisle to Hwy 2 in Centerville and faster than Hwy 65 to Hwy 2. I have been meaning to hit that J40 road though after Centerville and out of Bloomfield. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.5...!1m0!3e0?hl=en
 
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  #25  
Old 04-25-2016, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Jay Guild
Hwy 65 is great for getting around Des Moines. I am not sure how you would be coming in to Des Moines but 163 is the quickest way out to Ottumwa. It is 4 lane divided though. Hwy 5 is more scenic and fun from Carlisle to Hwy 2 in Centerville and faster than Hwy 65 to Hwy 2. I have been meaning to hit that J40 road though after Centerville and out of Bloomfield. https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.5...!1m0!3e0?hl=en
Taking 163 to 34 to 218 only cuts off about 40 mins and isn't nearly as fun.
and 65 down to 2 adds another 20 mins on to my route and isn't as fun as Hwy 5 https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.5...!1m0!3e0?hl=en
 
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  #26  
Old 04-27-2016, 11:07 AM
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Good suggestions Jay. I think either going through Pella or Knoxville should be a good choice. If I don't make Keokuk I could always stay in Fort Madison which seems like a fun place also. Depends how many stops I encounter on the later side of the route ha ha
 
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  #27  
Old 04-27-2016, 09:46 PM
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:icon_munch ing:
 
Last edited by Weaselbeak; 04-27-2016 at 09:53 PM.
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  #28  
Old 04-28-2016, 02:50 AM
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Davey hope you post some pics of your trip! Haven't been to SE Iowa in awhile. Wife and I are hoping to hit E Iowa this year and do the river runs, heard it's something to see!

Rax
 
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  #29  
Old 04-29-2016, 10:44 AM
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My Ex is from Fairfield [haynes family]. Been there many times before the Maharishi people took over.
Got hit right between the eyes by either a june bug, a golf ball hit driven by tiger woods or a 30-30 one night riding through a cornfield on my way to Sturgis. Barely got the bike stopped before things went black.
 
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  #30  
Old 04-29-2016, 11:21 AM
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"There's a whole lot of money in Fairfield, Fairfield, Fairfield. There's a whole lot of money in Fairfield, and I'm gonna get me some." -Greg Brown
 
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