Iowa Girl on the Go

I’m working on a freelance story for an upcoming issue of THE IOWAN magazine about the historic Dragoon Trail. The issue will come out next fall, so I’m working on it now with photographer Jim Heemstra. I’ve spent three full days on the trail to capture it in all its fall-color glory – basically the trail follows the Des Moines River from Fort Dodge to Lake Red Rock.

When I first got the assignment, I was thinking this was not the most scenic part of the state. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised. I’ve encountered some really beautiful vistas, scenic hiking trails, horseback riders, pelicans, kayakers, bridges, and more. There are just gobs of state and county parks all along this corridor, a few I never even heard of. The river itself provides endless photographic opportunities.

I am the writer for this story – not the photographer – but I did take a few pictures and I’ll share them with you here so you can see for yourself. To drive the Dragoon Trail, get directions here.