Central Iowa Model A Ford Club
GAMARAI XXIX
This Year Touring Northeast Iowa
Save the Date
September 15 to 19, 2025
Stay Tuned for Registration and Hotel Information
This year’s tour takes us to the rugged northeast part of the state, known as the Driftless Area. Over 12,000 years ago most of the Upper Midwest was covered with glaciers. When the last of the ice age glaciers retreated they left behind a rich deposit of glacial drift (gravel, sand and clay) that covered most of the area. However, a unique section of northeastern Iowa and southwestern Wisconsin, along with areas of Minnesota and Illinois were continuously missed by the glacial ice leaving the dramatic landscape we now know as Driftless.
We will spend three nights in Decorah, IA at the historic restored Hotel Winneshiek and the final night in Independence, IA.
On Monday the 15th we take off from Altoona for Decorah. The first stop on our tour will be in Charles City. We will stop at the Floyd County Museum that is home to an extensive display of Oliver tractors that were produced there through most of the 20th century. From there we go to Decorah for our first night and a dinner together.
Tuesday, we stay close to Decorah and visit the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum. In the afternoon we plan to travel east to Waukon to the WW Homestead Dairy, plus a couple other short stops along the way.
Wednesday takes us north into Minnesota. In southeast Minnesota we plan to stop at Fountain, the home town of Bernard Pietenpol. Pietenpol was the inventor of the Pietenpol Air Camper, mostly powered by a Model A engine. We will see one of those there. We then tour the southeast part of the state, following the scenic Root River Trail, ending up in Harmony, MN at a large antique mall.
Thursday, we head east over the Driftless Byway to Lansing, IA. Here we cross over the Mississippi River to the Wisconsin side, driving south along the Great River Road to Prairie du Chen, WI where we come back to Iowa and Pikes Peak State Park.
After visiting the lookout at the park, we will go a short distance north to Effigy Mounds National Monument.
We will enjoy lunch on our own in either Marquette or McGregor, IA, which are close to one another, and a little walk around time there before heading to the Independence Comfort Inn & Suites. Thursday night is pizza night at the hotel.
Friday’s return to Altoona takes us to the Matchstick Marvels in Gladbrook. Lunch follows at Taylor’s Maid-Rite, an iconic Maid-Rite stand in Marshalltown.
We hope you enjoy the tour.
