Iowa Is One of the Most Underrated States in America

One of the things about living in the 'flyover' part of the United States is that constant feeling that the rest of the country has no idea how good we have it here and what 'hidden gems' we have to offer if someone would just take the time to check us out.

Well, AFAR Magazine is giving some love to one local state that it says is among the six 'Most Underrated States in America'.

It's Iowa.

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The Hawkeye State made the cut for a number of reasons.

The first is the annual Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.

'You haven’t lived until you’ve wandered down a carnival midway with an alligator meat corn dog in one hand and a deep-fried queso burger in the other.'

Iowa's annual cycling event RAGBRAI is also on the highlight reel. 2023 will be a big year for the event, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary. It's now the oldest, largest, and longest recreational bicycle touring event in the world.

If you're into bigger thrills than you can get from sitting on a bike seat, they recommend Snowstar Extreme Sports in Andalusia, which has one of the longest dual ziplines in the Midwest.

Also getting attention in the article is the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum in Walcott, which has a 1903 Eldridge on display. It's believed to be the first truck ever built in America.

Meanwhile, architecture buffs can satisfy their cravings by visiting the Historic Park Inn Hotel in Mason City, the last remaining hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Surety Hotel in Des Moines, in the old Iowa Loan & Trust Company building.

MOST UNDERRATED STATES IN AMERICA (AFAR Magazine)

• Arkansas
• Iowa
• Nebraska
• New Jersey
• Nevada
• West Virginia

Which Iowa experiences would you add to this list?