Congratulations Kate A!
Curiosity finally got the best of me.
As an Iowa State University student, I frequently sped by Fort Dodge, Iowa on US 169 North, never stopping. Fellow students from Fort Dodge consistently boasted “it’s a great place to live and work.”
I disregarded their propaganda.
Time passed.
Finally, in spring 2021 when COVID restrictions lifted, I ventured to Fort Dodge, Iowa. Homepage – Fort Dodge (fortdodgecvb.com)
To say I was amazed by what the community offers is an understatement.
I’ve lived in major metropolitan areas like Atlanta, Georgia, Washington, D.C. and Omaha, Nebraska. I was totally entrenched in my 20+ year hometown of Charleston, SC, and others. But this place, Fort Dodge, Iowa, has been perhaps the biggest surprise yet.
For its size this community is richly diverse in what it offers its citizens, everything from top-notch parks to plentiful dining and shopping to a diverse cultural experiences, including public art. ENTER to WIN an OVERNIGHT trip. Complete form below.
Location + Distance
Des Moines: 1 hour + 24 minutes
Kansas City: 4 hours
Minneapolis: 3 hours
Omaha: 2 hours + 45 minutes
Sioux City, IA: 2 hours
Sioux Falls, SD: 3 hours
Fun Facts
- The town was founded in 1869 and is informally known as the “Frontier of the Future.”
- Fort Dodge traces its beginnings to 1850 when soldiers from the United States Army erected a fort at the junction of the Des Moines River and Lizard Creek. It was named after Henry Dodge, a governor of Wisconsin Territory (which had included Iowa until Iowa became a state in 1846). The fort was abandoned by the Army in 1853.
- The Des Moines River flows through Fort Dodge.
- Population is just over 25,000.
- Fort Dodge is the commercial center for North Central and Northwest Iowa.
- The major industries include biofuels, livestock feed, gypsum and limestone mining, can production, drywall manufacturing, trucking, the manufacture of veterinary pharmaceuticals and vaccines, and retail.
- Drywall was patented by a Fort Dodge resident.
- Gypsum rock is processed into drywall and plaster products at several Fort Dodge manufacturing facilities.
- The Blanden Memorial Art Museum, the first public museum of art in the state of Iowa, is located in the historic Oak Hill district of Fort Dodge. It opened June 5, 1932 and is renowned as one of the finest small museums in the nation for its extensive permanent collection as well as popular touring exhibits. The permanent collection on display includes European and American artists prints, sculptures and paintings.
Public Art
Parks
The 400-acre John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (1415 Nelson Avenue) and Veterans Memorial Park surround Badger Lake and are linked by an outstanding trail system. The playground will delight kids of all ages.
Grain Silo Mural
What’s Included in Giveaway
- 1-night complimentary Stay and Play Package for Kayaking at Best Western Starlite Village ($199 value) This includes $20 Buford’s Dining Credit, Round Trip Transportation to water site and 2 Kayak Rentals. Fort Dodge Hotels| Best Western Starlite Village| Fort Dodge, Iowa WCCB Natural Areas brochure revised 2018.pdf (webstercountyia.gov)
- 2-passes to the Fort Museum & Frontier Village ($20 value) The Fort Museum, Frontier Village and Frontier Opera House (fortmuseumfv.com)
- $10 Gift Card to Shiny Brewing and Pizza Brewery in Fort Dodge – ShinyTop Brewing
- $10 Gift Card to Community Orchard (Open August 1-December 23) Community Orchard
- $30 Gift Card to Fort Frenzy Largest Family Event Center in Fort Dodge, IA – Fort Frenzy
- $10 Gift Certificate to The Dariette (Ice Cream) (1) Dariette | Facebook
- $10 Gift Certificate to River Hops Brewing River Hops Brewing | Facebook
Fine Print
- Complete and return entry form below.
- Each person may enter 1x only throughout the contest. If your household uses the same email, it can be used for multiple entries.
- Trip must be completed by October 31, 2021.
- Entrants must be age 25 or older. USA Citizens only.
- Winner is not required to use kayaking portion of this giveaway but, if not used, cannot gift to another party.
- Winner is responsible for making reservation through the hotel and agrees to all conditions of the property.
- Transportation to & from Fort Dodge, Iowa is not provided.
- Winner agrees to forward three (3) photographs taken during the trip and five (5) sentences about their experience to www.lindaleierthomason within seven (7) days of completing their trip. Images may be used on social media outlets and on this website.
- Winner Notification: Winner will be chosen at random on Friday, July 9, 2021. Winner will be notified via email. Response must be received in 24 hours. If none, another winner will be randomly chosen.
- Prize is non-transferable. No cash redemption or substitution will be allowed.
- Winner assumes all responsibility and releases lindaleierthomason.com and all prize donors and sponsors from all liability.
- By accepting prize, winner understands and agrees to all contest rules.
- Immediate family members (spouse/partner, children, grandchildren and parents) of prize sponsors, Fort Dodge, Chamber of Commerce and/or www.lindaleierthomason.com are not eligible to enter.
This contest is done in cooperation with the Fort Dodge, Iowa Convention and Visitors Bureau Homepage – Fort Dodge (fortdodgecvb.com) and we thank them and all contest sponsors for their generosity and desire to introduce their community to us.
Contest Now Closed.
Kate and her children canoeing Brushy Creek Recreation Area on their trip to Fort Dodge, Iowa.
“Although we didn’t make it very far, we created memories that will last for a lifetime!” 😉
“The kids had a really great time at Fort Frenzy! Dariette’s ice cream was a win in our book and the dinner at Bufords was great. My sons enjoyed the apple turnovers at Community Orchard and we all loved the apple muffins.”
The trip was a good escape for this busy family and much appreciated by all!
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©Copyright. June 2021. Linda Leier Thomason
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Linda Leier Thomason is a former CEO who writes freelance business and travel stories, along with feature articles. Her work experiences include a Fortune 500 corporation, federal government, entrepreneurship and small business.
You will most often find her outdoors enjoying natural settings, wherever she’s at.
Find out more about Linda by clicking the “Meet Linda” tab above. Interested in working together? Send me a note today. Let’s connect.
Madison County’s Abundant Appeal
Call the Center. 515.462.1185. A friendly voice and a well-informed person will answer your questions, every time.
When every person one meets in a new community speaks to you in a manner that shows pride in their community and appreciation for your visit (I don’t identify I’m doing a study/story on the area.), you know you’ve found a place you want to return to or maybe even call home. But it’s more than that. The sense of Madison County community pride shows up in other ways too, like:
Visiting Madison County attractions is done with great ease. Signs are put in all the right places. Some might think this happens everywhere.
For a unique experience, follow the recently designated 82-mile-plus Covered Bridges 
Each building is filled with mostly donated items in outstanding condition. A genealogy research library is also on site. Picnic at one of the shaded tables. Restrooms are inside the Museum building.
Be sure to take a guided tour of the 1856 Bevington-Kaser House restored and furnished in Victorian richness.
13-pound Marion Robert Morrison (today known as John Wayne) was born in Winterset, Iowa on May 26, 1907.
The Museum contains a movie theatre as well as a collection of artifacts and memorabilia from John Wayne’s career.
Location: Narrow green space west of the fire station on Court Avenue in Winterset, Iowa. It is across the street from Monumental Park-a tribute to fallen soldiers and those who fought in the Civil War.
Location: 68 East Court Avenue Winterset, Iowa
Built in approximately 1899, the historic Iowa Theater was re-opened in May 2017 after undergoing a complete renovation. It is owned and operated by a mother/daughter team with years of entrepreneurial and creative experiences.
A poster of it hangs in The Bakery Unlimited (established in 1984) located at 119 John Wayne Drive in Winterset-known for their apple fritters made exclusively with Delicious Apples.
The tower is accessible by car or foot (no RVs or buses). Follow signs in park-two mile round trip.
Location: 4 miles SW of Winterset. From Winterset go West on State Highway 92 for 1 mile, turn South on County Highway P68 for 3 miles
I was invited to watch grapes being harvested (September 2018) at the Covered Bridge vineyard. Volunteers assist in the harvest and are treated to a cookout and wine tasting afterwards. Again showing the sense of community pride and cooperation in Madison County.
Their production facility and tasting room is located off Highway 169 at 2207 170th Trail north of Winterset.
www.heavenlyhabitat.net
www.1stavenuecollective.com
The day I visited (Sept. 8, 2018) there was a morning Farmer’s Market and an evening Classic Car Show.
One of the most popular choices is the Northside Café where Clint Eastwood had lunch in “The Bridges of Madison County.” In fact, the stool where he sat is marked.
A special thank you to my husband, Ken, who did all the driving, as usual, for this visit.