Spring 2019

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SPRING 2019 HOMESCHOOL IOWA 7
ward, Iowa, is the western endpoint (or beginning!).
Cass County has the city of Atlantic. And south of there, in
Lewis, is the George B. Hitchcock house. It was a “station” for the
underground railroad. And the house has a secret room in the
basement. They have a spring event with some period activities;
and the house is available for tours. You can’t miss the Coca-
Cola Days in Atlantic on the fourth weekend every September.
Adair County is the area where Jesse James robbed a train.
In Greenfield, there is the Iowa Aviation Museum, which is the
home of Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame. The Adair County Heritage
Museum complex in Greenfield includes tours of the historical
buildings. To get outside, visit the Ken Sidey Nature Area with
107 acres of Timberland and 3 miles of walking trails.
Madison County is full of history and sites worth spending
time exploring. There is the John Wayne House & Museum in
Winterset and the Clark Tower that is in their city park. In the fall,
you should come for the day and see all the covered bridges of
Madison County, and plan to attend their Covered Bridge Days
in October.
There are many more sights and eateries in our six counties.
It is hard to condense it to just a few. Historical destinations are
plentiful. A great region to come and explore!
Region 16: Our Region 16 Rep, Krista, says it’s hard to pick
what to highlight in such a big region. Below are a few of her
favorites, as well as recommendations from some of our Region
16 families.
There is a historic museum in Osceola in Clarke County that is
open May-October. The museum complex is home to a restored
Harlan log cabin, the Knox No. 8 one-room schoolhouse, and
main museum building.
East Lake Park in Clarke County is a great park that has been
the location of many fun homeschool get-togethers across the
years. Also in Osceola is Mayberry’s Coffee House, a wonderful
locally owned and operated coffee shop. The name did, in fact,
come from the Andy Griffith Show.
Bonus! Visit Krista
at the Osceola Li-
brary where she
works. Krista, with
support from her
library director, is
able to offer a lot
of programming
for the children in
the community;
and the library is a
very homeschool-
friendly place.
The Dragoon
Trace Nature Center
inMt. Ayr is another
interesting place
to visit. The Nature
Center offers edu-
cational programs
and other events.
For a fun family
night of laser tag
or mini golf visit
Danish Windmill Dragoon Trace Nature Center Squirrel Cage Jail
Hans Christian Anderson Sculpture Garden
Game On, a homeschool-family-owned business in Centerville,
Iowa. Game On even has big yard games you can rent for a fun
day at home! Details on their website:
Along Highway 34 in Monroe County you can visit the impres-
sive Welcome Home Soldier Monument, 8 acres with 21 marble
crosses representing a 21 gun salute and a field of flags. This
public monument is dedicated to the purpose of honoring all
living and deceased United States Veterans.
In Conclusion: This feature has simply been a quick overview
of what is available in these regions, but for a comprehensive list
check out the Travel Iowa website at