I woke up this past Saturday to 52 degrees and sunny skies. Having already decided on a trip north to Art Farm Iowa, I quickly decided to head out right away and take advantage of as much of the beautiful weather as possible. A hot coffee and camera bag in hand, I hit the road with high hopes for the day ahead.

Art Farm Iowa is located in Worth county, 2 miles outside of Northwood, Iowa. With a mission to establish and develop arts & culture alongside agriculture this non-profit offers a unique experience for artists and art lovers alike. Heck, even if you have no interest in art at all, it’s one of those places you need see for yourself. You may very well leave a lover of art after all.

My visit to Art Farm was twofold; a friend was exhibiting in the gallery and the 2 ½ hour drive would take me through a handful of counties allowing me to possibly check one or two more off for my Iowas99 project. Counties I had not anticipated reaching for a year or two. I also must admit, ever since a visit two years ago, I’ve been dying to get back to the Clear Lake area.

Standing along the shoreline that morning watching as a blue heron passed over a swath of cattails and a couple boats drifted by in the distance, I felt my shoulders relax. I closed my eyes and let the cool air and morning sun wash over me. It felt good to just let go and take in was right there in that place, in that moment.

Before leaving home that morning, I had scribbled down a quick list of locations to check out; a state park, a lake and some woods. I had no idea what to expect so I allowed myself a bit of spontaneity and let my trip be dictated by instincts and whatever happened to come along in the form of road signs. Oh…the fun of the unknown.

I would like to say that all went well but that is not entirely true. My list of locations yielded some good ideas for future trips with family and friends but nothing all that useful for my project. The real gems came from wrong turns, turn arounds and getting lost. Nothing new to this backroad’s traveler.

I look forward to sharing more in the future but for the purposes of keeping this post from turning into a novel, here is a quick photo overview of some of my favorites from last Saturday’s camera roll.

Top Row: Kuhn Wildlife Area, Cerro Gordo County

Bottom Row Images 1 and 2: Pilot Knob State Park, Winnebago County

Bottom Row Image 3: Sandpiper Wetland, Cerro Gordo County