IOWA: Almost GHOST Towns In The Forgotten Corner Of The State

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  • Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
  • I visited these small Iowa towns: Grand River, Kellerton, Mount Ayr & Bedford. New videos every Wednesday & Saturday.
    Joe's Instagram: / joeysroadtrip
    Travel Vlog 242

Комментарии • 770

  • @LimpBG
    @LimpBG Год назад +114

    Hello, although I am from Bulgaria and have little to do with USA I find your videos very interesting. Seeing little towns that I have never imagined existed, and taking a glimpse at the life in those towns is fascinating. Have a great day!

  • @kyleelsbernd7566
    @kyleelsbernd7566 Год назад +75

    The prettiest part of Iowa is the NE corner Driftless Region (which also encompasses MN, WI, and IL). Glaciers missed this region so it consists of rugged bluffs, coulees, trout streams, and pre-ice age tree stands. My wife says that Appalachia is like the Driftless Region on steroids. I recommend you visit Dubuque, Galena, Guttenberg, Lansing, Decorah, Viroqua, La Crosse, etc.

    • @Castleknight
      @Castleknight Год назад +6

      I've heard that the Driftless area is very pretty.

    • @stitchescatsfromutah9330
      @stitchescatsfromutah9330 Год назад +2

      My mom grew up in Viroqua and the countryside there is gorgeous!

    • @jeffreyryan4026
      @jeffreyryan4026 Год назад +3

      I second the Gutenberg recommendation.

    • @joycelebaron2582
      @joycelebaron2582 Год назад +1

      Thanks! I'd never heard of the Driftless region and I'd love to get out there and check it out. I live in the Driftless on Steroids region LOL

    • @kyleelsbernd7566
      @kyleelsbernd7566 Год назад +1

      @@joycelebaron2582 Ha, well we loved our last trip to Pigeon Forge and the Smokies. Also loved Chattanooga. Hoping to spend some time in Knoxvville as well.

  • @eojeojeo1
    @eojeojeo1 Год назад +37

    As of 9/10/23 the house you asked about in Kellerton, IA is listed for sale at $42,000 and the house in Mt Ayr is listed at $182,000. HyVee is a popular 280-store grocery chain throughout the upper midwest. Loving the ride. Keep it up.

  • @HankPanky
    @HankPanky Год назад +9

    Hyvee where there's a helpful smile in every aisle.

  • @AyatollahOfDahmsistan
    @AyatollahOfDahmsistan Год назад +21

    Iowa is awesome! I left vowing NEVER TO come back…. 10 yrs later, I was, GET ME BACK. Europe, several states, and BORING IOWA IS THE BEST!! Love Iowans!

  • @walter9724
    @walter9724 Год назад +11

    I'm here in Australia and I purchased a Polk Iowa license plate at a local antique store. The plate is from 1979 and has FOX 082 on it. And also has the small stickers on it from when it was last registered

  • @catlover614
    @catlover614 Год назад +55

    An awesome video, as always. I never get tired of exploring these lovely old country towns, there are so many hidden gems in among the trees in the residential areas, and I love the old buildings in the downtown area. I enjoy your videos very much. Thanks so much, Joe and Nic.🥰

  • @duaneboyd3550
    @duaneboyd3550 Год назад +164

    It's interesting to hear some segments of our society talk about how overpopulated and crowded our country is. Just drive and you will find that there is plenty of room, maybe we should stop flocking to city centers and thinking that is the norm. I love these videos I get to tour the nation from my living room and then decide which places to actually go thanks to Joe and Nic.

    • @hellbythedashboardlight1730
      @hellbythedashboardlight1730 Год назад +36

      Most people do not want to live in a town with nothing but old people and a Casey’s and dollar store

    • @patrickrhea6348
      @patrickrhea6348 Год назад +39

      ​@@hellbythedashboardlight1730Then they can suffer in the larger cities.

    • @hellbythedashboardlight1730
      @hellbythedashboardlight1730 Год назад +19

      @@patrickrhea6348 I think suffering is looking around and seeing nothing but old dying people and a shut down dollar store

    • @donaldpiper9763
      @donaldpiper9763 Год назад +34

      These places are dying because there isn’t any employment opportunities , no groceries stores,gas stations,cafes, nothing pretty bleak !

    • @patrickrhea6348
      @patrickrhea6348 Год назад +39

      @@hellbythedashboardlight1730 I'll take that over rampant violent crime, mass drug use, and authoritative governments.

  • @uraoshi
    @uraoshi Год назад +10

    to be honest everything looks so manicured. the grass is cut. no wild bushes. doesn't look abandoned. there are people over the world who only dream to live in such environment.

  • @carolkokx9638
    @carolkokx9638 Год назад +18

    That courthouse in Bedford was absolutely beautiful

  • @akaJackLugar
    @akaJackLugar Год назад +9

    My favorite small city in Iowa by far is Dubuque. The Hotel Julian is a must stay type of hotel and the Museum of the Mississippi River is very cool.

  • @Nancy-lt7zf
    @Nancy-lt7zf Год назад +6

    We visited here in the 70's because MIL was from Maloy and this is the county seat. We brought her with us on vacation so she could visit her childhood home. I was born in Ames and we were visiting my family . After 52 years in CA I moved back. It was wonderful. Got connected to aunt & cousins. Loved it.

  • @MarkovianMan
    @MarkovianMan Год назад +9

    Trivia: in 1873, Jesse James robbed a train in Anita, Iowa, and then stayed at the Garland Hotel afterwards. The wife of the hotel's owner was James' cousin.
    There was also a tunnel for the Underground Railroad that stretched from the hotel to a livery stable to help slaves escape to freedom.

    • @erinsmithparks5686
      @erinsmithparks5686 5 месяцев назад +1

      I am from Bedford and can tell you this is true!

  • @brianwest7344
    @brianwest7344 Год назад +17

    amazing the difference between towns with a certain community and those with a high number of a different community.

  • @joebehrdenver
    @joebehrdenver Год назад +4

    Southern IA, SW in particular is the poorest part of the state. Traveling NW Iowa would be a very different experience than the one captured here. Glad to see Mount Ayr is doing well.

  • @amym.694
    @amym.694 Год назад +32

    The house is $45,000 in Kellerton. These are very peaceful towns, but I couldn’t live in these kinds of places. I like having my suburban conveniences.

    • @stevenvox6549
      @stevenvox6549 Год назад +3

      Iowa is boring. Even Des Moines nearly a half a million people (metro area) has nothing to offer except for 3 day long gun shows and high school sports. Young people are leaving. Run for your lives.

    • @melg6834
      @melg6834 Год назад

      @@stevenvox6549 the *Hottest* millennial, Mr. Colby Daniel STILL lives there fyi.... Seth Rollins for ya all...

    • @calessassracer
      @calessassracer Год назад

      @@melg6834Who?

  • @gatorgogo2742
    @gatorgogo2742 Год назад +10

    The house with the upstairs balcony and cupola was really appealing to me. It emanates HOME! I love tagging along with ya'll seeing all these places. Thank you.

  • @coolmanfoo2407
    @coolmanfoo2407 Год назад +33

    Man you have become one of my favorite channels. I get so excited when I sit down in the morning with a fresh cup of coffee and see you've uploaded a new video. It's like I get to drive through America with you. Also, thank you for highlighting beauty everywhere you go. It's all around us if we are willing to see it. Cheers!

  • @donnavanmaanen1110
    @donnavanmaanen1110 11 месяцев назад +5

    One of the things you might want to look at is the number of farms in the area that call these towns home. The children would be attending the schools and the banks in the towns would have their business. The grocery stores would serve them as well. I grew up in Iowa and lived in smaller towns.

  • @winstonsmith478
    @winstonsmith478 Год назад +8

    $45,000 for the Kellerton house at 12:36. Year built - 1903, 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, 1,088 sq ft. Mount Ayr house at 24:22, year built - 1936, 3 beds, 2 bath, 1,479 sq ft, $182,000.

  • @patm5594
    @patm5594 Год назад +6

    I love Iowa. I live about 10 mins away across the Minnesota border.. I especially like Knoxville, a great racing community.

  • @ChrisOREILLY-gc4yq
    @ChrisOREILLY-gc4yq Год назад +19

    I just find it fascinating the respect of other countries and towns and cities
    Keep up the good work bro and also anyone that works behind the scenes that is good and bad in every place you live and visit
    i5 from Chester UK 🇬🇧👍

  • @mort5490
    @mort5490 Год назад +10

    My daughter drove from Michigan to Iowa to buy a German Shepherd puppy 8 years ago. I thought she was crazy but the puppy grew to be beautiful. The only down fall is she sheds enought fur to make a small animal.

  • @jimmyday9536
    @jimmyday9536 Год назад +9

    I retired a few years ago and moved from Maryland to a small town in western IA. I like it here, folks are friendly, housing is affordable, but my first winter out here is proof that "no one moves to the Midwest for the weather.". It got down to -25F. I had never in my life seen it below 0. And the summers are very hot and humid. Guess you can't have everything!

  • @bodybuilderslave7125
    @bodybuilderslave7125 Год назад +7

    I LOVE to see that so many of the towns still have brick paved streets. I have fond memories of the brick streets of Cedar Rapids IA, especially 2nd Ave and the trees along the street that made it seem like driving in a tunnel.

  • @jhoskins5630
    @jhoskins5630 Год назад +24

    I've been watching a number of your videos over the past few months. Great stuff! Thanks for visiting south(west) Iowa, I spent some of my formative years in Greenfield. We played football and wrestled Mt Ayr and family knew some people in Bedford so I know those towns well. If you ever get a chance to visit Greenfield it's really a nice little town with a courthouse square and restored opera house (w/ some help from Norman Lear who filmed Cold Turkey there in '69) And there's Winterset right down the road, with John Wayne's childhood home. Clarinda & Villisca both have interesting histories. Thanks for the ride alongs!

    • @Nancy-lt7zf
      @Nancy-lt7zf Год назад +1

      How far to grocery store and other necessities?

    • @jhoskins5630
      @jhoskins5630 11 месяцев назад +1

      Greenfield, Mt.Ayr, Bedford, Clarinda, and Winterset, all have major chain grocers.

  • @xnihilo1044
    @xnihilo1044 Год назад +7

    Perfect timing! I moved to Cedar Rapids from So. Cal. last year. I used to explore dying or ghost towns via motorcycle travel. Good to know there are places in Iowa to explore.
    Thanks!

  • @DonariaRegia
    @DonariaRegia Год назад +10

    Something I'm considering is purchasing a building or two from these ghost towns to reassemble on my acreage. Some have so much character and the materials would be out of any reasonable budget to build new. Before living in a remote rural town one must consider the following: Weak TV and phone signals, no cable or DSL (much less fiber), lack of stores, distant medical services, no vehicle parts and repair services and so on.

    • @handmadeiowa
      @handmadeiowa Год назад +6

      It might be shocking to you to find out that in Iowa we have high speed fiber optics 😮 cell towers 😮 and most county roads are paved. We have community college all over and 3 universities 😮 Ahhh, civilization is alive and well, and we like our peace and quiet.

    • @DonariaRegia
      @DonariaRegia Год назад +2

      @@handmadeiowa It feels like the state itself just clapped back.💀

    • @handmadeiowa
      @handmadeiowa Год назад +5

      @@DonariaRegia eh, the coasts thinks of us as a flyover state. We just hope the liberals don't discover us, move here, and bring their crap politics and high taxes with them. ✌

    • @DonariaRegia
      @DonariaRegia Год назад +2

      @@handmadeiowa Cool but 70% of the economy comes from blue counties and Iowa receives $2.5 billion more from the federal government than paid in taxes. You're welcome! Enjoy! 😇

    • @willbass2869
      @willbass2869 Год назад +2

      @@handmadeiowa Texas reporting 👍

  • @DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE
    @DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE Год назад +9

    Looks peaceful to me, love the old buildings & greenery 😊

  • @PittsburghMike
    @PittsburghMike Год назад +10

    I love the statistics you reveal with each town visit… we always look forward to the next episode!

  • @bennfisherr6317
    @bennfisherr6317 Год назад +9

    I'm about 10 minutes north of the Iowa border, so near the other end of the state. But yeah, pretty standard looking small towns there....especially the diagonal parking stalls downtown. I'm sure you'll be seeing plenty more Hy-Vee grocery stores and Casey's General Stores if you're heading into my neck of the woods. Looking forward to your next video!

  • @roberthomiak5003
    @roberthomiak5003 Год назад +7

    Thank you for your Road trips. Love traveling along with you and Nicole without ever leaving the comfort of our home. Those old towns in Iowa looked pretty nice. Best Patty

  • @bobmanfre5083
    @bobmanfre5083 Год назад +5

    5:00. Yes - It is absolutely still being utilized. People from about an 80-mile radius come here twice a week to attend Services. They believe that the actual building is not the church - the Congregation is the church. They can hold their Services in an open field if they had to.

  • @cherriroberdes3914
    @cherriroberdes3914 Год назад +15

    Enjoyed watching your travels through the little towns in Iowa..big thanks for showing the post offices! you guys are great! Can't wait for your next video! Happy Fourth of July!

  • @Aroha016
    @Aroha016 Год назад +5

    The tower on that beautiful house in Iowa is called a turret and yes they are a lovely feature on older style homes

  • @robertgoerss
    @robertgoerss Год назад +9

    Hey thank you for taking us thru these 4 Iowa towns. Love the visuals, commentary and very relevant facts. Know Mt airy well, you represented it well. Lived in w Iowa years ago. Thanks, schoephf.

  • @joycelebaron2582
    @joycelebaron2582 Год назад +6

    The closest hospital to Grand River is in Mt. Ayr, which on Google is 21 miles, or 25 minutes away. When you went down Main St. there was a 2-story building and it's for sale at $199,000 (2 units, refurbished). It used to be the Grand River Opera House 100 years ago. The selling point for the area is that it's 10 minutes from Sun Valley Lake, and 4.5 miles from 6000 acres of public hunting grounds.

  • @sashgordon-smith3322
    @sashgordon-smith3322 Год назад +9

    I’m new to this channel and I love how you go through the statistics of everything and take time to explain the little bits of history. Entertaining and educational at the same time. Much love from Australia 🇦🇺

  • @DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE
    @DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE Год назад +5

    Thanks for the video, Thanks for the drive along... Australia is so big, it's the same size as America in land size, but mostly desert, Cheers 😊

  • @ltcajh
    @ltcajh Год назад +11

    It occured to me that the reason populations of the towns appear to have shrunk isn't because there are less households, but because there used to be a lot of kids. I'm the oldest of eight, but you don't see big families anymore.

    • @andrewward5891
      @andrewward5891 Год назад +3

      You don’t see many kids at all in these towns. That’s why most of the average age of the towns is over 40. Most kids move away after high school or college to get jobs so only older people are left.

    • @scarpfish
      @scarpfish 7 месяцев назад +1

      There aren't big families anymore because we mechanized agriculture. What was once cheap farm labor became another mouth to feed.

    • @ltcajh
      @ltcajh 7 месяцев назад +1

      Killed the population numbers, nonetheless.
      @@scarpfish

  • @deloiscallaway9442
    @deloiscallaway9442 Год назад +3

    This Video Was Everything Thanks For Taking Us Along Such Beautiful Small Towns

  • @richardduerr9983
    @richardduerr9983 Год назад +9

    I had no idea those towns out there in the far midwest (I'm from Ohio) were so beautiful, I'm literally stunned to see such pretty towns!!! I also had no idea the countryside between them would be so beautiful, I expected it to be like Ohio, where all the roads (out of town) are flanked by farmland, which is somewhat pretty, but not like that beautiful scenery between the towns in this video. I wonder if you might stitch all the video footage of your drives between the towns, and I'm sure you probably don't have a lot, and stitch them together into a single video, with no narration, no music, just the sound of driving. I think it might make a nice soothing video that might help those of us with insomnia. Just a thought, and something you could do with your existing and future footage that I would love to see. Anyway, this video and the previous one have been my favorites of yours so far, though I have enjoyed them all! I eagerly anticipate the next one!!!

  • @johnw4659
    @johnw4659 Год назад +4

    I lived in Taylor County for five years. Loved every minute of that life.

  • @rocinblues
    @rocinblues Год назад +4

    Great video, enjoyed downtown Bedford, the brick streets and courthouse really stood out. Nice to see the level of self-respect the residents had for themselves, showing their pride for their country and maintaining their homes. Safe travels, Cheers!

  • @patriciaharkins8407
    @patriciaharkins8407 Год назад +3

    Of all the Folks Doing this--You are the best--look forward to your Videos and seeing Rural America

  • @deanabanks8443
    @deanabanks8443 Год назад +4

    Thank you for being so informative about the states in which you travel through keep up the good work Joe t Nic.

  • @davidbarlow350
    @davidbarlow350 Год назад +17

    Been watching for a while now(from UK),and must admit i'm surprised you haven't been pulled up by the local police as you cruise around very slowly.
    Someone could have mistaken you for a burglar "casing the place",and the sheriff pull you over.
    (would be a way of meeting the locals!).
    I toured the States further west,but this area looks really interesting and what i'd picture rural America to be.

    • @daviddecelles8714
      @daviddecelles8714 Год назад +3

      Not permitted here to pull someone over absent reasonable suspicion of criminal conduct. No such reasonable suspicion arises despite a Texas plate and videoing. Suspicion might arise, however, in the mind of a U.K. denizen (said jokingly).
      You're welcome to re-visit.

    • @ozymandias7940
      @ozymandias7940 Год назад +3

      Most of these sleepy little towns don't have grocery stores or gas stations. So I'm pretty sure there's no police station or sheriff patrolling the streets!

    • @alexwilsonpottery3733
      @alexwilsonpottery3733 Год назад +2

      @@daviddecelles8714, I’ve lived in the Ames/Des Moines area for thirty years, and have been pulled over twice for having out of county plates, and that was the only explanation after holding me for twenty minutes.

    • @andrewward5891
      @andrewward5891 Год назад +4

      If Joe cruised around my suburb filming like he does I’m sure Nextdoor would light up with posts from paranoid Karens.

    • @johnjamesjoseph3814
      @johnjamesjoseph3814 Год назад +2

      @@andrewward5891 I would tend to believe these folks out that way do not even think that way! LOL.

  • @JJJBRICE
    @JJJBRICE Год назад +5

    Most of the small towns that Lord Spoda travels through look aimilar , no matter what state they are in . Long live Lord Spoda AKA Joe & Nic for showing us the good old USA ! Even these places are far better than places in other countries .

  • @stevenmiller175
    @stevenmiller175 Год назад +6

    Another great video. I love you new touches to the video, including the map of your journey showing all of your stops. One suggestion, and I’ve seen this in a few of your videos, is more pictures of parks or recreational areas. I would like to see the towns high school football stadium if there is one. I’m fascinated with all of these places you’ve gone to since there are places I have never or rarely visited. I’m a west coast guy and I like seeing other parts of the country. Thanks for your continued great work and keep the videos coming. Can’t wait for you to come out west.

  • @chaschas3199
    @chaschas3199 Год назад +3

    Very nice. Iowa is filled with small towns like these.

  • @ozymandias7940
    @ozymandias7940 Год назад +2

    The house for sale in Kellerton was built in 1903 and is a 2brm, 1bth and is currently listed for $45,000.
    The cute little house in Grand River on the corner was built in 2000 and is a 1brm, 1bth and is for sale for $29,000. It is currently rented at $400/mth with a long term tennant since 2018.

  • @3thano1
    @3thano1 Год назад +5

    Thank you for your videos. It's a true joy to be able to see these otherwise remote towns and get a glimpse of what the culture is like in these areas. I often would wonder what growing up in rural Iowa, Nebraska, etc. would be like, and this seems to cover that wonderfully. Please keep the videos coming!

  • @yesemitesam333
    @yesemitesam333 Год назад +5

    I'm from Scotland so I thought I'd look up the population of Ayr to give you a comparison. The estimated population in 2021 was just over 46,000. Keep up the great work with these videos. I love travelling the US with you.

    • @JoeandNicsRoadTrip
      @JoeandNicsRoadTrip  Год назад +1

      Interesting! I was actually wondering about that.

    • @dw620
      @dw620 Год назад +1

      ​@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip I wonder if the British phonebox (17:01, 17:37, 21:47) came from Ayr. : )
      The former hotel in Bedford even has its own Wikipedia page; Bedford House (Bedford, Iowa)
      Love your relaxed, unrushed presentation style to capture the feeling of each place you visit, thank you!

  • @brennamcsweeney5953
    @brennamcsweeney5953 9 месяцев назад +3

    Hello.. I saw your video on my hometown Maryville, MO, it was nice. Two things, I wished you would have continued on that street because them you would have seen our freedom rock for veterans and would have liked you to drive towards the university, you would have seen some really nice big homes. 😊 My mom and uncle grew up in Mount Ayr, IA and my grandma lived there until she passed. I always liked visiting that town. If you had had extra time, you could have gone up to the third floor of the courthouse and seen a painting of the courthouse that my grandpa Hixson painted in the 70's I believe and who was engineer for the town until he passed away. When you drove into Bedford, you can in the old way. The frosty tree, you showed is delicious!! You must have came into town when it hadn't opened just yet.. but it's still in business 😁 I think they still have what's called a pizza burger (one of my favorites and their hot fudge sundae). In Mount Ayr, the theater was closed for a while but thankfully someone brought it back and their library should still be in business, you could have came at the wrong time of day.

  • @poowg2657
    @poowg2657 Год назад +3

    Love the old rat rod at the Mount Ayr gas station. Rat rods are left in their rusty state on purpose. That old small block Chevy would probably light right off. More cool old railroad towns on mostly old CB&Q branch lines that were abandoned in the 40s-60s. Great video, thanks much!

  • @alexandralovesgoats3360
    @alexandralovesgoats3360 Год назад +4

    The house in Kellerton can be yours for $45,000. I loved the road you were driving on leading into Kellerton. I like the town square in Mount Ayr. Love the red brick roads, the old gas station and the library. Bedford looks nice too. Gorgeous courthouse! Since I’ve only been to Cedar Rapids, I enjoyed seeing other areas of Iowa. Have a great weekend!

  • @JavierNoyola-ot6zi
    @JavierNoyola-ot6zi Год назад +4

    Another awesome video! Your right they don't make court houses like they used to. That Bedford county court house is just spectacular.

  • @cs7359
    @cs7359 Год назад +9

    Just sitting here in rural germany and enjoying the trip into rural iowa. Keep it comeing and thanks buddy, nice content

  • @lonniecrawford6991
    @lonniecrawford6991 Год назад +3

    If you are still up north, try to come back thru Kalona, IA. Beautiful Amish & Mennonite community. The Golden Delight Bakery is is a must!

  • @veronicarivera2675
    @veronicarivera2675 Год назад +6

    I love your channel I never seen Iowa before. Even though is a Ghost town status looks clean . That house you passed by is actually $45,000 lol . Thank you for taking us this far . I love all the information we get and some history.

    • @aeroplod
      @aeroplod 11 месяцев назад

      $42000 now!

  • @LB-sk3vl
    @LB-sk3vl Год назад +2

    The thought of getting away from it all and moving to one of these small towns is just romantic. I imagine actually doing it is anything but.

    • @andrewward5891
      @andrewward5891 Год назад +3

      It would get old real fast unless all you want to do is sit in your house and watch tv.

  • @joonyer77
    @joonyer77 Год назад +4

    Another great video! I heard Iowa was a great place to live. That appears to be the case.
    Thoroughly enjoyable!

  • @WWS78363
    @WWS78363 Год назад +2

    If you ever get further north, Fort Fodge, Mallard, etc. will be cool places to visit.

    • @kmarie.11
      @kmarie.11 Год назад +1

      Fort dodge for what, the flats??

  • @jdet3855
    @jdet3855 Год назад +1

    I was born and raised at Grand River. It has gone downhill so much since I was younger. The apartments that you guessed as closed are actually not. People live there. Too bad you didn’t visit with a few locals to get accurate info on places you pointed out. And there are definitely more than 4 or 5 streets!

  • @jwaller132
    @jwaller132 Год назад +7

    Hey Joe! I really enjoy watching your videos. I like the way you focus on the architecture of each small town you visit.
    I'm originally from Illinois and my paternal grandmother lived in Lewiston Illinois. It's the county seat of Fulton County.
    There's a larger town close to Lewiston called Canton. Named after Canton, China. There's a reason for that. Look it up. Quite interesting. 👍

  • @GardenerEarthGuy
    @GardenerEarthGuy Год назад +10

    Yay for Iowa!

  • @Cons2911
    @Cons2911 Год назад +2

    I’ve been experiencing some anxiety (not sure of my grammar).. and I think your videos will help. I like it, it’s calm and interesting. Maybe it will help me, I’ll keep it on the background as well when I hit the sack

  • @4eyes2sea
    @4eyes2sea Год назад +5

    The brick streets are interesting 🤔 seems like the buildings are very old and kept up immaculately.

  • @CapitulationTrader
    @CapitulationTrader Год назад +4

    Thanks for these videos. I’ve become a big fan of your work. Thank you

  • @donniehopkins8439
    @donniehopkins8439 Год назад +2

    Love your trips and detailed info. FYI,if you see a meter (electric) on a dwelling and it is not turned sideways it is an active account used for something,maybe storage.

  • @stew6518
    @stew6518 Год назад +3

    Really interesting stuff. Over the pond in Scotland watching these fascinating pieces you post whilst trying to follow you on a map.

  • @joeykremple
    @joeykremple Год назад +2

    Iowa is beautiful and when I saw this video in my stream, I said to my wife, “Lord Spoda has a new one!”

  • @evaeriksson9950
    @evaeriksson9950 Год назад +2

    Just found your Chanel and I am watching a lot of your videos now. Though I am from Sweden and have never even been to the States I find this very fascinating!

  • @walter9724
    @walter9724 Год назад +4

    I really enjoy watching these videos. I've never been outside of Australia and I usually look at placesjke this on google earth on my laptop. Its amazing to see so many places of a decent size just abandoned or almost abandoned

  • @close_friend_of_your_mom
    @close_friend_of_your_mom Год назад +24

    The first city looks very clean and pleasant. There is no visible debris and burned and looted houses. Maybe I missed something🙃

    • @buckseedamerica2743
      @buckseedamerica2743 Год назад +2

      No one goes to these towns because there's nothing there other than popping pills! Out in the sticks people still burn their trash. 😂

    • @morganophelia5963
      @morganophelia5963 Год назад +1

      @@buckseedamerica2743 so?? burning trash is better than landfill

    • @buckseedamerica2743
      @buckseedamerica2743 Год назад

      Wrong. Though landfills exude harmful chemicals, the hazardous chemicals from burning are much more damaging. Out in the sticks no company is going to provide trash service; to far and not cost effective. These people probably are happy to see the propane guy who fills their tanks every other month. It not uncommon for someone to die out there and not be found for a week! Holy Fvck. I guess burning trash is a good smoke signal saying "Hey Yokels, I'm still alive". 🤣

    • @creasefold1986
      @creasefold1986 Год назад

      Fox news brainrot

  • @cowboygeologist7772
    @cowboygeologist7772 Год назад +3

    The first town, where you made the comment about the house for sale on the corner. That looks like an old gas station. They usually had the overhang from the front out to the gas pumps. Looks like they walled in that part to make a house. There were two buildings on each side painted the same with red trim. They all have leases but for sale as a package for $78,000. The next town you asked about the white house for sale - $45,000 on 1/4 acre.

  • @joycelebaron2582
    @joycelebaron2582 Год назад +3

    That courthouse in Bedford is gorgeous. I love Romanesque Revival. I remember when you were in Steubenville, OH you pointed out several examples. The Garland Hotel closed in 1997, partly collapsed in 2004 and was going to be demolished. The town rallied around and they saved and restored part of the building. The 2nd and 3rd floors still need work before they could reopen. It's such a pretty town, colorful and still fancy looking. It's only about an hour from I-29, and 1 1/2 hours from the southern Omaha suburbs. That house you passed on the pretty street in Mount Ayr is $182,000. Remodeled, including bat proofing!

  • @burndog5520
    @burndog5520 Год назад +2

    You were maybe 35 miles or so from Madison County...where the covered bridges are. And the movie the Bridges of Madison County was based from.

  • @karmajade5094
    @karmajade5094 Месяц назад

    My family and I moved to manson IA from Tampa Fl and I have to admit I was surprised to be welcomed with open arms. Everyone here has been awesome!! I love it here❤❤

  • @mwin3303
    @mwin3303 Год назад +1

    I’m from New Zealand and your video’s are my favourite to watch. Fascinating because of the history behind the towns and the beautiful houses that once was. Cool

  • @UTxTheArchangel
    @UTxTheArchangel Год назад +13

    What fascinates me about these kind of towns is it shows we don't actually have a population problem, bc if we did, there is a lot of mostly empty lands, ghost towns, abandoned towns, etc that could house people. The issue with moving people to these areas is they don't have the jobs, schools, infrastructure to accommodate a population growth. And as its often noticeable, a lot of these kind of areas are in states that get battered by Twisters. Old people who are already there will stay and ride out storms. But younger people greatly wanna not live where spinning clouds of doom frequent. Which is why the east coast and west coast are filled with people in general but also younger people dream of living on either west or east coast.

    • @tominexile
      @tominexile Год назад

      Not just tornadoes. There was a massive deracho that ripped though Eastern Iowa and much of the midwest in 2020. They cause much more widespread damage than a tornado. In Cedar Rapids, where I lived at the time, they say 60% of the tree canapy was wiped out. Beautiful mature neighborhoods left bare.

    • @plzgopherit
      @plzgopherit Год назад +4

      As someone living in Tornado Alley, the idea that tornadoes are ascending like a plague made me laugh out loud! Tornadoes are rare and extremely localized events. If anything, the people in rural America are safer because they can see them coming a mile away.

  • @zoidmo3388
    @zoidmo3388 Год назад +16

    Yes! fly those flags high! I luv seeing USA Patriotism. July 4th is around the corner. When I lived there many yrs ago, it's what I loved the most about Americans. Happy Canada Day fellow Canadians. Love your Channel Joe n Nic.🤩

    • @daviddecelles8714
      @daviddecelles8714 Год назад +1

      Happy Canada Day today! But, do something about reining in your Prime Minister, please.

    • @zoidmo3388
      @zoidmo3388 Год назад

      @@daviddecelles8714 I've been trying since before 2015 personally but as you may have noticed, Canada has quite the problem with passivity & it's how socialism & now communism has crept in. Now @ warp speed Globalism. I'm not one of those 'oh I'm sorry' or passive Canadians. Honk Honk!

    • @melg6834
      @melg6834 Год назад

      🤣🤣🤣

  • @plzgopherit
    @plzgopherit Год назад +12

    Iowa in the summer is a beautiful place and unimaginably big.
    Just dont come back during the winter.
    In Iowa cities you will meet people from all over the state's small towns. They are leaving in large numbers for better employment and higher quality of life.
    The people in these small towns are fiercely proud of their way of life. These are people that still believe in hard work, looking out for each other, and value personal freedoms above all else. Whether right or wrong, they have seen modern America and reject it.

  • @chrisjolly6954
    @chrisjolly6954 Год назад +2

    Always good you show us where you are! I'm on the Isle of Man!

  • @bbastii123
    @bbastii123 Год назад +1

    Great video. Its so interesting for someone from outside the US to see these remote small town areas.

  • @user-fv5ms4sz8e
    @user-fv5ms4sz8e Год назад +3

    It's beautiful there. If I ever move, it'll be to Iowa.

  • @RichardFelstead1949
    @RichardFelstead1949 Год назад +4

    I live in Australia but I enjoy your visits to the various towns along the way.

  • @blcjck8121
    @blcjck8121 Год назад +3

    19:48 It's funny to see how gas stations back then never considered the price ever being above ¢99 with only two digits on the pump 😁
    Yet again, thank you for a genuine and great video.

  • @juliogonzales5441
    @juliogonzales5441 Год назад +3

    Another.....GOLD VIDEO....from Joe and nic 😊😊😊

  • @martinhaub6828
    @martinhaub6828 Год назад +2

    Boy does this bring back memories. I'm from Iowa and spent many summers and some winters in towns just like what you see in this video. When all the old folks are gone I wonder what will become of those places? There are two books that are well worth finding: Happiness was My Universe, and, Before the Colors Fade.

  • @LonnieDufty-wg9lz
    @LonnieDufty-wg9lz 6 месяцев назад

    Thank you! I have been enjoying your travel videos, love your respectful approach to your subject matter. This video brings back LOTS of personal memories because the towns you cover alongside HW 2 are where my ancestors settled in Iowa. Kellerton and Mt Ayre for my father's side. East of I 35, Leon, where my mother and I were born and graduated from the same high school (since torn down). Near Kellerton on the north side of HW 2 you would have passed by a farm with a number of well preserved old buildings. That used to be a great-grandparents' farm. I remember as a 5 or 6 year old riding on the hill with Grandpa Vance on his John Deere A tractor, and being in that house. They moved to a big house in Mt.Ayre, then to a nursing home where she eventually died at the age of 104 years. As a 10t grader, my first wrestling match was in Bedford. I also wrestled in My Ayre where I saw my father's photo with his high school track team. Our rural phone company was Grand River Mutual. I bought two registered Polled Herford heifers near Grand River. All this was decades ago, back when these towns were much more active than they are now. The land remains but the people and the buildings pass away. Your videos are a fitting remembrance.

  • @HawklordLI
    @HawklordLI Год назад +4

    My great-grandmother was born in Bedford in 1864.

  • @tinywoolyelephant
    @tinywoolyelephant Год назад +4

    I couldn't believe that Mount Ayr had a Hy-Vee! It's a chain of almost 300 locations throughout the Midwest and the South. I wouldn't mind living in a small town as long as it had basic necessities like a grocery store, doctor, etc. The towns you show that have little to no resources, where you have to drive so far away just to get essentials....I will never understand how people can stand to continue living there. It just seems like such a difficult way to get by.

    • @seththomas9105
      @seththomas9105 Год назад +2

      Sorry, but we just love our hometowns and will continue to live in them. We wish things were different.

    • @thebdquick
      @thebdquick Год назад +1

      Hy-Vee was founded in Ringgold county Iowa near these towns. In a smaller town actually of Beaconsfield.

  • @ptownRandy1
    @ptownRandy1 Год назад +2

    What amazes me most about your videos is that there is no one on the streets.

  • @LyleFrancisDelp
    @LyleFrancisDelp Год назад +2

    24:46. That is an absolute amazing Craftsman style home. Beautiful in every way.

  • @Castleknight
    @Castleknight Год назад +5

    Your tour through OK, KS, MO, and IA, continue to show that America's rural counties for the most part are continuing to empty out. Our population is more urban and less and less agricultural. No farms equals no need for the supporting businesses. Unless a rural county has some feature that attracts nearby city folks, i.e. lakes, beautiful mountain vistas or is an easy commute to a more urban area, I foresee rural American becoming frontier like and even vacant in the next 20 years.

    • @greasesicle
      @greasesicle Год назад

      Rural America is polluted with trash and junk. In Maine it's taken deep into the woods. There are tires, junk and trash all over Maine.

  • @chipsmith1867
    @chipsmith1867 Год назад +1

    I remember you are an ex bartender but you are always respectful of churches and religion and I appreciate that. Thanks 😊

  • @SarahGreen523
    @SarahGreen523 Год назад +2

    I live in Iowa. The rural towns are gorgeous, and the houses are affordable. The trouble is there is nowhere to work. All the diversity and jobs are in Des Moines.

    • @handmadeiowa
      @handmadeiowa Год назад +2

      Of someone can't find a job, then they aren't trying very hard. There are jobs everywhere in Iowa!

  • @shivamx008
    @shivamx008 Год назад +4

    I wish I had a remote tech job, so that I can simply work from one these towns. I love slow life.

  • @michaelscottcutler3627
    @michaelscottcutler3627 Год назад +2

    Really enjoyed seeing Bedford. Thanks, Joe.