My job takes me across Kansas and the Midwest, which is a dream gig for someone who loves a good roadside distraction. If I’ve got the time, I’ll take the detour—and this trip from Des Moines to Grand Island was full of them.
Adair Water Tower
Right up there with Pratt’s hot and cold towers, Adair, Iowa greets travelers with a 250,000-gallon smile. Locals call their yellow water tower “Ol’ Smiley,” built in 1979 to match the slogan: “Adair: It will make you smile!” Mission accomplished.
Not everyone loved it. Des Moines columnist Chuck Offenberger poked fun at Ol’ Smiley more than once, so in 1983 the town invited him to dinner, gave him a key to the city, and then… because small towns don’t forget…. named him the guy who “gets our goat.” That’s civic pride with a punchline.
Jesse James Train Robbery Site
Adair’s not all grins. Just west of town sits the site of the world’s first moving train robbery, staged by Jesse James and his gang in 1873. They yanked up a rail, derailed the train, and killed two crewmen. The gang cracked the safe expecting gold but walked away with about $3,000… basically gas money and beef jerky.
The Rock Island Railroad later marked the spot with a plaque on a locomotive wheel, which was eventually stolen, burned up in an Ohio house fire, and returned. Even the monument couldn’t avoid drama.
Danish Windmill
In Elk Horn, I checked out the Danish Windmill, a working museum with a story as quirky as it is impressive. Built in 1848 in Denmark, it was dismantled, mailed overseas like the world’s bulkiest IKEA kit, and reassembled by Elk Horn volunteers in 1976. The guy who took it apart thought he’d be hired to rebuild it—nope. Locals just used a model as instructions.
The whole project cost $30,000, and not long after, Denmark banned exporting windmills… so this one’s truly one-of-a-kind. I didn’t have time for the tour (wish I had), but I did swing through the gift shop for a shot glass. Biggest disappointment? No danishes at the Danish Windmill. Apparently, the only thing flakier than a Danish pastry was the tourist who expected one here.
Morning Star Chapel
At 83, Danish-born carpenter Charles Walensky built one more church… this time, in his Waterloo, IA backyard.
His family kept the chapel open nearly 40 years after his passing before handing it off to the museum. Forget birdhouses—this is how you do a retirement project.
Hans Christian Andersen
The site also features a bust of Hans Christian Andersen, who gave the world The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Pea and The Emperor’s New Clothes. He was Denmark’s biggest export before Legos.
Agri-Symbol Park
In Shelby, Iowa, a 76-foot-tall corn stalk looms over Agri-Symbol Park, proving vegetables can fight back.
Built in 1978 for $14,000, it honors the area’s bread-and-butter commodities… corn, beef, and pork. Or, as I like to call it, dinner.
World’s Largest Covered Porch Swing
Finally crossing into Nebraska, I stopped in Hebron to see the world’s largest covered porch swing. I pictured it on some massive mansion, but nope… it’s tucked into a pavilion that looks like Grandma’s porch on steroids.
At 32 feet long, it holds 18 adults, which is basically a family reunion plus that weird uncle nobody invited. Built in 1985 for just $240 (thank you, free labor and spare parts), it moved to Roosevelt Park in 1991. I only wished one of my grandmas was still around to serve pink Country Time lemonade while the whole town tried to swing in sync.
Check out more of our adventures in Road Trips.
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