As you follow the Great River Road along Iowa’s eastern border, visit the stores and sellers that make this portion of the byway special. Pick up gifts for friends and family or treat yourself when you peruse a delightful assortment of genuine Iowa-made products along the byway.
As you begin your journey on the Road, make your first stop in Lansing, IA, which lies at the byway’s north end near the Minnesota border. In addition to its impressive views of the Mississippi River region, this town is home to the Felicity Arts Happy Glass retail store and glass-blowing studio. Prepare to be dazzled by the wondrous display of colors and patterns in each delicately handmade pendant, hummingbird feeder, and ornament. Stay in Lansing and visit other shops listed on the Lansing Chamber of Commerce site, or continue your journey south to Marquette, IA.
While passing through Marquette, another river town, you’ll want to pay a visit to Eagles Landing Bed and Breakfast and Winery, “the only bed and breakfast in the area that lies on the river.” Sample authentic Iowa wines in this one-of-a-kind home constructed from native oak beams held together solely by wooden pegs. This site is part of the Iowa Wine Trail weekend, which happens the first weekend in November and includes visits to wineries near Iowa's Great River Road from Decorah, IA at the byway’s north end to Iowa City, southwest of the byway’s south end. Join the fun then, or wait until June for the annual Release Weekend when you can taste their brand-new wines! Discover even more Marquette shopping opportunities by visiting the McGregor-Marquette Chamber of Commerce website.
Let your shopping venture continue in Dubuque, IA, located on the southern end of the byway where Iowa touches the Wisconsin-Illinois border. A comprehensive list of stores is available on the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce website. Highlights include Stone Cliff Wines and Trappistine Caramels. Not just any caramels, these specially made treats will satisfy the most demanding sweet tooth. The Trappistine Nuns of the Mississippi Abbey cook up creamy vanilla, chocolate, and chocolate-coated caramels and tempting truffles all within their serene monastic community. While you’re in the Dubuque area, visit the Stone Cliff Winery, which boasts six top-selling wines in the Dubuque area, four of which have won various awards from the Indiana State Wine Competition. Tour the bottling, tank, and barrel rooms to see where and how the products you see on the shelves are made.
Continue south along the Great River Road through Davenport, IA, where the legacy of Isabel Bloom, acclaimed sculptor and Iowa native, continues at the company she founded under her name. Look at the popular and decorative sculptures the Isabel Bloom company still produces and sells today. Tour either one of the Davenport facilities, and you may have access to some rare and exclusive handcrafted figurines.
Take the byway farther south to Burlington, IA and stop at a farmer’s stand in Muscatine, IA, where you can shop for locally grown specialties, watermelons and muskmelons. If you’re craving something crunchier, continue to Burlington for a potato chip shopping adventure. Shopping solely for potato chips might sound odd, but not when you’re shopping for the most popular potato chips in Southeast Iowa! Stop at Sterzings Food Company, which has been a part of Iowa culture since the 1930s. Bite into one of these salty snacks and taste the delightful recipe—one that has stayed the same for generations.
Finish off your byway-shopping trip in Fort Madison, IA, about 20 miles from where the Iowa section of the byway ends. The Faeth Family Farm Orchard stands out as Iowa’s longest continually run family business, reaching back 5 generations. Select from over 50 different seasonal apple varieties for the perfect bushel, or choose from a luscious assortment of other fruits including peaches, plums, blueberries, and grapes.
Experience the Great River Road and partake of matchless shopping in the great state of Iowa. Find an enchanting, handcrafted gift for a loved one and a tasty, freshly baked treat to reward yourself on your byway excursion. You’re sure to find a treasure trove of authentic items on Iowa’s Great River Road, where even the most experienced shoppers are happily entertained.
Disclaimer: this story does not serve as an endorsement of any private interest by the Federal Highway Administration.
