🇺🇸 Midwest 3-State Road Trip — 3 Days & 2 Nights

Just got back from a refreshing long weekend getaway! Starting from Milwaukee, this trip was all about scenic drives and visiting the State Capitols of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa 🚗💨. Each day included less than 6 hours of driving, kept costs low, and avoided backtracking. Pretty satisfied with the sights and food – sharing for reference! Day 1 🏛️ Wisconsin State Capitol (Madison) 🏛️ Minnesota State Capitol (across from St. Paul Cathedral) 🥢 Mater Noodle (Saint Paul – delicious and affordable!) 🏗️ Mill Ruins Park / Guthrie Theater Endless Bridge 🗿 Sculpture Garden 🎨 Minneapolis Institute of Art (closed at 5 PM – missed it 😢) 🛍️ Mall of America 🥢 Mater Noodle (inside the mall – $2 more and not as good as the original location) Day 2 🥢 Szechuan House (Ames, IA – solid Chinese!) 🌳 Iowa State University (huge, quiet, beautiful campus) 🏛️ Iowa State Capitol (Des Moines – grand and impressive square) 🗿 Pappajohn Sculpture Park (Des Moines) 🎨 Des Moines Art Center 🥢 Soseki Café (Iowa City – yummy popcorn chicken and braised beef rice!) 🏫 University of Iowa (just a short walk after dinner) Day 3 ⚫️ Veterans Memorial Building (Cedar Rapids – didn’t go inside) ⭐️ Maquoketa Caves State Park (Maquoketa, IA – cave hiking! Note: unpaved gravel road on the way – be prepared for dust 🏜️) 🥢 Lalo’s 2 Mexican Bar & Grill (Dubuque – steak portion was huge!) ⭐️⭐️ Fenelon Place Elevator (Dubuque – scenic cable car ride! $4 round-trip cash only, great for all ages 🚡) 🌊 Mississippi Riverwalk (Dubuque) 🚗 Headed back to Milwaukee – trip complete! ✅ #MidwestRoadTrip #ThreeStatesThreeDays #CapitolTour #BudgetTravel #Iowa #Minnesota #Wisconsin #ExploreAmerica #FoodAndViews #MilwaukeeBased