Travelogue: In Search of Covered Bridges

Remember when the film came out based on Robert James Waller’s book, The Bridges of Madison County? The one where Clint Eastwood found himself “lost” in that eponymous county southwest of Des Moines, Iowa. 

That was what Meryl Streep’s character thought about Eastwood, when his character was on assignment taking photos of covered bridges for National Geographic. 

I’ll stop here because there is bound to be someone who neither read the book nor saw the movie. However, both have always inspired me to visit those bridges in some future trip down into Iowa. 

Well, it seems like the right time to go visit some covered bridges in Madison County. 

While planning this specific trip, I asked myself why am I doing this? It was when a term popped in my head – “revenge travel.” If you recall a few years ago, you had a lot of people rebooking travel once cancelled by the COVID-19 Pandemic towards fulfilling that need to go somewhere in the face of lockdowns and other restrictions due to that virus.

In my case, I use “revenge travel” in a different – but similar – context. After months in the healthcare vacuum, I was craving to take a trip. Even though I went to the Midwest Automotive Media Association’s Spring Rally in Elkhart Lake back in May, I was thinking of doing something solo. My apologies to George, but I was just itching to get on the road and go somewhere to fulfill my curiosity. 

Such as checking out those covered bridges southwest of Des Moines made famous by the book and the movie. 

My previous runs down to Des Moines were focused on the city itself. My first time there was with a friend attending a convention of fantasy/SciFi fans there. Subsequent trips involved sporting events and other friends. I usually end up just tooling around the heart of the city.

I always found Des Moines to be charming, but somewhere disconnected. As the capitol city of Iowa, it is a hub for activity for the entire state, which also encompasses the State Fairgrounds and the Iowa Speedway east of the city. 

Before you ask “why Des Moines,” I must point out that a lot of people still consider Iowa a “flyover” state. Over the years, I tried to refute that by bringing up the cool things found across the state. Yet, there is still plenty of the state I have not experienced – including those covered bridges in Madison County. 

Certainly, it does not sound exciting to some people. After all, I grew up in California, where the idea of a bridge is more magnificent than most. For example, the Golden Gate Bridge was a marvel for its time – a suspension bridge over some rough seas between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. A bridge that looks magnificent but is a royal pain in the butt crossing every time. I know, I dealt with that bridge for six years and have PTSD from it. 

Yet, California does not have any covered bridges like the ones in Madison County, Iowa. At least, I do not know of any or seen one in my birth state. Hence why there is this magnetic draw down to Iowa to see these structures for the first time. 

Just like any curious tourist – or travel content creator – these bridges just need to be seen, chronicled, and experienced. That is why I was off to West Des Moines, which served as the hub of my adventure finding the bridges of Madison County. 

To accomplish this trip, I took a spin on the Rental Car Roulette wheel at a local Enterprise location. It landed on a white 2025 Toyota Corolla LE sedan with Arizona plates. With over 49,000 miles on the clock, it served up a reliable ride down to the capitol of Iowa. 

Before you question this pick on the Rental Car Roulette wheel, know that this generation of Corolla has been proven as a workhorse for road trips. They have been on a couple of them over the past few years. Trunk space was more than ample and well-shaped. The seats never yielded any fatigue. They also deliver solid power, while yielding wonderful fuel efficiency. 

After a night at a nearby Hampton Inn in West Des Moines, it was – with a vengeance – that I headed west on Interstate 80 into Madison County and Winterset. Winterset serves as the county seat and hub for covered bridge exploration. It is also the birthplace of the late actor John Wayne. It’s not far from my hotel – just about 27 miles. 

A stop at the county’s visitor’s center opened up a route towards three bridges and a quick homage to John Wayne. The first bridge was recommended as it was the first stop was the Roseman Covered Bridge. It was where Eastwood’s character encounters Streep – probably from the nearby house. The drive delivered me westbound through a gravel road off a state highway. The bridge has been closed for years, but it has retained a lot of its charm.

The next bridge was just northeast of town. The Cedar Bridge is the only covered bridge in Madison County that you can drive on. It is a short bridge, which was a bit wet when I got there. I crossed it and back. On the return, I found that there was some damage to the concrete slab next to the wooden end. If you visit this bridge – just be careful.

My final bridge was just east of town. Holliwell Covered Bridge was the setting where Eastwood and Streep got romantic, despite their current relationship statuses. 

NOTE: I should’ve put up a spoiler alert before that paragraph.

Getting there was plenty of fun. One thing I found about this part of Iowa is that some of its roads yields some curves and elevations. One would be inclined to go full “rally stage” on these gravel roads. I do not recommend it. Also, I would get an SUV or a pickup truck with more than plenty ground clearance for a more confident drive. 

There was a bonus stop to consider. The Bob Feller Museum was located in Van Meter – about halfway or less between Winterset and the hotel in West Des Moines. The late baseball Hall of Fame pitcher was born there en route towards becoming the cornerstone of the Cleveland (Guardians) in the 1940s. He was one of the reasons why they won the 1948 World Series. 

Further research unveiled that they dispersed with the museum after his death in 2010. A portion of the collection was sent to Cleveland, while a select few items were held in collection at Van Meter’s City Hall. 

There was some open time after I was chasing covered bridges and deceased baseball heroes. I headed int Des Moines to catch up on the town. A few blocks in East Village are now full of more rainbows and queer energy. North of downtown is Highland Park, bringing 6th Avenue plenty of life that also welcomes LGBTQ+ folks from across the city. 

Des Moines is usually looked at differently than most destinations I have visited in my lifetime. It does not induce excitement as a destination for a lot of people. In the 20-plus years of traveling to Iowa, I can assure you that this city and its surrounding communities is indeed a destination that is full of pleasant surprises.

Iowa’s capitol city is also a hub for adventures across the state. Some of which are mere minutes away. In the case of the covered bridges in Madison County, you can get there within an hour from the state capitol building.  Keep in mind that road construction is in full swing across Iowa. 

This road trip fulfilled a few things that had been on my mind for more than 20 years. One, visiting a place beyond the usual urban landscape – especially one highlighted by the entertainment industry. It also gave me a sense of adventure, as I traversed on roads that I did not expect to encounter.

As for you – the reader – it illuminates a few things you did not know about Iowa. Especially when you fly over it. The topography is not what you expected. It is something to remind those who may have never been to the state. 

The “revenge” upon my lack of solo travel over the years was exacted. However – and be forewarned – there is more to come from the road.  

DISCLAIMER: Vehicles were rented by Victory & Reseda. All travel expenses paid by this publication. 

All photos by Randy Stern