Burlington is a Mississippi River port town with a rich Native American, German pioneer, and transportation history. Downtown Burlington is home to two National Historic Districts, Heritage Hill and West Jefferson Street. For outdoor recreation, area parks offer camping, hiking, and caving. The city has two public golf courses. Bowling, go-karts, laser tag, restaurants, and a climbing wall supply hours of entertainment at Fun City, an amusement and water park.

Des Moines, is the largest city in Iowa and the state's capital. Des Moines also offers a full complement of big city attractions including ballet, opera, symphony, and theater performances. Downtown, visitors will find a concentration of restaurants, bars, and nightclubs. Area golf courses and parks provide outdoor recreation opportunities. At Saylorville Lake, a 26,000-acre lake northwest of Des Moines, camping, sailing, motor boating, swimming, and fishing are popular activities.

Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa. The University of Iowa resides on the state's original capital grounds. Along with Big Ten basketball and other sports, the university houses medical, art, and natural history museums. Coralville Lake's Devonian Fossil Gorge is Iowa City's most popular outdoor destination. Fossils cover the 15-foot-deep gorge's bedrock surface. The 5,400-acre lake provides fishing, boating, and swimming access.

Red Rock Lake is a popular boating, water sports, and fishing destination, and Iowa's largest lake. Motor boating, water skiing, and sailing are the lake's standard summer activities. Beaches along the lake provide easy access for swimming. Anglers fish for crappie, white bass, and walleye. Outfitters and guide services are offered in nearby towns. An eagle-eye view of the lake and the Des Moines River valley is possible from 106-feet tall Cordova Observation Tower.