With thrilling rides, good food, and entertainment, there are plenty of memories to be made at the theme parks of Iowa. For an unforgettable day of family fun, explore the awesome amusement parks near Pleasantville, IA!

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Outdoor News and Info

Bowhunting—How To Hunt The Awful October Lull

Bowhunting—How To Hunt The Awful October Lull

Most bowhunters view early- to mid-October (the October Lull) as a waste of their time in the deer woods. The biggest misconception about the Lull is…
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10 Tips For Going Ultralight on the Trail

10 Tips For Going Ultralight on the Trail

One of the hottest trends in hiking and backpacking over the past few years has been the shift toward going ultralight on the trail. Typically, this…
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Pack Your Backpack the Right Way in 5 Easy Steps

Pack Your Backpack the Right Way in 5 Easy Steps

Learning how to properly pack a backpack is a true art form that every outdoor enthusiast should master. Whether you’re heading into the…
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Layering 101: How to Stay Warm and Comfortable in Cold Conditions

Layering 101: How to Stay Warm and Comfortable in Cold Conditions

The arrival of cold weather doesn’t mean you have to abandon your favorite outdoor activities and wait until the return of warm weather before…
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What Makes a Good Deer Bullet?

What Makes a Good Deer Bullet?

I remember being just old enough to legally hunt big game in New York State—back then, you had to be 16 to hunt big game—and carrying a…
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5 Energizing Hikes in Iowa

5 Energizing Hikes in Iowa

Nature’s best endorphins come from great hikes, and if you are looking for a little pick-me-up activity in Iowa, you don’t have to look…
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How to Charge Your Gadgets While Camping and Hiking

How to Charge Your Gadgets While Camping and Hiking

There once was a time when carrying electronic devices with us into the great outdoors was pretty much unthinkable. Fragile and expensive, such…
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The Freedom of Fall Canoe Camping

The Freedom of Fall Canoe Camping

For an exciting change of pace, if you already have a canoe, why not try canoe camping? Fall is a great time of the year to be outside and on the…
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10 Tips for Safely Riding ATVs

10 Tips for Safely Riding ATVs

ATVs—shorthand for “all terrain vehicles”—are one way to explore areas of land that you might not otherwise be able to…
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A Guide to Fall Foraging in the U.S.

A Guide to Fall Foraging in the U.S.

It’s September, and the coming of fall equals an abundance of autumnal harvest…in the woods. Foraging is currently all the rage at top…
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Gear Up To Become A Master Outdoor Chef

Gear Up To Become A Master Outdoor Chef

There was a time when camp food for a weekend overnight revolved around hot dogs, canned goods, and tasteless dehydrated dinners. Fortunately, those…
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Late Fall Hiking: 7 Essential Clothing Items for Colder Weather

Late Fall Hiking: 7 Essential Clothing Items for Colder Weather

As the leaves start falling from the trees and the winter chill starts to roll in, the crowds and pesky bugs dissipate from the hiking trails. And if…
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5 Best ATV Rides to See Fall Foliage in The United States

5 Best ATV Rides to See Fall Foliage in The United States

Of the four seasons, fall is by far the most popular for riding ATVs that seat one or two people, and “side-by-sides” that seat two to…
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How To Tap Local Fishing Communities For The Best Angling

How To Tap Local Fishing Communities For The Best Angling

There are a lot of fishing opportunities out there that may seem exotic or hard to come by at first. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll…
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10 Best Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails in Iowa!

10 Best Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails in Iowa!

Iowa has a ton to offer when it comes to exploring the great outdoors with your furry friend. From scenic bluffs and creek vistas to wildlife-filled…
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5 Beautiful Scenic Hikes in Iowa

5 Beautiful Scenic Hikes in Iowa

Every season in Iowa caters towards a scenic hike or two. During the summer months, the blazing sun overhead provides bountiful landscapes of green.…
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How To Find Your Deer After The Shot

How To Find Your Deer After The Shot

Despite what we may see on television, deer usually do not drop in their tracks at the shot. Sometimes, too, “stuff” happens and the shot…
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Basic Gear for the New Deer Hunter

Basic Gear for the New Deer Hunter

While deer hunting takes many forms in a variety of different habitats and terrains, one thing is for certain: The more time you can spend afield,…
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5 Amazing Weekend Fall Hikes Across the U.S.

5 Amazing Weekend Fall Hikes Across the U.S.

The warm days and crisp, cool nights of autumn make the perfect conditions for a weekend hiking and camping excursion. There is nothing quite like…
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5 Best Dirt Motorcycle Trails in Iowa

5 Best Dirt Motorcycle Trails in Iowa

Whether it’s your first time hitting the trails or you’re a seasoned pro, the state of Iowa caters towards every level of action with its…
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Best Fall Camping Adventures To Do Right Now!

Best Fall Camping Adventures To Do Right Now!

It’s mid-September, and instead of sitting in bumper to bumper traffic awaiting your turn at the Yosemite National Park  entry gate,…
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2024 Paris Paralympic Games Recap

2024 Paris Paralympic Games Recap

If you felt an absence of excitement during the lull between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, you needn’t have worried. The Paralympic Games…
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How To Hunt Ducks The Easy Way

How To Hunt Ducks The Easy Way

Duck hunting is one of the easiest hunting sports for new shotgunners to expand into. Ample public-land hunting opportunities abound for waterfowlers…
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5 Great Hiking Trails in Iowa

5 Great Hiking Trails in Iowa

No matter the time of year, Iowa has many great hiking trails waiting to be explored. Traverse through the woods or follow a route along a scenic…
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The Essential Gear You Need When Riding ATVs

The Essential Gear You Need When Riding ATVs

ATVs are off-road vehicles, designed to allow access to trails and other hard-to-reach areas. The earliest designs from the 1970s were three-wheeled.…
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Paddle Your Way To See The Best Fall Colors

Paddle Your Way To See The Best Fall Colors

It’s hard not to get a scenic vista when you’re paddling. Throw in the changing colors of autumn, however, and you’re in for a real…
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How to Hunt Whitetail Deer—A Beginner’s Guide

How to Hunt Whitetail Deer—A Beginner’s Guide

As much as America is a country defined by grit, franchise hamburgers, and interstate highways, you could also say ours is a nation defined by deer.…
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5 Awesome Trail Running Spots in Iowa

5 Awesome Trail Running Spots in Iowa

While running is a great exercise, as you circle the block for the umpteenth time, the monotony of the sport may get to you. To spice things up a bit…
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5 Handy Headlamps for Hiking Those Shorter Fall Days

5 Handy Headlamps for Hiking Those Shorter Fall Days

Don't let the shorter days and fewer daylight hours of autumn deter you from getting outside for a hike. Packing a headlamp not only keeps you safe…
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10 State Park Campsites to Visit This Summer

10 State Park Campsites to Visit This Summer

Visiting America's abundant and diverse state parks for a camping trip is a great way to make the most of summertime. With natural beauty and plenty…
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5 Autumn Destinations for Monster Brown Trout

5 Autumn Destinations for Monster Brown Trout

If you're on the search for trophy brown trout, fall is the optimal time to get on the water. You can chase browns in any season, but if you're…
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Fish Here This Fall—5 Reel-Screaming Adventures

Fish Here This Fall—5 Reel-Screaming Adventures

Autumn is the season of dynamic changes for fishermen, and sort of a mirror image of spring. Where spawning runs typically define spring fishing,…
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Top 10 Tips for Camping Beginners

Top 10 Tips for Camping Beginners

Here’s the picture:  you’re sitting around a campfire, roasting weenies and telling ghost stories as the night closes in around you.…
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5 Fun Hiking Activities to Try with Your Kids This Fall

5 Fun Hiking Activities to Try with Your Kids This Fall

Fall is a fantastic time for hiking: the weather’s cooler, the foliage is beautiful, and wildlife sighting opportunities abound. This makes…
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Best Places to Fish in the Midwest This Fall

Best Places to Fish in the Midwest This Fall

Walleyes and a variety of salmon are on the autumn menu in the Midwest as anglers have a last chance to fish open water before the winter freeze…
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Hunting: How to Read the Land for Deer

Hunting: How to Read the Land for Deer

Most how-to deer hunting pieces tell you how to set a treestand or how to trim a shooting lane. Some may even offer some wisdom on setting up between…
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5 Awesome Destinations for Fall Steelhead Fishing

5 Awesome Destinations for Fall Steelhead Fishing

When the leaves start to turn, in many parts of the United States, particularly the Great Lakes region, steelhead start to run—as do steelhead…
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5 Best Birdwatching Hikes in Iowa

5 Best Birdwatching Hikes in Iowa

An essential aspect of any nature hike is the familiar chirp of birds nearby, coupled with the sight of these incredible creatures soaring by.…
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6 ATV Destinations to See Vibrant Fall Colors

6 ATV Destinations to See Vibrant Fall Colors

Soak up the autumn hues of red, orange, and yellow from the back of your four-wheeler. Riding through deciduous forests on the back of an ATV gives…
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Fall Paddling: 8 Items to Buy for Kayaking in Cooler Temperatures

Fall Paddling: 8 Items to Buy for Kayaking in Cooler Temperatures

Just because fall is here doesn’t mean your paddling adventures have to end. In fact, many die-hard paddlers know the real fun is just…
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4 Hot Fishing Tips for Fall

4 Hot Fishing Tips for Fall

An old fishing saw says, “You can't buy happiness, but you can go fishing, and that's pretty much the same thing.”And right now, when the…
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Fall Fishing: 6 Species to Target This Autumn

Fall Fishing: 6 Species to Target This Autumn

Autumn is prime time for many of the country’s favorite species of sport fish. This is because, as water temperatures drop, many species either…
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10 Essential Camping Skills

10 Essential Camping Skills

Do you know these 10 essential camping skills? Learn them and they are bound to improve all your…
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Choosing the right hunting knife

Choosing the right hunting knife

Hunting knives come in a mind-boggling array of shapes and sizes. New hunters often think a 10-inch Bowie-style survival knife is all they need to…
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5 Fall Foliage Hikes for the Best Leaf Peeping

5 Fall Foliage Hikes for the Best Leaf Peeping

Leaf lovers rejoice when fall approaches. Not only does the change in season mean cooler weather, but it’s also your chance to hike through…
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Fall Camping Essentials—10 Items You Need to Have

Fall Camping Essentials—10 Items You Need to Have

Every year, it feels like the summer camping and backpacking season flies by in a flash. If where you live is like my region of the US, your outdoor…
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10 Best New Products for Early Fall Camping

10 Best New Products for Early Fall Camping

Late summer and early fall are some of the best days of the year for camping. Days are still warm, nights are cool, the bugs are gone, and…
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Best New Hiking Products for Late Summer and Early Fall

Best New Hiking Products for Late Summer and Early Fall

There is no better time to hit the trail than late summer/early fall. Trails really open up once the kids head back to school, leaving trails…
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5 Cool Rock Climbing Spots in Iowa

5 Cool Rock Climbing Spots in Iowa

As you head east toward the Mississippi River, Iowa’s excellent rock climbing opportunities emerge in the landscape. Featuring sport, top-rope,…
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10 EASY FISHING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

10 EASY FISHING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

For most of us, fishing conjures up images of a lazy day on the water, occasionally reeling in some finned beauties which are then proudly displayed…
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Events Near Pleasantville IA

Des Moines Totally Rad Vintage Fest

Saturday, Nov 2, 2024 at 10:00am
Iowa Events Center
Des Moines, IA
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Ducks Unlimited - Storm Lake Bingo Night

Ducks Unlimited - Storm Lake Bingo Night

Monday, Nov 4, 2024 at 6:00pm
Cobb Tavern at the Cobblestone
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Unity In The Community

Saturday, Nov 9, 2024 at 9:00am
Grinnell Central Park
Grinnell, IA
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RCC Run the Woods

Saturday, Nov 9, 2024 at 11:00am
Goeldner Woods County Park
Earlham, IA
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Girls on the Run 5K

Sunday, Nov 10, 2024 at 2:00pm
Des Moines, IA
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Turkey Trails

Sunday, Nov 17, 2024 at 9:00am
Grays Lake Park
Des Moines, IA
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Stuffed Turkey Endurance Races

Saturday, Nov 23, 2024
Jester Park Equestrian Center
Granger, IA
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Threads and Fiber Festival

Saturday, Nov 23, 2024 at 9:00am
Franklin Jr High
Des Moines, IA
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Festival Of Trees and Lights

Wednesday, Nov 27, 2024 at 11:00am
Veteran's Memorial Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center
Des Moines, IA
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Winterset Festival of Lights

Friday, Nov 29, 2024 at 5:00pm
Winterset, IA
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Lighted Holiday Festival

Friday, Nov 29, 2024 at 5:30pm
Jasper County Courthouse
Newton, IA
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First Shots

Saturday, Nov 30, 2024 at 12:00pm
CrossRoads Shooting Sports
Johnston, IA
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Ducks Unlimited - North Iowa DU - Bingo for Boomsticks!

Ducks Unlimited - North Iowa DU - Bingo for Boomsticks!

Saturday, Nov 30, 2024 at 6:00pm
VFW Post 733
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