Day 7: August 2, 2025
How Sweet It Is
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South of town, near the intersection of US-75 and I-90, some little green men appear unsure of what they are looking at. This is where the World's Largest Nutcracker is being erected. The schedule is not quite established at this point, but what is clear is that the city of Luverne has some big shoes to fill.
I drove a couple of blocks off of US-75 in Rock Rapids, IA, for breakfast at Dreamerz. The rider of the motorcycle was just entering the restaurant when I arrived. Inside I learned he was from New York and headed to Sturgis, SD.
Roughly sixteen miles from Rock Rapids, a construction detour took me off of US-75 for about thirteen miles. The detour covered nearly forty-five miles, and passed through Orange City, IA, where I had to shoot this wind mill. It was built in 1973 as a drive-up window for a bank but now contains the offices of the annual tulip festival. The 85th festival is scheduled May 14-16, 2026.
I collected my reward for sticking with that long detour in Le Mars, IA, the "Ice Cream Capital of the World". That title isn't an idle boast but was earned in 1994 by more ice cream being made here than anywhere else. All that goodness is made by Wells Industries which operates two huge plants here along with the Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor downtown. The center's second floor has a small museum with interactive displays and a move theater where you can learn how Wells makes Blue Bunny ice cream and other treats. The first floor is filled by the ice cream parlor. I went for a flight of Pistachio Almond, Bunny Tracks, Rocky Road, and Mango Sorbet which Jaylen delivered with a smile. I was a little surprised to see it was made up of full size scoops of each, but I once again rose to the occasion.
The King of Trails designation is purely a Minnesota thing so that ended almost at the start of today's drive. The speed limit on the King of Trails had been a very consistent, and to me a little unusual, 60 MPH, which became 55 MPH at the border. I had considered heading directly home during that long detour, and the fact that I'm marked the ice cream capital as a POI in the GPS may have been one reason I did not. The light rain that began as I pulled out of Le Mars made me think about turning east a little more seriously, and I think I subconsciously signaled my decision to myself at Sioux City when I did not follow the US-75 Business Route through town. When the bypass reached US-20, I turned left.

I drove Historic US-20 just a few years ago and recognized the names of some of the communities I now passed. But it was only the names that were familiar. If nothing else, this entire trip has been a reminder of how different following a modern US Numbered Highway alignment can be from following a historic alignment. Of course, it also reminded me that there are things to see, for those who look, no matter what road you are on.

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