Eerily Empty IOWA Towns Far Off The Interstate

[@kevinchambers1101]

Thank you for being generous in your descriptions of these communities. No matter the conditions, residents are still prideful of their communities.

[@DonariaRegia]

Those low housing prices are very attractive in today's market. Joe's videos are good advertising, demonstrating the quiet small town lifestyle. For those that work from home these areas have added appeal. If enough of them move into these towns they can give them a second life, and in turn enjoy a higher standard of living.

[@jens7898]

Let's hope not! Proverbs 16:5 - Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. Proverbs 29:23 - A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit. Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Galatians 6:3 - For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.

[@warbirdwf]

The money shots of these videos are these old down towns. The run down and abandoned ones always strike nostalgia in me and I'm sure others. These old farming towns just seem to take us back to the 1930's-40's. So many generations long gone were born, raised and lived their lives in these small towns. Something romantic about it. Thanks for bringing us along.

[@BirdDogey1]

Nostalgic and sad. Those empty buildings were once someone's dream.

[@davidbiagini9048]

@@BirdDogey1 Interstates took a heavy toll on small towns as did the exodus of us baby boomers. Many of us went away to college and never returned.

[@jerryw6699]

@@davidbiagini9048 Worse than the interstates is the advancing technology, particularly in agriculture. When these towns were booming, it took several people to farm 160 acres. That is part of the reason the families were large. Not uncommon for 10 children to help on the farm. Then the internal combustion engine was born, it has evolved into a monster where one tractor can do the work of 500 horses. No need for so many farm workers now. Hence the decline of the small rural towns.

[@davidbiagini9048]

@@jerryw6699 Good point.

[@merlars]

@@jerryw6699 Very True, but what really killed rural America and small towns, especially in Iowa, was the Farm Crisis during the Mid '80s. Over 600,000 small farmers lost their farms during that time. Of the dozens of farmers I knew in 1985, only a couple were still in business a few years later. Down towns and schools followed.

[@bryanjackson9033]

Joe I’ve never said but, I love your videos. They are a much needed alternative to social media and podcasts. Small town America is simply amazing and quiet. Nothing like the big city. I only see those in horror movies honestly.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you!!

[@bryanjackson9033]

@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip you’re welcome

[@michellerosa2133]

He's actually not annoying like half the other youtubers.

[@kevinellis3175]

@@michellerosa2133I like how he shows the statistics of each town.

[@johnm.5848]

As always Joe, thank you for taking us along for the ride.

[@kitrina63]

I Absolutely Love these small town videos! What a relaxing "drive" on this Sunday morning! Thank you, Joe for taking us along😊💞

[@suzystone244]

Mrs Olson and Folgers coffee. Nostalgic to my heart ...to this day. Truly LOVE your uploads. ❤

[@BrunieStudios]

I love your channel, and traveling through these old, ,left-behind old towns….There is a saying, “Pay attention to what the world is ignoring” ….you are doing important work. Thank you. ❤❤❤

[@cea5er]

One of my Top rated channel that i regularly watch. Saturday night with chilled bear & Joe's vid makes it complete. 😊

[@MicahHughes-y9t]

Nice, what happens when that bear warms up?

[@cea5er]

@@MicahHughes-y9t i drink it before it warms 😅

[@Bleda412]

​@@cea5erI think the other user was pointing out that when bears warm up, they leave hibernation and eat you. When beers warm up, they are simply warm.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

@@cea5er I love this!! 👍

[@harryshuman9637]

1:34 some info I found online about the Jones Store: Founded by Frank Jones, a New York emigrant who found the world of business more attractive than the life of a schoolteacher. His Jones Store was very successful - he owned the largest home in town, was a partner in the formation of the Villisca National Bank and was a state senator from 1912-1918. He was also considered a prime suspect in the infamous Villisca axe murder slaying of Joe Moore and his family - Moore and Jones were bitter business competitors. Incredible how all the legacy of a powerful man is reduced to this crumbling store. Life really is a zero sum game.

[@ppmtrader]

Wow! So interesting. Thanks for the info.

[@ppmtrader]

If we would assume that he was the culprit of that gruesome murder. it's very understandable that it remained unsolved as he was a powerful man at that time.

[@catlover614]

A wonderful video! Fascinating old towns, as always. I love the coffee pot, and cup and saucer ! Thanks so much, Joe and Nic.😊❤

[@ammapuramsrinivasrao2249]

More than anything else the serenity of of rural Iowa towns is really haunting, still enjoyable. Thanks Joe for all the pains.

[@susanjanehayden]

Lord Spoda helped me through COVID isolation and now I continue to pretend I’m riding along. Thank you Joe. You do a great job showing us the where, what, and who. I find myself looking up the why. Why did this town come to be? What industry, distribution, etc.? Why did it dry up? Always food for thought. Yours is one of my favorite channels.

[@janellek21]

I agree. Of all the travel channels I subscribe to on KZbin, Joe & Nic's does the best job of showing me the places I'll never get to visit for myself, and their depiction of American culture is sincere and politically neutral.

[@williammcmillan7502]

These are farming communities and farming's been mechanized.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you, Susan!!

[@michaelrobertson1882]

If you grew up in Iowa, as I did, you understand the “quiet”. We refer to it as God’s Country. Love seeing all the corn fields. My family still lives there and farms.

[@524FrmGrl]

I live in Gods country in Southeast Missouri. Predominately Lutherans that migrated here from Germany and Austria. Take very good care of their homes and lots of farms here.

[@JustMeNoOther]

30 minutes of video exploring such small towns are not enough, the curiosity is big. Is like if every building want to speak with you about its story.

[@peggypasson8794]

There was a massacre here a entire family many years ago .....

[@steverogers2603]

Villisca seems to have a love/hate relationship with the ax murder that is their claim to fame. They don’t want to be known only for that, yet that’s pretty much it, so they kind of roll with it.

Kevin's Obituary Kevin Ellis Blunt, the son of Larry and Sharon (Williams) Blunt was born January 6, 1964, in Red Oak, Iowa. He passed away at his home in Stanton, Iowa, following a lengthy battle with cancer on Tuesday, October 4, 2022, surrounded by family. Kevin’s age was 58 years, 8 months and 29 days. Kevin was raised in Stanton and graduated from Stanton Community High School in 1982. He earned letters in high school basketball (4 years), baseball (4 years) football (4 years), track (4 years) & tennis (2 years). He also achieved multiple all conference and district honors in basketball, baseball, and football. During his basketball career he scored 960 total points and was the first player in Stanton 11 player football history to gain over 1000 rushing yards. Kevin’s favorite sport was baseball. As a pitcher, he received first team all conference, all southwest Iowa and all-state honors in class A. His senior year, Kevin was awarded a scholarship from the Iowa Football Coaches Association. Following graduation from Stanton High School in 1982, Kevin attended Buena Vista University at Storm Lake, where he played baseball for the Beavers. In 1987, Kevin began his teaching and coaching career at Essex, Iowa, coaching multiple sports during his time there. From 1993 until 2011, he taught and coached at Bedford Community School District, where his basketball teams excelled to a record of 269-91 wins. Kevin still holds the record as the all-time winningest coach along with having 10 conference championship teams. On June 27, 1998, Kevin was united in marriage to Tami R. Miller at Bedford, Iowa. In 2012, Kevin became the K-12 principal for Stanton Community School District. He served as head coach for the Viking basketball team for six years, compiling a record of 113-27. Kevin loved umpiring baseball games where he umpired 20+ years and 15 of those years was selected to umpire at the Iowa High School State Baseball Tournament. In his younger years, he enjoyed playing men’s slow pitch softball. Kevin enjoyed hunting, fishing, bicycling and golfing. Golfing was his favorite past time after retirement. Together, he and Tami enjoyed golfing at the Villisca golf course, where he was a board member. Kevin was a member of the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association 2009-10. He was honored as the Iowa State Baseball Official of the Year in 2015-2016. Kevin was inducted in the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in March of 2022. He was a member of Mamrelund Lutheran Church and served as secretary for the Iowa Athletic Directors Association. Kevin was an avid and loyal Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Bengals fan. During retirement, Kevin drove part-time for Red Oak Greenhouse.

[@m.d.grimes1622]

Wow, that's very nice of you to give this info to us...sounds like he was quite a guy.

[@EricT3769]

Yes, thank you for posting this information.

[@lesterbangs3417]

It's nice that, through your channel, Kevin's sporting and coaching achievements have reached a much wider audience. No doubt Kevin's passing was a sad loss to the local community in these small, proudly kept towns.

[@marywalker2896]

Did he have any children??

[@chuckm.9744]

A life well lived….

[@briancisco1176]

Thanks for your consistently positive and cheerful outlook! 😃

[@kevinchambers1101]

And he's always very generous in his descriptions no matter the condition of the tiwns or buildings.

[@morganm9040]

My grandmother was a Mrs. Olsson and we used to ask her for a cup Folgers. I remember those commercials. You should have driven to Denison, Iowa the hometown of Donna Reed. I watch your new videos every week and you and Nic never disappoint.

[@barbaramarkham4736]

That little white building next to the Swedish Cultural Center in Stanton is, I’m sure a little schoolhouse. The bell 🔔 on top of the roof is a school bell. When I saw the cultural Center I thought it was a school as well. I absolutely love your videos Joe. You’re the best!! Love to you and Nicole from B. C. Canada 🇨🇦 ♥️

[@variousvisfineart]

I agree

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Thank you, Barbara!!

[@Kaurnz]

I can confirm that is a school building with the bell on the top. Restored. Also, the swedish heritage center used to be an old high school. I currently live in Stanton, Iowa.

[@barbaramarkham4736]

@@Kaurnz Thank you so much. I thought so the minute I saw the Cultural Center. Nice to know from you. Greetings from B.C. Canada 🇨🇦

[@stevie9972]

Joe, looked up that old building you asked about and the train once went thru town (Burlington Northern) and I’m sure that was used for the grain hoppers. The train line has been long abandoned since the 1950’s!

[@SRJOY1]

Villisca, Stanton, Elliott & Griswold, IA. What in common ? All served by the late great BURLINGTON ROUTE Railroad. aka, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q RR). Thank Joe & Nic for the fantastic road trip. More old railroad shots of former right of way , etc. Railroad history in small towns.

[@GrannySanny]

My husband grew up in Lewis not far from Villisca. His dad was mayor of the town for a while. It was a cool town to grow up in but it is drying up. Jobs became scarce and people left, my husband among them. He went to high school in Griswold along with kids from Elliott. He said he drank a lot of beers in Dusty`s back in the day and in a bar in Elliot. The old building is a grain elevator.

[@patriciawarner1274]

I love Iowa, it’s a beautiful state. When Bridges of Madison County first came out I knew I had to go there and drove to Winterset and lo and behold it’s also the birthplace of Marion .Robert Morrison aka John Wayne

[@larrythumper1559]

That is where my father was born

[@peggypasson8794]

It's just very sad how far Iowa has gone down many small towns abandoned just so sad .it's not getting any better John Deere just played off half the workers in the state so very sad .....😢 A grocery store chain just moved many stores to Illinois Hy. Vee very very sad

[@jeffmarkwood8351]

John Wayne was a Nazi.

[@stevegordon5243]

Winterset is also where I was born and raised 😀 I no longer live there but it's still a great little town!

[@b-man1232]

I've been to several States on my motorcycle. Two summers ago we were cruising through Iowa (on our way to "The Field of Dreams"). I noticed that almost every single Iowa town that we went through was VERY clean and almost looked like a picture off of a postcard. Very friendly people too! I have been to the East/West coast...I would choose to live in a small Midwestern town any day of the week for a thousand different reasons!

[@seththomas9105]

I've lived in small town Iowa my whole life. Never lived in a town with a stop light. They'll bury me in a small town.

[@logicflakes8911]

@@seththomas9105same here, manly, Thornton, clarion

[@oskarsmom7552]

Heartbreaking to see these towns like this. Jobs being sent overseas was the demise of the American small town. Just too sad. Thanks for taking us on your trips though some are awfully hard to watch. I always picture them full of hustle and bustle in their heyday.

[@vgshwk]

Lot of the demise was due to less need of manpower on the farms.

[@jburnett8152]

Another great video. Charming small towns. Enjoy the last frontier. Thanks again.

[@armeswilli01]

Ich war jetzt in schon so vielen Städten und Dörfern in den USA und hab keinen Fuß vor die Tür gesetzt . Vielen Dank dafür !

[@kingfloopy]

My wife's from Stanton. It's not a bad little town. That little restored gas station was still running until a few years ago.

[@d.e.7467]

I dated a wonderful girl from Stanton. In fact, "Mrs. Olson" is/was her aunt.

[@aaaa09t]

302 Hilltop is 180,000 and 1559 sq ft per Zillow

[@pannamal5182]

X 2 the average

[@fft2020]

that is just going to blow up the median next time the statistics come out

[@daringgreatly8473]

Will be interesting to see what it actually sells for.

[@patrickbillson6219]

Sold for 183,000

[@usmcmos0317]

Great video joe absolutely great. Thanks I’m envious of you. LoL. I have been to a couple of the bigger cities there when I was trucking. But sadly not in any of these wonderful places. These are truly the heart of America. The affordable housing and really good money low crime what is to complain about. Have to admit the money kinda threw me. I love these places and very thankful you take time to go there and give me the stats. No other channel Iv seen does that. You have truly found your calling and you do it better than anyone Iv seen. Your commentary is just like you’re talking to a friend and I appreciate that. Don’t ever change your laid back style and down to earth view of where you are showing us. And I have to say I appreciate the scenery you’re showing on your drive from town to town I love that it’s where you would find me at. LoL. Glad you took the time to go to these places while waiting on your trip to Alaska. Which I have been to but only hitching a ride on a Air Force plane so nothing more than that. Looking forward to your video it’ll be more than Iv seen. LoL. Great job thanks again. Safe travels my friend… keep videoing and I’ll keep watching

[@sherry1475]

Loved the tunnel. Thank you for taking time to tour the towns and tell us about the history. Love it when you get out of the car and show the towns up close. Enjoy driving through the neighborhoods and important landmarks. 😊

[@BeyondWrittenWords]

Stanton I can't believe a town of 700 people can look so nice and big

[@seththomas9105]

IKR. It just depends if the town keeps the school, what kind of retail business it can retain, and if there is any industry in the area. Tax base makes a difference. Also how close to a larger community that offers jobs or retail make a huge difference. Being a bedroom community is not a great thing per say, but sometimes in small town Iowa it is a option to at least keep houses full and the school going.

[@don66hotrod94]

Dorsey Implement Company was the CASE dealer in Griswold. There was a toy truck and bicycle in the storefront where you read the corn roast poster. That must have been their building. Lage Brothers was the CASE dealer in Elliot.

[@fishobob61]

Don't know if anyone commented but the House at 302 Hilltop in Stanton is listed at 180,000 dollars on Zillow. 3 bedrooms just under 1600 square feet. Love your videos Joe!!

[@gregoryleo4640]

The sale is pending for $180,000. Someone overpaid. Seems like alot of money for a house in the middle of nowhere. Housing in Stanton is supposed to be 45% lower than national. I don't think so.

[@skylermummert24]

@@gregoryleo4640that house in the middle of nowhere SD would be around 300k so I’d say pretty good at 180k

[@spreadgeorgia]

You have a pleasant baseball announcer voice. Like the comments between pitches kind. I like it. Also like the video content.

[@VegasAlien1]

I moved to a small, rural village in IL with just under 400 people. Just as with these towns you visit, there's a haunting sense of dusty nostalgia. Old-timers can tell you all about the stores that used to be here, what they used to do as kids and such. A nice pace of life. But yeah, thank God for Dollar Generals and Caseys!

[@yvesfrancoisritmo]

Stanton (and Griswold) are beautiful towns. Of course the Swedish (and hommage to coffee) make it a very nice town. I love seeing small torns in the midwest. Thanks for sharing these towns

[@fredbloggs8072]

Stanton looks wonderful. I'd love to live in a place like that.

[@MW-xm1rc]

I grew up in Iowa in the 60s. Safe, clean, fun, caring and child focused place to be. My high school education put me above my peers. Owe my success to too many people to name!!

[@paulforester6996]

I grew up in Iowa starting in the 1980's and it was a culture shock moving there from Michigan. Everything closed at 7:00 PM. No matter which way the wind blew you smelled something ripe. First two long term girlfriends were touched by family, ( I am speaking in code here). You know what I mean. The republican farmers let Reagan hire scabs from Mexico to destroy the unions, and that really made it harder to start working in the area. I saw the busses with my own eyes, full of scabs. If you want to make money, move out like I did. Iowa is a dump with horrible people. Not all were bad, but that's where I lost my faith in humanity.

[@jeffell]

@@paulforester6996 Iowa is like most states. There are good points and not good points, but overall the quality of life is good. You seem disillusioned and bitter.

[@paulforester6996]

@@jeffell I'm not lying. I left Iowa with $20 to my name, and now I make a lot more money. Sioux City was stupid to put the sewer treatment plant in-between the airport and city. There is no avoiding it. The place stank, unless you were born there apparently. The police messed with my friend's nerdy little brother taking the trash to the curb. My friend's family immediately moved away. I could go on, but you get my point. Not every place is perfect but the part where I lived was a culture shock and sucked.

[@darleneatkinson3906]

Joe & Nic's Road Trip, Thank you for very interesting small towns videos I am really enjoying these videos. As you video these old worn out houses, it remind me of something I heard many years ago, they on purpose kept the outside of the house looking ran down even as it was abandoned to keep property taxes lower that what made me remember that saying.

[@jeanbrandt2624]

That bldg you were wondering about in last part of video is a grain elevator

[@DD-fm4pk]

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law live in Stanton. A very nice clean town. A lot of churches for a small town also. There is nothing bad to say about that town. Really enjoy visiting there. They have nice walking trails.

[@sharthun2009]

Joe, you have become one of my favorite channels to watch. Keep up the good work. You should visit Northern Kentucky someday. The Cathedral in Covington has the worlds largest "Hand Blown" Stained Glass Window. You could also visit the Rabbit Hash General Store, one of the oldest general stores in Kentucky. The mayor of the town is a dog, yes a real canine.

[@MM-ks7vs]

😂😂😂 🐕 🏛??? 😂😂😂

[@PeppieP]

Just found my favourite channel now and I can binge watch what I haven’t seen. Love this. Thank you for sharing.

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Welcome!

[@bradbradshaw-i4n]

one thing i have always noticed about iowa small towns. they might be old but they usually are neat and orderly.

[@johnb.1716]

One of my top 2 favorite videos of yours I've seen. Eerily quiet in Villisca🤫....love it!

[@1954crc]

I had cousins in Red Oak( about 6-7 miles west of Stanton) and friends in this area. This is my favorite part of Iowa. I'd sure like it to grow. I liked the town of Shenandoah also. Red Oak and Shenandoah are over 5,000 people and have a little more going on there than the tiny towns that you recorded. This whole area of Iowa is quiet with real nice down to earth people. Thanks for sharing this. You and Nic always do a great job!

[@LarryHeagren]

I love your horizon shots when you are changing from town to town. They give a depth of how vast Iowa is for those who have never traveled through Iowa. This weeks offerings were two for two. Two towns that looked pretty poorly and on hard luck and two towns that were rather nice. It was also cool that you mentioned Mrs. Olsen from the Folgers commercials of our childhood. Kudos to Stanton who leveraged the fact of her hometown. The monuments were very neat. Some of those older homes that were in a very good state of repair would set you back in New Braunfels, TX at least 4 times their value in Iowa. I know of a recent restoration home that was pushing a million dollars so the cost of a home in Stanton or Griswold is very affordable. Again another good video, I enjoy you doing the "walkabout" as the viewer gets to see more detail. Thanks again for the entertainment. Larry

[@supermodernfraktion2853]

Hey, I am watching your videos for a very long time and I still wonder why you regularly don’t talk to residents? Very rarely from time to time you do and it gives an incredible sense of why people live in these places. Actually it’s more interesting hearing people’s stories than just numbers. All the best!

[@zoidmo3388]

Having my morning coffee & fell in love with Stanton. Cheers Joe! Another wonderful trip with you. 🥰The white building with the tiny bell tower down the street from the Swedish Heritage Cultural Center may at one time been an old school house. Being that i was a huge fan of Little House On The Prairie. lol It looked similar. Big huggs to Nicole, we miss her.

[@mommaz2816]

Thank you for the tour. Love what you show us!

[@janellek21]

Iowa seems to be one of the best governed states in the US. Incomes are high but the cost of living is low, the school system is very good and crime is relatively low.

[@AvadaVendetta]

It's because the state smells like cow dung

[@evanmeyer4994]

It seems like the spread bussiness/ factories throughout the state with tax incentives. Vs centralizing like illinois or Nebraska

[@peggypasson8794]

Lol lol lol not ! Why is everyone leaving ?even John Deere ?

[@hildahilpert5018]

It,s had to say. You never know what the corporate head honchos are thinking.

[@jesse-ys6so]

Ya except for the governor

[@kathywebb6606]

Stanton rocks ❤Thanks for taking me there

[@zoidmo3388]

I fell in love with it. Really nice to see how well maintained most buildings were. Almost like everything got a new coat of white paint.

[@steverogers2603]

We too thought Stanton was the clear winner of the towns shown.

[@user-iamRobinV68]

A ride through Iowa with Joe! Love it! 😊😊😊

[@RobertColfack]

Stanton looked like an amazing little town I remember those coffee commercials, and she sure was beautiful in her youth...

[@JanesDough855]

They don't call this area the "Heartland" for nothing. Hard working and good people. I live in a Big City and it gets worse by the day. Give me a small town any day. There is always room for improvement if people are willing to make a go of it. Thanks!

[@bigred4335]

I agree with you...I also live in a major metro area and It is getting bad all around....I am a simple man ..I just want to work and relax....As soon as I take care of some things I will be looking for a small town/city to move to..Everyone have a Blessed day

[@pmpmpmpmpmpmpm]

You can always move to a small town. What's stopping you?

[@brianmatthews4149]

So true.

[@yeoldmetalhead6592]

@@pmpmpmpmpmpmpm free rent in my mom's basement.

[@shellymusgrove3328]

Thank you Joe. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen your videos. It is so relaxing and I appreciate what you do.

[@marvinbluedorn3321]

Born and raised in Iowa. This was a pretty cool pop from my algorithm. Thank you, this was great.

[@karlmaas7233]

Your channel is a great contribution to American history !

[@DUMPSTERDIVINGADELAIDE123]

Thanks for the video from Adelaide, South Australia 🇦🇺😊

[@tomjones7593]

Some beautiful little towns- living in North Wales UK, in a village with a (permanent) population of around 186 I am attracted to these characterful, isolated little communities. If I were younger, and could get travel insurance, I would love to cruise around and stay in these places. Thank you !

[@AKASHROY-i9f]

Watching from India love your videos❤❤🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳

[@scottrider641]

This video was fantastic! I watched it twice. You did a really great job with this content. Thanks for the tour

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

Well done, A friend of mine was born in the town of Oskaloosa IA, the county seat. She was born in 1926-2021 aged 94. Her family moved to Chicago in about 1940.

[@hutmgr]

FYI..the house for sale at 302 Hilltop in Stanton Iowa is listed at $180,000 and property taxes are $925 per year.

[@seththomas9105]

The only reason it's that high is because of the insane housing market. That house should probably be 90-100K in real value. Not knocking the seller, but just a statement of fact.

[@hutmgr]

@@seththomas9105exactly!! that house is $350,000 all day long here in New Jersey

[@hutmgr]

@@seththomas9105that house here in NJ is $350,000 all day long with property taxes around $4000.

[@michaelbrodie7658]

Again, many thanks for your travels, descriptions and the warmth of your dialog. I traveled in this area when I worked for BNSF.

[@JostenDooley]

Dollar generals motto should be when you’re in the middle of nowhere you can count on us to be there

[@duggan1002]

At the and of the video when u asked what that building is/was that is a grain storage silo also called a Prarie Sentinel. They were constructed sometimes much larger / taller and made with stacking 2x6s or 2x8s horizontally ( flat on top of each other) and nailed together.

[@skeletor9121]

That was my first thought as well. But not knowing relied on someone like you to confirm. Thx!

[@Gary65437]

There are a few bargains in Montgomery county. Your blue house at 302 Hilltop was for sale @180K with a buyer trying to get it. More houses in Red Oak, Iowa. cheap ones 60K need a lot of updates and the nice houses are 200 to 350K for a very peaceful country life.

[@donhathaway3234]

That first town reminds me a lot of the northern part of my state, New Hampshire. I’m 71 and my grandfather had a camp in North Woodstock. There were so many little shop, cabin type motels and antique shops. There was always something to see. The trip used to rake 5 hours to get there from our house on the coast. With the interstate, it now takes less than two hours which is great but, you see nothing. A couple of times, my wife and I have taken the old way and it’s so depressing. Houses, shops, little motels…. all deserted and falling down. A whole way of life is gone .

[@highway9974]

In Kansas, they had a convenience store called The Honk n Holler

[@rogerknights857]

There’s one in S Carolina called the Squat n Gobble.

[@pigpen3499]

Hello, I'm from a very small town in Iowa, and I just wanna say our little town aren't eerly empty. We're all just at work, we are working...

[@BobKnuth-pi9zn]

I spent the night in the Axe Murder House, I decided some things should be left alone. It’s haunted.

[@AyshaA-ml2rd]

Tell us more!

[@davehall44]

26:49 Nice Farmall F12 tractor, hope it gets to go out on vintage field days.

[@NativeNYer]

Ty Joe and Nicole 4 another insightful look @ America. Interesting towns. B safe

[@johnhart125]

Love your videos, very interesting to see the forgotten small towns, grew up in one and love them

[@MorikaWeb]

Great video. The first building you didn’t know is a classic School House. The Second is a Grain Elevator, also known as the Sentinels of the Prairies.

[@deltafreshrelics1660]

I lived my first 32 years of life in Iowa. Born in Keokuk, an impoverished, crime ridden, dried up industrial center on the Mississippi River. The remnants of past wealth and prestige all around me in the infrastructure and architecture. Much of the east side along the Mississippi River is that way with some pockets of larger towns like Burlington, Muscatine, Davenport, and Dubuque. Iowa is very beautiful and I get homesick watching this video. You chose the part of the state that is still a time capsule for the most part. Away from the Mississippi and out of the industrial parts there, the farming communities are what make the state what it is. It’s full of very tight knit and strong little towns like these who are generationally proud and mostly self sufficient. My dad’s side of the family still own the farm that’s been in our family since the late 1860s in Cedar county. Iowa will always be home and is a snapshot of what it means to be American.

[@waffel7664]

lived in Iowa for the past 13 years but I've never been south of I80, thanks for showin us some of these towns look completely different from what I know in Northern Iowa, I would almost think these were in a poorer state like Missouri or something

[@karen4you]

My small Iowa town has spent a lot of money updating the town square and storefronts. Mostly cosmetic. All these buildings look much like here. Sleepy Iowa towns are good to retire in if you want a simple life.

[@rocbola]

Elliott and Griswold hosted RAGBRAI last month. I was in both of those towns, and both had their main streets lined with thousands of people and dozens of food vendors. A far cry from a normal day on a desolate main street.

[@callyboy5228]

Watching from UK,what an amazing insight of the US

[@johnmiller6197]

Sad to see Villisca in such shambles. Had some really good neighbors who were born and raised there. As a child I Loved listening to their stories of life on the farm.

[@gatorgogo2742]

Love the Swedish coffee pot and cup. Today I feel like I could use that whole cup full of coffee! lol

[@rogerknights857]

America’s glory is these whimsical roadside oddities.

[@lorriebeckhusen9351]

Enjoyed the video. Made me want to have a cup of coffee. Looking forward to Alaska!

[@marywalker2896]

Me to and I don’t even like coffee.!!!lol

[@jeffmcbride469]

Kevin Blunt was a basketball coach in town for 6 years, and a baseball umpire for 20+ years.

[@waynehendricks8187]

I think that was a grain elevator.

[@d.e.7467]

Yup.

[@chess1458]

Just stumbled across your channel..I like how you actually walk up to the buildings and give us an inside look...I love seeing the tin ceilings.... thanks a bunch

[@TXH1138]

the house for sale is not listed on Zillow or Trulia, but the motel is listed for $475K.

[@LJones69]

Good morning Joe & Nicole! I was looking forward to your Sunday morning video! So, is it safe to say you guys have dropped down to doing just one video a week? I could swear that you guys use to put one out about every 3-4 days. I have only bee to Alaska once so I am really looking forward to your Alaskan videos as I am sure you will probably go to towns way off the beaten path that most people don’t ever go to. Just be careful since winter is going to be there sooner than most places…. 😢. Quick trip is another really big chain of convenience stores.

[@suzanne296]

Agree It was more frequent. Miss it.

[@LJones69]

@@suzanne296 me too! I found there channel just when it was about to go over 8,000 subs…. Joe does a beautiful job showing off these small towns with a lot of information provided….

[@JoeandNicsRoadTrip]

Yes, we usually do two a week. Right now I'm working on a big 3 year retrospective video that is taking up a lot of my time. As soon as it's finished, we'll get back to the two a week format.

[@LJones69]

@@JoeandNicsRoadTrip Nice!!!!

[@CharlesKoffiOyoua]

Big fan of the videos was in the middle of watching Albany when i get the notification you just dropped a new one !

[@whortle]

Iowa towns seem to be very clean and well cared for, generally, compared to towns in some of the other states you’ve videoed, and that was super nice to see.

[@everydaypresent444]

Looking forward to your next adventure, Joe and Nic. You always find the most interesting locations. I am pretty sure your view of Alaska will be quite interesting.

[@person_147]

Me and my dad found your channel like 2 years ago, we used to watch you every weekend. We eventually forgot about it lol but we just remembered and we are gonna revive the tradition!!

[@sc0tte1-416]

The fact it's absolutely void of cars and people makes these towns super creepy.

[@manofaction1807]

Awesome!!!! I almost busted your balls about it, but that house has a great reputation as a haunted house. Great looking out!!

[@kj197734]

I have lived in Iowa all of my life. From growing up many, many years ago in Clinton and then moving to Cedar Rapids. Just about every town in Iowa shuts down in a way, but Iowa is still a great state.

[@saraha3208]

If you’re still in Iowa go to northeast Iowa. Visit Decorah and Lansing and drive through the little towns on your way to Dubuque. Beautiful in the driftless area along the Mississippi

[@stevegordon5243]

Totally agree! Marquette and McGregor are great also!

[@jacintabyline]

Kia ora from New Zealand. Just came across your channel today and saw your video of old Texas towns. I subscribed to your fascinating channel and now you have me hooked. Your narration style is amazing and draws one in. Iowa looks to be a lovely and affordable state. I'm very much looking forward to exploring your channel further. Though born in NZ I grew up in NY and Boston in the 60's and 70's. Take care in your travels.

[@DesertMav]

Great video. Can't wait to see what Alaska looks like.

[@frankschultzauditingnews8659]

Gotta love the State of Iowa.

[@cjstrasser]

In many cases those dollar stores are the death of local mom and pop places in these small towns. They put up cheap buildings then sell all sorts of items (lots of Chinese merchandise) and undercut any other businesses in town.

[@d.e.7467]

I didn't know that. Sounds like Walmart.

[@stephengaddis9791]

The tall tin covered building in Griswold is an old grain elevator. It is probably a wooden structure, which are more and more rare.