We stayed for a few nights in Harlan, Iowa on our sprint from winter following the sugar beet harvest. This was a Boondockers Welcome spot, so it wasn’t a camping spot, but a parking spot that someone lent us for the night. Typically, Boondockers Welcome is just that, boondocking, but the individual we were staying with had some water for us (we hadn’t been able to fill up before arriving) and even had a 50 amp power hookup. This was pretty fantastic as the temperatures were getting down to 16F.
While we were there, we found another cute local free museum in the Shelby County Historical Museum. Like others we’ve visited, it had an eclectic blend of local history, general and natural history, and activities for kids.
One activity was simply a free seed and cup of soil for kids to take home and watch grow. The Girl decided to do one and has been delightedly watching her plant grow, counting leaves, and opening the door to conversations about botany, how plants grow, and other great homeschooling topics!
Harlan Dog Park, Harlan Iowa.
We actually found the museum when we were looking for this off-leash dog park. We are big advocates for keeping dogs on leashes when unfenced. When we were living in sticks and bricks, there were several dogs roaming our street that were menaces, even killing some livestock on our street. Our dog loves to run, loves to explore, and loves to chase squirrels. Since we’ve been on the road she really hasn’t been able to, as we’ve kept her leashed. This dog park in Harlan, Iowa was her first chance to run unfettered and we took full advantage of it.
Overall a cute, welcoming town with fun things to do. If we’re ever back in the summer, we’ll be sure to check out their water park.