The Trail Of Kaleidoscopes In Iowa: A One-Day Itinerary
I recently discovered what I like to call The Trail Of Kaleidoscopes. It’s not really a trail nor is it the official name of them, but I think it has potential, don’t you? Pocahontas County, Iowa, has a collection of 11 kaleidoscopes scattered throughout the county, and my daughter and I spent a day hunting for a few of them. It turned out to be the perfect afternoon spent taking silly Reels, marveling at the designs, and singing songs on the road.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Pocahontas County Economic Development Commission. All thoughts, opinions and typos are my own. This post may include affiliate links.
Pocahontas County is in northwestern Iowa, roughly located my favorite place to stop for ice cream Le Mars (Ice Cream Capital of the World) and my favorite relaxing lake getaway spot, Clear Lake. So, in my opinion, it’s in a prime location in Iowa.
The kaleidoscopes are giant, life-sized versions of the nostalgic toys. Each one reflects the community it resides in. Some have the school’s colors. Others have an animal design in the viewer tied to the community. They’re all pretty easy to find in Pocahontas County.
Locations of all the kaleidoscopes:
- Cooper’s Cove: Near the Campgrounds
- Fonda: North Park
- Gilmore City: City Park
- Havelock: Veteran’s Park
- Laurens: Sportsman Park
- Little Clear Lake: Near the Playground Equipment & Shelter Houses
- Palmer: Panther Park
- Plover: City Park
- Pocahontas: Gateway Park
- Rolfe: Streit Park
- Varina: City Park
Want to go on your own adventure along the The Trail Of Kaleidoscopes (my catch phrase)? Here’s an itinerary to see seven of them. The route below is roughly two hours of driving, and when you add stopping for photos and lunch, it’s about a four-hour or five-hour road trip.
If you had another hour or wanted to take a full weekend, you can easily visit all of them.
The Trail Of Kaleidoscopes
The tour starts in Pocahontas, Iowa, or Poky if you want to talk sound in the know. You can check the first kaleidoscope off your list at Gateway Park (STOP 1). You can also visit Kaleidoscope Factory in town, home to where the county got its connection to kaleidoscopes in the first place. You’ll have to visit to hear the story of how Leonard Olson came to start making them, and how the business became part of Pocahontas County history.
Tip: Kaleidoscope Factory is open on the weekdays, so if you do this tour on the weekends, the only way you can visit the shop is to arrange an appointment ahead of time to have the storekeepers meet you. If you’re lucky, they may be making a handmade kaleidoscope when you’re there!
Head north to reach Streit Park in Rolfe (STOP 2). There’s a playground near the kaleidoscope, as well as some historic buildings. It’s also near the Three Rivers Trailhead, which is a great 33-mile rails-to-trails path for biking and walking.
It’s also a great spot for birding, as my daughter and I discovered. We didn’t plan well and left my binoculars at home, but at least we had the Merlin app to let us know all the birds we heard during our morning walk along the trail.
From your Rolfe stop, you’ll head south, making a quick pit stop in Gilmore City’s City Park (STOP 3) before continuing on to the Cooper’s Cove Campgrounds (STOP 4). City Park was pretty small, and if you have small kids begging to play, tell them that the next stop will knock their socks off.
Tip: There was some road construction along this part of the route, so pay close attention to your GPS, in case you need to make a detour.
Cooper’s Cove was our favorite spot for three reasons. The kaleidoscope itself had a cool and memorable design featuring butterflies. Secondly, it’s right next to a spectacular playground. And thirdly, there’s a pond nearby that’s perfect for fishing. And even if you don’t have fishing poles, it’s a nice spot to walk to and sit for a bit in the peace and quiet.
Now your drive is headed westward. We went straight to Fonda, skipping past the Palmer kaleidoscope (BONUS STOP), because we were hungry for lunch. You could add that stop, if you’re a completist.
In Fonda, you’ll find the kaleidoscope at North Park (STOP 5), which has a nice playground, if your kids aren’t tired yet. It’s also near Highway 7 Cafe, which is a superb lunch spot if you like grilled food and ice cream. Even if you aren’t hungry for a full meal, it’s hard to pass up ice cream.
Your next stop is Varina and their City Park kaleidoscope (STOP 6). Again, you’ve got a playground with a pickleball court to entice you to spend a bit more time at the stop. This particular kaleidoscope stands out because its theme is stars and stripes. So, good timing for the country’s 250th celebration.
As you drive north, you could add another kaleidoscope to the tour in Little Clear Lake (BONUS STOP). We passed by it and went straight to Sportsman Park in Laurens (STOP 7). I think by this point we were tiring out, so my suggestion is to divide up your tour into two days if you want to visit all of them and not be puttering out by the end.
Sportsman Park covers a lot of ground, with playground equipment, a sand volleyball court, and a small pond. Still, it’s pretty easy to spot the kaleidoscope.
You can walk around and stretch your legs at the park. There’s a second stop in Laurens that I think is worth checking out if you have kids in tow. The Laurens Public Library has a spectacular musical instrument garden. My daughter is a teen now, but we’re both young-at-heart, so we had fun playing the xylophones.
We stopped the tour after Laurens, not doing a complete tour of the kaleidoscopes. Like I said earlier, this would be best enjoyed if you split it up into two days. And if you do that, I recommend making Pocahontas your home base. It’s centrally-located, has plenty of restaurants, a movie theater and bowling alley. And you can stay at the Pocahontas Inn & Suites.
