Landing at Fort Dodge Regional Airport in Fort Dodge keeps everything close, with nearby cities and attractions within easy reach. Fort Dodge is a river town on the Des Moines River in north central Iowa, built on gypsum mining and an old frontier fort. It is a practical, friendly place with a few good surprises, including a famous hoax and the first permanent art museum in the state.

Things to do around Fort Dodge: - Tour the Fort Museum and Frontier Village, a recreated fort and pioneer town - See the replica of the Cardiff Giant, the stone man carved from Fort Dodge gypsum in 1868 - Visit the Blanden Memorial Art Museum and its surprising collection - Walk or bike the trails along the Des Moines River - Catch a summer concert or the Frontier Days celebration in June - Hike the sandstone bluffs and canyon at Dolliver Memorial State Park, 20 minutes south - Ride horses or mountain bike at Brushy Creek State Recreation Area - Spend an afternoon at Oleson Park and its bandshell

Webster City is 20 minutes east of Fort Dodge, and Humboldt and Algona are a short drive north. Ames and Iowa State University are about an hour south, the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake is about 75 minutes northeast, and Des Moines is roughly 90 minutes. The Iowa Great Lakes at Okoboji are about the same distance northwest. Order a breaded pork tenderloin that hangs off the bun, the Iowa classic, and pick up sweet corn from a roadside stand in August. Fort Dodge is a good first stop for a loop through the heart of the state.