Looking back across the river at FB & Company, a bar in Waubeek. Housed in a century-old Stone City building, the place is very rustic but does have food, even a good breakfast. Photos by the author.

Iowa is not known as a motorcycling destination, but rather a through state. Motorcyclists travel mostly on the four-lane roads thinking that?s all there is to see, and that includes many of those who live in Iowa. Even our maps don?t make it look inviting, since the squiggly lines aren?t all that squiggly. So here are some roads I enjoy traveling that will be a treat for any motorcyclists looking for lightly traveled, interesting roads and a highly adaptable route.

Map of the route taken, by Bill Tipton/compartmaps.com.
I start at the intersection of State Highway 13 and U.S. Route 151 outside Cedar Rapids only because I live near there. The ride starts on what I call transit roads, or primarily straight roads. At County Road E34 head east toward the small town of Whittier, past a few houses, a Friends meeting house and a small store, then turn north. I should note that terms like village and hamlet are not common in Iowa, so even a few houses grouped together is called a town. At Waubeek you?ll cross the Wapsipinicon River, where an old mill has been turned into a rustic bar. You?re now on Boy Scouts Road, a former gravel road paved in the chip and dip manner. It?s narrow, the pavement is uneven but not rough and it has some tight corners. It?s a short stretch to...