Dating back to 1785 -- when French-Canadian fur trapper Julien Dubuque settled along the Mississippi River -- Dubuque is Iowa's oldest city and a regular stop on Upper Mississippi River cruise itineraries. With its pretty rolling hills, the city stands out from the rest of the mostly pancake-flat state.
Long a bastion of industries such as mining, timber and rail, Dubuque has spent the last 20 years successfully revitalizing its downtown and riverfront spaces. In 2014, USA Today named the city the fourth "Best American Riverfront," and the National Civic League has put Dubuque on the list of top 10 All-American Cities three times in the past 10 years. It's most famous, however, as the jumping-off point for the headlining grassland in Kevin Costner's movie "Field of Dreams."
Why go to Dubuque?
Dubuque is home to Iowa's oldest cultural institution, an art museum more than 140 years old
If you're comfortable with the flat terrain of the Midwest, Dubuque has rolling hills to walk
Dubuque is routinely rated as an all-American city; the "Fields of Dreams" begins here, after all
