Iowa, We Need to Talk About Our Welcome Sign…It Stinks
My wife and I moved to Iowa a little over a year and a half ago and there is something I've noticed every time we drive back to Minnesota that we need to talk about. I'll come right out and say that this won't be an incredibly popular opinion here in Iowa but we need to do some work on our "welcome to Iowa" sign.
Iowans are generally some pretty kind and caring people. I think it's awesome our welcome sign lets everyone know "the people of Iowa welcome you." I think Iowans surely love it when people get to visit our great state and take in everything we have to offer.
When people enter the state of Iowa, we welcome them with open arms and hope they enjoy their time. I'm not blasting the phrasing of our sign. I think it's perfectly fine. I'm blasting the sign itself. It's so basic and dare I say...boring.
Neighboring State's Welcome Signs
When my wife and I drive to visit our friends and family in Minneapolis, we get on 35 and head straight north. When we reach the state of Minnesota, we see a Welcome to Minnesota sign that truly stands out.
I hate to say it but there is no comparison on which sign looks better. The Welcome to Iowa sign is just a square piece of wood. The Minnesota sign is more of a monument. It's loud and proud and does a great job representing Minnesota. According to CN Traveler, it was designed actually by students who attended the University of Minnesota.
I grew up a big Vikings fan so I've always had a bit of a vendetta against Wisconsin and the Green Bay Packers but Iowa's northeast neighbors have a better sign than Iowa...
What about our neighbors directly east? Well...Illinois welcome sign is about on par with Iowa's. It's pretty bland.
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A post shared by Unique art and one of a kind sculptures by Nodsu (@nodsukas)
Nebraska can be lumped into the bland sign club. Check out our neighbors to the west
If we travel south and visit the state of Missouri, you'd be welcomed by this sign. While this sign is also pretty bland, at least it's a bright blue color and stands out a little bit.
South Dakota has a pretty cool sign. While it's still a basic square, there is at least a cool photo/design that helps to represent the state fairly well.
I think we could use a bit of an update here in Iowa with our welcome sign. What do you think? I think it's time for Iowa to step its game up a little bit.
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Gallery Credit: Carly Ross
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