Travel Iowa: Decorah’s B&B on Broadway worth the short drive

by Matt Marquardt –

DECORAH, IOWA – A beautiful home in historic downtown Decorah, Iowa, makes for the perfect short-drive getaway.

Decorah is a small, bustling college town located in northeast Iowa on Highway 9, about an hour and a half from Mason City.

The city is full of life, and even on a blustery February day, pedestrians were out and about. The city library is right downtown, tucked amongst other historic buildings, coffee shops, restaurants, and small business storefronts. Miles and miles of paved trails offer something for the ambitious, and there are plenty of sites to see (Decorah eagles nest).

Just about a block or two away from downtown sits the B&B on Broadway, offering 5 rooms including a lavish master suite with nearly every amenity to spoil you as enjoy the small town charm of Decorah.

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When you enter this home, you are met by a kindly, smiling host who shows you to your room. We were met by Dean Humpal, who along with his wife Lois, is the owner. They opened the B&B on Broadway six years ago and have put endless time and effort into the details that make their establishment so welcoming.

The first floor has a full kitchen, dining room and large sitting room with fireplace.

The second floor is four rooms, all with private bathrooms and each a little different, some with antiques.

The third floor is all master suite. Couches, two beds, an air jet tub, full bathroom and kitchenette await. Of course the modern trappings like wireless internet come in handy, and DirecTV on a high definition TV never hurts, either.

The turreted Victorian house has that old-world charm of creaking stairs and a few drafty nooks; it is over one hundred years old (it was built in 1910 by Hartvig Engbretson, a Norwegian immigrant.) Combine that with the newer features, and you have a place to remember.

The next time you are looking for a weekend out of North Central Iowa, take a short drive east to Decorah and check out the B&B on Broadway, you will be glad you did.

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