>more romantic getaways in Iowa

"It seems right now that all I've ever done in my life is making my way here to you." A nomadic soul learns that an unexpected turn can lead you home in the acclaimed film The Bridges of Madison County, a faithful adaptation of Robert James Waller's popular novel. A heartbreaking tale of a photographer with ties to no one and the duty-bound woman who is given the chance to love freely for the first time, the Clint Eastwood-directed movie reminds us all that once you have been truly loved, you are never alone.

FILMING LOCATIONS

Known as the birthplace of American icon John Wayne,(the home where the movie legend spent his formative years has been converted into a museum which proudly displays such treasured memorabilia as The Duke's eyepatch from True Grit) Winterset, Iowa was the obvious choice to set the stage for the love story between photographer Robert Kincaid and housewife Francesca Johnson.

A close-knit community with a comforting small town atmosphere, you can indulge in life's simple pleasures while visiting the filming locations used in the beloved 1995 movie. Chat with the locals at the Northside Cafe, a cozy eating establishment serving the townspeople since 1876, where Clint Eastwood's character contemplated the possible consequences of his developing feelings, or recreate Robert and Francesca's romantic picnic by a picturesque stone bridge, which can be found at Winterset's City Park. Close by you will find the Cutler-Donahue Covered Bridge whose charm, along with that of the Imes, Hogback, Holliwell and Roseman Covered Bridge, lure thousands of tourists to Madison County (www.madisoncounty.com) each year.

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Of the nineteen original covered bridges which dot the area, only five remain standing. Famous for gracing the cover of Waller's novel, the demise of the Cedar Covered Bridge(www.cedarcoveredbridge.com) at the hand of an arsonist in September 2002 felt like a death in the family to the local residents. There are plans to rebuild the structure, and until that day its memory will be kept alive in the hearts of all who attend the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival, a celebration of this region's serene beauty held the second weekend of each October.

The soft rustle of paper greets you as you approach Roseman Bridge--anonymous notes filled with romantic sentiments are often found pinned to the wood at the bridge's entrance, inspired as much by the enchantment of the surroundings as by the book and film. Both the Roseman and Holliwell covered bridges were prominently featured in the movie, and the Roseman Bridge holds such fond memories for fans that many weddings are performed here.

As you meander down a peaceful country road in northeast Madison County, you will find yourself drawn to a two-storey farmhouse with an inviting facade. Francesca's House, abandoned to the mercy of the elements for over three decades, was given a new lease on life when it was chosen to represent the home of the movie's leading lady. The screen door creaks out a welcome as you enter into Francesca's kitchen with its patterened wallpaper, cheerful yellow formica table and small radio, which provided a melody for the lovers first tentative dance. From the iron clawed bathtub, where one of the movie's most intimate scenes took place, to the hope chest where Francesca tucked away the mementos from her secret love, all the movie props are on display. The cinematic memories come flooding back as you stroll through the house, and it is easy to imagine that Francesca has only momentarily stepped away.

Sitting patiently beneath a tree's sheltering branches there is a weathered green pickup, the same which had taken away a piece of Francesca's heart as the only love she had ever known drove away so many years ago. Today it stands guard outside her house, a memorial to a love which neither time nor distance could erase. As you walk down the path back to your own car, take hold of the hand of the one you love and know that "this kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime".

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