Relive Onward State’s Road Trip To Iowa
Our first real road trip of the season is in the books!
This past weekend, 3/5’s of the Onward State football beat took on the road trip to Iowa to watch Terry Smith and Ethan Grunkemeyers’ debut in a sold-out Kinnick Stadium. The Nittany Lions came up short in the end in a 25-24 loss to the Hawkeyes.
After 25 hours in the car over the course of 3 days, this goes up in the rankings with Onward State’s longest road trip to date.
Let’s take a look back at our trip to Iowa.
Friday
Even though there were 12 hours in the car ahead of us, Cooper, Collin, and I decided on a later start, leaving State College around noon.
A few heated debates took place as we drove across our first state lines and made it to Ohio.
Only 9 1/2 more hours to go!
New state alert
— Cooper Cazares (@CooperCazares) October 17, 2025pic.twitter.com/jXQ3L3od8g
I fell asleep at some point in the middle of nowhere, Ohio. But we stopped to get gas and some lunch, and were back on the same road for the next 600 miles.
One more state down, two to go. We were in Indiana!
Next stop: The promised land (Culver’s).
It was the boys’ first time there, so we stopped for some dinner right in South Bend. Cooper switched to the driver’s seat, and we were back on the road.
Finally, after 12 hours, but technically 11 since we gained an hour back, we made it to Iowa, and don’t worry, of course, we had to ‘get Grunky’.
Saturday
We woke up in the beautiful Cedar Rapids, Iowa — said no one ever. And then we made the 25-minute drive to Iowa City to explore the campus and downtown area.
The campus was practically a ghost town for a Saturday morning with a home game.
University of Iowa
— Cooper Cazares (@CooperCazares) October 18, 2025pic.twitter.com/jKGyyyeAgX
After I grabbed a coffee, we walked around for about another hour, and after 3 1/2 miles, we made a stop at Stella for lunch near the stadium and finally started to feel that midwestern hospitality.
We walked around for a bit after we ate, met some very nice Iowans, and signed our names and Onward State into the HawksToGo trailer for forever!
We then made our way into the stadium around 2:45 p.m. for the 6 p.m. start. Cooper and Collin made their way up to the press box, while I made my way to the field to take photos.
Even though the Nittany Lions lost, the environment of the stadium was awesome.
— Cooper Cazares (@CooperCazares) October 19, 2025
As the boys wrapped up their work around 11:30, we made our way back to our hotel.
Sunday
On the road again.
We decided to hop on the road earlier this time around and started our trek back to school around 7 a.m.
The entire drive, we were stuck in the same storm. We made a stop in either Illinois or Indiana. I think I was still half asleep, so I honestly don’t remember. I just knew the state started with an I, and we had to have been out of Iowa by that point.
We filled up on gas, and luckily, a Dunkin’ was attached to this stop, so we grabbed some breakfast and were back on the same rainy road.
A few hours later, we made our final stop at a truck stop in Ohio. I grabbed Panera, and Cooper and Collin grabbed Popeyes for a late lunch. The boys switched driving seats, and we were back for the final stretch.
We made it back to Happy Valley around 8:15, and just like that, another road trip is in the books for this season!
We’ll see you in two weeks for our road trip to Ohio State!
Your ad blocker is on.
Please choose an option below.
Purchase a Subscription!
About the Author
We Want To See Your Favorite Penn State Holiday Decorations
Now that Thanksgiving is over, we’re ready to see your favorite Penn State-themed holiday decor.
[Photo Story] Penn State vs. Michigan State
The Nittany Lions took home the coveted Land-Grant Trophy and broke a 63-day losing streak.