You’re close to the unique geography of the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway too, one of my favorite discoveries in western Iowa. Pick up some famous local candy, too – Palmer’s Twin Bings made of cherry nougat, roasted peanuts, and chocolate since the 1920’s.

Surprisingly, there’s a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Sioux City, with the usual concerts, restaurants, and gambling opportunities all housed in the historic, nicely-restored brick Battery Building. There’s an award-winning art center, some Lewis and Clark history, nearby hiking in Stone State Park, and outdoor activities in Cone Park. The downtown is very walkable, with lots of shops, restaurants, and public art plus the Missouri River running through it. Still, what I did experience was enjoyable. I was there to speak at and attend the annual Iowa state tourism conference, and when I’m in “conference mode” I don’t always get to see as much of the host town as I would like. Sioux City is located roughly between Omaha, Nebraska to the south and Sioux Falls, South Dakota to the north – the “ Siouxland” region. Really, how could I as an #AvGeek and traveler avoid buying SOMETHING with this phraseology on it? Reader, I could not. FlySUX merchandise is available, and FlySUX is the actual URL for their airport website.

To their credit, they have totally embraced this insulting reality. The official airport code for the smallish town of Sioux City, Iowa in the far west of the state (at the junction of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota) really is SUX. Okay, let’s all get the juvenile pointing and snickering out of the way. Icons at the Airport is a series of occasional posts about items at airports that connect an arriving traveler with the town or city and its personality. My favorite winter beanie hat of all time, because Sioux City Iowa SUX.

Sioux city airport food