Welcome to the ‘City of Flags’ which is questionable on at least front, as given that the population is just a smidge over 1,500 and doesn’t even have a stop light, I would challenge the obvious that this place is not a city. Does it have flags? I definitely could be proven wrong on that front. This said, if you find yourself buzzing east–west across I80 and looking for a quiet, unnoticeable little jaunt to stop by and call home for the night, then you could do worse than the Pilot Travel Center #495 that you’ll find here just southwest of Brooklyn right off of this major interstate.
As for this Pilot Travel specifically, there’s a Subway embedded into its retail offering as well as a PJ Fresh Marketplace, where there’s a total of 7 fuel lanes, 90 public parking spaces as well as 13 reserved for ‘prime parking’ which means you can reserve ahead of time and pay a small nightly fee of $17 to hold a spot for you. There’s also fairly spartan clean bathroom and shower facilities of which there are a total of 5 dedicated shower stall. And in case you might need any mechanical work done on the automotive front, there’s a Lone Star Truck & Tire located just due south of I80 on Road 21 that will have you fixed up and running in no time.
Apart from having all the gasoline and assorted varieties at your pumping pleasure, this location also offers the following: diesel lanes and mobile fueling, ATM, Cat Scale, check cashing, cylinder propane, DEF lanes, lottery, money orders, game room, Pegasus, public laundry, premium WiFi and truck parking spaces. If you are looking to stock up on groceries, you’re best bet is either to head to Iowa City to the west or Davenport to the east, but if you can’t for whatever reason drive 30-40 minutes in either direction, then you only have a few meager options: Jeff’s Market over in Wilton or Jack & Jill over in Dewey’s.
Should you be looking to stock up on groceries, the picking is slim out in these parts, but the nearest option is Brooklyn Grocery, unless you wanted to hit up Supervalu (yeah, I thought these guys went out of business a long time ago, but apparently there’s still a few left) southwest of this location in Montezuma and Country Food Pride in Belle Plaine, which is just a shot due north of where you are presently parked.
If sitting down and grabbing some grub is on the menu, unless you have been 'jonesing' for some really great food at Denny’s, which is really the only show in town here, unless you count that Subway at Pilot Travel Center competition, then you are going to pinch yourself for not stopping off somewhere before you arrived to this culinary wasteland. The only somewhat decent nearby locales would be the Classic Deli & Ice Cream Shoppe, you guessed it, over in downtown Brooklyn, along with a Casey’s, which I must admit has some pretty darn good pizza or there’s Front Street Tap, which has, well, olives to go with that very stiff martini you might need to drink before realizing that there’s no other options for you other than getting back on I80 and hustling your way to the next bit of civilization.
Looking for a slice of nature while in these parts? Well, all you need to do is look southwest and head on over to the little spec of a spot called Montezuma, where you’ll find a very nice little hidden gem called Diamond Lake County Park. In fact, if you’ve read this review up until now, listen up, I would just simply recommend you depart the Pilot Travel Center you find yourself in contemplating an overnight stay and instead mosey on down this way where you will be surrounded by God’s great creation in the shape and form of Lake Diamond, which is completely shrouded in beautiful conifer trees encircling a mile high batch of fresh water that is pristine as it is perfect for a nice bit of paddling and fishing. And there slots are simply amazingly new with all of the traditional hook-ups and, might I add, a simply sublime view of the lake itself.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 5
Safety & Security: 4
Quality: 3
Peace& Quiet: 3
Amenities: 2
Overall, I scored this location a 3.
Happy Overnighting!
