[Kohlsdorf] We've pulled off in Boone to get off the Lincoln Highway and get on the rails for a different way to explore the Iowa countryside.

♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] Once the domain of the Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railroad, these tracks are now operated by the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad, a heritage line that has been preserving this section of train history since 1983.

♪♪ Go ahead and hold onto that brake for me if you could.

We're going to pedal on forward.

[Kohlsdorf] We're starting our day with rail explorers for a front row seat to Central Iowa's rolling hills and fantastic fall colors.

[Kohlsdorf] And with the leaves changing, is this one of your favorite parts of the year?

[Taylor Rourke] Yes, yes.

It's a very coveted time of the year.

A lot of people always ask, so when is the best time to come for the leaves?

And honestly you have no clue because it's Iowa weather.

So, it could be at any point during October.

So, yeah, it's gorgeous.

♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] Wow, these go fast.

[Taylor Rourke] Yeah, they do.

So, my seat that I'm in right now it's called our stop and go seat.

So, it controls our pedal assist.

We have our REX propulsion system.

So, if I pedal it's going to engage that motor.

But if you pedal it will help propel the bike forward, but you're going to get a workout if I'm not doing my job over here.

[Kohlsdorf] Okay, I'm glad you're here then.

(laughter) [Kohlsdorf] I bet this has really changed the way people see and come to Boone, right?

[Taylor Rourke] Yes, we brought over last year over 30,000 people came to ride with us.

So, we brought a lot of different people to the area and we really try to push for people to go and do other things in Boone.

[Kohlsdorf] One of the highlights of the rail ride is the 750 foot long, 156-foot-high Bass Point Creek High Bridge.

♪♪ [Taylor Rourke] And then yep, right up here we're going to come up to the high bridge.

So, as soon as we turn over here it's there.

[Kohlsdorf] Riders crossing the bridge will find breathtaking, panoramic views of the valley and experience the thrill of soaring high above the creek below.

[Taylor Rourke] Just keep on over there.

[Kohlsdorf] That's right, just keep looking ahead, right?

[Taylor Rourke] Keep looking ahead.

You've got it.

[Kohlsdorf] Ooh, okay.

We can do this.

[Taylor Rourke] We're going to go slow, okay?

So just don't look down if you don't want to.

[Kohlsdorf] Okay, I'm not.

I'm just going to keep going.

Okay, you're right, this isn't so bad.

[Taylor Rourke] No, it's not because the deepest part is just right at the end because there's a lot of trees.

So, it makes you feel like it's not as far down.

[Kohlsdorf] You're right.

Okay, this is not so bad.

This is beautiful.

Wow!

[Taylor Rourke] Isn't it gorgeous?

[Kohlsdorf] This is one of those truly beautiful unique Iowa experiences right here.

[Taylor Rourke] Well, we're the only ones that, and even in the Midwest we don't have anything like this in the Midwest, it's just us.

So, we like to joke that we are the rail bike capital of the Midwest.

(laughter) [Kohlsdorf] And you are.

[Taylor Rourke] We are.

♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] Taylor, thanks for taking us out today.

Tell us a little bit about rail explorers.

[Taylor Rourke] Of course, rail explorers has been around since 2015.

The Boone, Iowa location is one of seven.

We have everybody from all different ages, all different abilities that could come out and experience this beautiful track that we have here.

[Kohlsdorf] What are the kind of reactions that you hear from people who have done this?

[Taylor Rourke] We have a lot of people that say that they want to come back and ride with us at a different time of the season or different time of our tour.

So, we have several different tours throughout the day.

We have our morning tours, we have afternoon tours, we have our sunset tours and then our last tour that we do of the day is our lantern tours.

[Kohlsdorf] And I love how you encourage people to explore Boone when you're doing this, right?

Don't just stop here, but go to the other places as well.

[Taylor Rourke] Yes, Boone County has a lot to offer around here, especially for those outdoor enthusiastic people.

[Kohlsdorf] Okay, I'm a little bit afraid of heights.

So, what do you tell people as you're going over this or preparing to go over this bridge?

[Taylor Rourke] Yes, so we always recommend that people pick a spot right out in front of them and just continue looking at that spot.

But really once you're out on the bridge it is so picturesque, a lot of people will come back to the depot and they're just so excited that they had overcome their fear of going across the bridge and we celebrate with them as well.

So, it's a pretty great experience for sure.

♪♪ ♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] After a morning cruise peddling the rails, it's time to sit back and relax.

All aboard!

Say hi!

[Kohlsdorf] On a vintage railcar and locomotive ride operated by the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Museum.

[Travis Stevenson] It's a museum but it's an operating museum.

So, we have train rides and within that there's steam engine, there's diesel engines, there's electric trolley.

We've got the rides, special events and then we have the museum, which we're standing in here, which gives a lot of history of railroading in Iowa.

Riding the train today, huh?

[Kohlsdorf] I am.

[Travis Stevenson] The train ride goes out into the Des Moines River Valley from Boone.

It's about a 14-mile roundtrip ride.

Well, I think we're all full.

[Travis Stevenson] You get to go across the High Bridge and then the Des Moines River Bridge near the Y Camp.

This time of year, it's great for fall colors.

A little bit of everything.

(train engine) [Train Conductor] How's everybody doing today?

[Passengers] Good!

[Train Conductor] I've got a question for you guys.

Is this the best train ride you've had all day?

[Passengers] Yeah!

[Train Conductor] I still got it, don't I?

♪♪ [Kohlsdorf] Do you kind of feel like people like this because it's a little bit of nostalgia and it takes them back in time?

[John Dawkins] I tell everybody that the museum is the inside museum and out here is the outside museum.

This stuff, some of this stuff you can't find anywhere else.

♪♪ ♪♪ [Travis Stevenson] This is unique because there's some other museums in Iowa, railroad museums, but there's not one that has got the train ride to the extent that we have and then also this big of a museum space.

♪♪ [Travis Stevenson] If you're going across the Lincoln Highway, this through here is part of the history too.

I mean, the railroads in Iowa were kind of what built the state.

[Train Conductor] Hey everybody, I want to thank you for coming.

I hope you had a good time.

Have a safe trip home and a nice evening.

[Passenger] Thank you!

♪♪