The Otis Café, a humble roadside eatery near Lincoln City, has been luring travelers with the siren song of marionberry pie since long before GPS could tell you where to find your next meal.

Tucked away just four miles south of Boone, this 1,200-acre natural playground isn’t Iowa’s largest state park, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for with jaw-dropping scenery that will have your ...