Most days, life in Iowa (or anywhere, really) feels like a relentless conveyor belt. Between endless emails, grocery runs, school drop-offs, and the grind of work, it’s easy to feel flattened, frayed, and slightly unglued. We forget that we need more than checklists and obligations: We need bursts of magic, tiny jolts of wonder, and mischievous adventures that remind us we’re fully, gloriously alive.
I slip bits of magic into my own days whenever possible: lingering too long over cocktails on a rooftop restaurant where the city sprawls beneath me, or losing myself in the crooked streets of a (Midwest) German neighborhood that feels lifted out of a storybook. Still, maybe you’re craving something more magical, something with a capital M. Maybe you even want to rent a castle. “In Iowa?” you ask. Yes, in Iowa. And I’ve found you the perfect place.
Specifically, in Davenport, a city perched on the Mississippi that’s equal parts history, grit, and charm. The Airbnb is called Castle Cicali, a Tudor-style six-bedroom home that leans all the way into its eccentricities. It sleeps 15, but really, it entertains 15. Named after its former owners (who clearly had an eye for both drama and eclectic design), the house is less a rental and more a stage set.
A private hot tub bubbles on the patio, inviting you to soak your cares away, while inside, a piano sits ready for your best Elton John impression. The game rooms tempt you with pool, ping pong, or an unexpectedly fierce round of indoor basketball. Add arcade games, a crackling fire pit, and sprawling spaces to lounge, and suddenly you’ve got an Iowa castle getaway where boredom is officially banned.
The bedrooms themselves feel like a roll call of comfort: three kings, a bunk, a basement futon, and full beds tucked away like secret hideouts. Each space carries its own personality: Renaissance wallpaper bold enough to impress Catherine the Great, staircases that seem to have their own private agenda, and murals that practically beg you to invent outlandish backstories. The kitchen, armed with wine glasses and chopsticks alike, is big enough for family feasts that tumble into hours of conversation. Across the street, Vander Veer Park spreads out with gardens, walking trails, and a greenhouse conservatory that’s basically nature’s version of stained glass.
And then there’s the neighborhood. Davenport may not shout, but it winks. The vibe is equal parts river-town grit and unexpected cool. Families can wander through the botanical center’s tropical dome or catch a planetarium show at the Putnam Museum. Art lovers can disappear into the Figge Art Museum’s galleries, where modern pieces keep company with Grant Wood. Kids (and adults with an appetite for whimsy) can spend hours in Vander Veer Park’s playgrounds or hunt down the city’s sprawling murals that turn alleyways into open-air galleries. And the food? Grab a slice at Lopiez Pizza, where punk rock meets mozzarella. If you’re feeling fancy, try one of the downtown bistros serving Midwestern comfort food dressed up with just enough attitude—and then head back to your magical Iowa castle.
The whole effect is less Game of Thrones, more game night of your dreams, where every corner holds a surprise, and even your cool aunt is already planning her return trip before the first one ends. Castle Cicali is where hot tub soaks turn into piano sing-alongs, and fire pit chats stretch past midnight. It’s where kids and grandparents, introverts and extroverts, can all find their own corners of joy under one quirky Tudor roof.
So here’s my invitation: visit Iowa. Visit Davenport. And treat yourself to an overnight stay in a castle that proves magic isn’t something you have to chase across an ocean. Sometimes it’s waiting just across the Mississippi, ready to host your family, your friends, your own little kingdom of curious souls. Life will always weigh us down, but joy—real, shimmering joy—waits here, wrapped in stone walls and eccentric wallpaper. All you have to do is say yes to the castle…