A caravan of international visitors will cruise through Iowa next week, led by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. He is embarking upon his ninth “Iowa Road Trip” next Monday to promote the Hawkeye State to diplomats from dozens of nations.The trade tour was launched during the farm crisis of the 1980s and this year includes ambassadors and trade representatives from 60 countries. Grassley says the tour provides a taste of the “real America.” Grassley says the benefits extend beyond the exchange of goods and services, saying commercial relationships help break down cultural and geographic barriers, leading to the peaceful exchange of ideas and humanitarian principles.Grassley says the sincerity and good will conveyed by the overnight host families and host communities leaves a lasting impression with the distinguished guests, which he says underscores the economic and social values that result from trade. The tour will take go through: Urbandale, Ankeny, Mason City, Forest City, Algona, Lakota, Spirit Lake, Arnolds Park, Hull, Sioux Center, Orange City, Le Mars, Sioux City, Aurelia, Storm Lake, Dayton, Ames and Des Moines.
