We all have them. Those places that we are relatively interested in seeing but not enthralled enough to use our vacation time to visit. For us this time, Des Moines, Iowa was that place. Yes, although not outrightly tempting as a vacation spot, Iowa is actually a great candidate for a getaway trip.
 |
| Paging through our brochure booklets |
I am a strong believer in maintaining a healthy diet of short and sweet trips. They help clear the mind and re-excite, giving you a little rush of fresh perspective. So Charlie and I decided to head 250 miles south to pay a visit to our neighbor Iowa. Taking 35W we stopped at the Minnesota and Iowa border to take a look at the Iowa Information Center. I recommend stopping at these centers in general to gather maps, brochures, and inside tips that often provide quick historical snapshots that add meaning to the sights you’ll experience. However this information center in particular is the best either of us have ever experienced. The staff was incredibly passionate to give us helpful suggestions, from the quirky and amazing matchstick museum, the free coffee to inspiring historical sites.
 |
| Crystal Sugar plant along route 65 |
For us, Mason City became the first destination :
Known for being the childhood home of Meredith Wilson, the playwright of the musical the Music Man. This musical’s characters are based on the citizens of this quaint town. Much of the attraction has to do with Music Man museum and walkway. You will find a library names in its honor and statues of character. We had a blast singing Seventy Six Trombones. Kind of a sad place that its only tourism is off this horrible musical so after 30 minutes of roaming its main attraction we decided to find our own.
*a one-trick pony town that’s worth the stop*
 |
| F.L Wright Prairie structure |
Architecture buffs and enthusiasts will be happy to stumble upon two Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie structures, the Dr. G.C Stockman House and the Park Inn Hotel and City National Bank Buildings. Both buildings have been beautifully kept and you can even stay a night at the Park Inn Hotel. While at the Dr. G.C Stockman House, walk or drive along the river to view other early 1900 homes and daydream of days long ago. Pretending we were one of their guests (basically walk in and walk past the receptionist like you know where you are going), we were able to see all the rooms of this historic hotel.
 |
| Charlie running through the halls :) |
 |
| City National Bank that is connected to the hotel |
Des Moines:
I was surprised at how Des Moines is mostly made up for strip mall architecture. Almost everything in built as one long corridor. They have several bus lines since Des Moines has 10 different colleges and Universities. This also brings with it more stores and bars geared towards a younger population. Overall, I felt like I was in a smaller St Paul downtown or just a very large suburb since the city is notorious of less of an center and more spaced out. Plan your trip using this handy website: http://www.catchdesmoines.com/things-to-do/
 |
| The beautiful state capital of Iowa |
Things to check out:
Iowa Capital: very beautiful and interesting historical architecture
Pappajohn Sculpture Park: free and located in the center of downtown. Though it is not extensive, it is a fun place to enjoy the life size during the warmer months or for an interactive photoshoot.
East Village: this would be where the younger population hangs out. It has boutiques, bike shops and local shops. Equivalent to any large city’s uptown area. They also hold annual festivals such as Bike Nights, the World Food Festival and Holiday Promenade.
Gong Fu Tea: The owners travel throughout the world to hand-select the loose leaf teas found in this one-of-a-kind, Asian-inspired teahouse that features selections such as Silver Needle tea from China's Fujian province.
Fong’s Pizza:
Going to Des Moines? You have to go to Fong’s Pizza. This place is raved about in the Polk County area. They make handmade craft pizza with weird toppings such as Bacon Cheeseburger to Pinneapple Shrimp that are served as late as 3am on weekends.
Jilla’s Lessons Learned!
1) Make stops at those quirky places that make each place unique. Do not allow yourself to just space out while in transit, but instead embrace the journey and be spontaneous.
2) Find a place to stay for FREE! Sites like couchsurfing allow for you to meet people while enjoying the luxury of a home-away from home
Couchsurfing.com 101:
Charlie and I wanted to reduce the cost of travels and so we tried out couchsurfing for the first time. Several of our friends and housemates had gone on long adventures while using couchsurfing so we decided to give it a go.
What is couchsurfing?
It is a website (couchsurfing.com) that allows for members to search for our members that will allow you to "surf" on couches by staying as a guest at a host's home, host travelers, or join an event. Couchsurfing is virtually in every city which allows for members to travel throughout the world. It is free to open up an account and to become a host. Members create an account that allows you to add a photos of yourself and your facility if you are a host, your interest, languages spoken and etc to personalize your profile. Accounts and members are verified on their profiles by personal references, personal vouching and an optional method of credit card verification, all of which is visible to all members.
Pros:
-It is easy to travel throughout the world and find other couchsurfer hosts and travelers.
-Couchsurfing also set-ups meets for all the couchsurfers that want to meet other couchsurfers in certain cities. This allows for travelers to meet hosts and other travelers and socialize.
-CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP. I have never had to pay for a stay!
-Great for emergencies when a friend bails, tried of driving all night long, need a place to crash, or that hotel room turns out to be a not so good idea.
-Easy way to meet other people in the city you are traveling in. Hosts are open-minded and like having guests. They allow for an insider scoop on the places, its amenities and attractions.
-Most hosts are flexible about dates so if you decide to extend your trip or shorten it you can. Just be mindful that you should always communicate with your host for best results.
Cons:
-Some cities are hard to book a location for. It all depends on how often a host checks their account for a request. I recommend contacting a host several days to weeks before your trip to insure a booking. BUT—I have read and heard from several members that they have had success posting on a cities wall for emergency hosts.
-You get what you pay for: Hosts do not have to feed you (though some day, extra perk J), types of sleeping situations vary from your own private room to sleeping on a couch but all hosts have to list what type of sleeping amenity they are willing to provide. They are not a hotel service so keep common courtesy rules-do not trash their house, you are a guest.
-One must be proactive in communication from initial contact to establishing ground rules.
All in all, I loved my experience with my Iowian couchsurfers. They are empty nesters that are hippie urban farmers. I felt safe and comfortable from initial contact. They offered us our own private room, homegrown and made food, travel tips on Des Moines site seeing, called up a friend for us to talk about potential graduate schools and even were flexible on our ending our trip a little earlier than expected. If you are hesitating, I would suggest that you try couchsurfing in your own town/city. You will be able to experiment and still feel safe in your own area. Remember, use common sense when picking hosts. Your intuition does wonders.
Happy travels!
-j
Trip total cost: under $120 for 2 people for 2 days
Price breakdown:
Hotel: $0
Transportation: $120 for gas
Food: $0 our couchsurfer feed us organic homegrown produce and meals
Couchsurfer bread: Pita Bread recipe
2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 T kosher salt
1 1/2 T granulated yeast
1 T sugar
1/4 c olive oil
6 1/2 c unbleached flour (I have used 1c whole wheat flour, with good results)
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a 5qt container. When yeast proofs (about 10min.), stir in flour. Let rise covered in a warm place for two hours.
You may use immediately or keep in the frig for up to 10 days.
This makes great pizza, poke holes in the dough after you roll it out to avoid bubbles.
It makes great pita bread, roll dough into 4-5" circles about 1/4" thick, let rest 15 minutes. Bake until puffed, about 4-5 minutes at 450 degrees.
*The book is ARTISAN BREAD IN 5 MINUTES A DAY by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.
 |
| I love this book. IF you must only have one cookbook--THIS HAS TO BE IT! |
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)