Editor’s Note: As harvest season wraps up around the United States, we are taking a look at the role agriculture has played in the Midwest. Today, we take a look at a Living History farm and town in the Des Moines area… Farming has been the backbone of America since its founding. The Native Americans […]
Tulip Time in Pella and Orange City, IA Celebrating Dutch ancestry and culture kick off our look at area summer festivals. Pella, Iowa, celebrates the 81st annual Tulip Time festival May 5-7. Parades, tours of the working windmill and great food are part of the events for the central Iowa community. We have visited Pella […]
I’ve never been to a state fair. Lisa is sure she went as a kid but doesn’t remember. So, we ventured out to Des Moines to check out the Iowa State Fair. We weren’t disappointed. The state fair is just like a county fair…multiplied by about 1 million gazillion times. Or, at least the Iowa […]
As the summer travel season winds down, you may still have the itch to get out of town, but not want to drop a lot of green to do it. What’s a person to do? How about checking cities and attractions within a tank of gas from Omaha? Day trips can be fun and economical. […]
We were told to try The Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale, Iowa, because they had outstanding barbecue. Following our visit to the Living History Farms next door, we sat down to a nice lunch. Lisa had BBQ pulled pork and I had the barbecue brisket sandwich. Both entrees were large. They each came with […]
West Des Moines’ Historic Valley Junction offers some unique shopping opportunities, as well as some excellent dining options. Valley Junction is the original downtown for the city. The area saw success after the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad moved its roundhouse, switch yard and repair shop here. The area recognizes its railroad history with […]
Take a step back in time at the Living History Farms in Urbandale, Iowa. The farm complex actually consists of three farming periods – 1700 Native American, 1800 settler and 1900 farmstead – and an 1875-era town. The thing that stands out about the complex is the re-enactors. They dress for the era they represent […]
Did you know that the first balloon flight carrying a human occurred in 1783 in Paris, France? This was new to me. But, after visiting the National Balloon Museum in Indianola, Iowa, I learned that and much more about ballooning. The national museum is located in Indianola because the area is home to some of […]
About 75 balloons lifted off the ground for a mass ascension the day we attended the National Balloon Classic in Indianola, Iowa. We attended the 2010 International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM, so I set my expectations based on that experience. I didn’t know if I’d be impressed watching 75 balloons take off after having […]
So, Lisa and I were walking in the Australia section of the Des Moines zoo when an animal hopped across the path a few feet away from us. Once we recognized it was a wallaby, we first thought it must have escaped its area. Nope, it was in its area. What?! Blank Park Zoo lets its […]
