The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page – Saint Augustine
Without family and friends, the tapestry of life falls apart. We are grateful to be able to share our experiences with so many reading this blog. We are especially grateful when our travels permit us to renew old friendships. That was the case when we traveled to Des Moines, Iowa.
Now, Des Moines is not a place that jumps out as a must see when you look at a map of the U.S. and contemplate a trip out west. But I’ve often said that I would rather work a crappy case with good people than a great case with crappy people. That philosophy, when applied to travel, will take you to a place like Des Moines to see people you have not seen in almost 20 years. It will also lead you to appreciate a capital city that lies in the heart of Iowa at the confluence of the Racoon and Des Moines rivers.
We left Kansas City in our rear view mirror on Thursday and headed for Iowa.
After an uneventful drive, we setup camp at Cherry Glenn campground just north of Des Moines. Cherry Glen is a Corps of Engineer park on Saylorville lake. We were longing to camp in a more natural environment than the commercial parks we have stayed in recently and Cherry Glen delivered. Despite some wet firewood, we managed to enjoy a small fire and cook s’mores before turning in to rest up for our big day in Des Moines.
We awoke to a gorgeous day with moderate temps. After lunch, we met AS at her townhouse on the south edge of downtown. AS and I went to elementary school together in O’Fallon and have somehow managed to keep in touch all these years. AS wasted no time in escorting us on a walking and bus tour of Des Moines.
It was clear from the beginning that Des Moines has developed a vibrant and engaging downtown and AS’s enthusiasm for her hometown was infectious. We enjoyed a walk along the Des Moines river and over the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge.
Dead fish lined a portion of the river path having been trapped there by receding flood waters. The stench served as yet another reminder that Ferris Bueller was right when he said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
After crossing the bridge, we snagged a free bus that whisked us away in air-conditioned comfort to the top of the hill upon which sits Iowa’s Capitol building. The people of Iowa have every right to be proud of their Capitol. Built between 1871 and 1886, it is the only five-domed capitol building in the country.
And the interior is just as ornate and beautiful as the exterior.
Even better from M3s perspective, the grounds were lined with cannons and a Clash of Clans like mortar.
From the Capitol we hopped the free bus to the west end of town and toured the PappaJohn Sculpture Park. I’m not going to pretend I know anything about art, but it was a pleasant walk through a pristine park and I found some of the pieces interesting.
Sufficiently cultured, we returned to AS’s place to pickup her husband DS and son NS before risking life and limb to partake in the culinary delights of Zombie Burger.
We escaped from the clutches of the walking dead and headed to Prairie Meadows Racetrack for math lessons in odds, the difference between win/place/show, and calculating payouts. To facilitate those lessons, we bet $2 a race on 6 separate races throughout the evening. We alternated who made the pick with L and M3 going first and, consequently, getting two picks each. The S family emphasized the importance of careful study before making a selection based on odds, bib color, horse color, and/or overall horse aesthetics. They taught us well and each of us had a pick that finished in the money. Save the first race, where our horse finished way back, each of the races was exciting despite the meager stakes. Going 4 for 6 netted us $1.20. Great fun!
It was a treat to see AS and her family after all these years. That alone would have made the trip to Des Moines worthwhile. But our day was so much more than that. As we departed Prairie Meadows, M3 stated, “You can file that under a great day!” I have.
What a great day that must have been! Seeing old friends makes a visit much more meaningful. The Iowa Capitol looks as fancy as the Vatican. That’s an interesting name for a bridge. I’m sure there’s a story behind it.
Hi Mike, Howard again, well I really liked your comment about a crappy case but good people, so true indeed, glad you had s’mores, I need to do that one of these days, have never had one yet…your lessons on the horses and races sounded very fun too, I had fun with the now famous American Pharoah, I thought I did good on my studies but it was right on. enjoy your trips, cant wait to hear the next, you got me following, enjoy. r/ Howard