4-Day Trip to Iowa
10/18/24 - 10/21/24
For our first post-Alicia-had-a-baby adventure, we decided to go to….Iowa! I know, I know. Sounds random. But with our goal to visit all 50 states before we turn 50 and our college, UCF, having recently joined the Big 12, a visit to a new state to watch some football sounded like the perfect adventure. So, we looked up the top things to do in Iowa, bought game tickets online, and set off on our Iowa itinerary!
Day 1: Travel to Ames, Iowa
We often try to meet during our connection but that didn’t work out this time so Alicia arrived in Des Moines before Dana and snuck in a quick pump (new mama problems but I love this portable breast pump – perfect for traveling mamas) and a little work in the airport while waiting for Dana. When she arrived, we grabbed our car (which was very simple – it’s a small, easy-to-navigate airport) and headed to Ames, home to Iowa State University, about 45 minutes away. In typical Dana and Alicia fashion, we waited until the last minute to book our accommodations and the hotels were full so Dana found a VRBO that was a little outdated on the furnishings but got great reviews and was in a good location so we headed to our home away from away for the weekend.
We contacted the host on the way into town and there was some confusion about what we booked. He thought we booked a room – “dorm style” he called it – but we had booked a full apartment. He shared that he accidentally put someone else in the apartment (a carriage house above the garage) but would move them out and it should be ready soon…so we grabbed some lunch and a local beer (we’ve now officially been to Iowa) at the Boulder Tap House while we waited. And waited. And waited. No word from our host so we reached back out, made arrangements, and finally got the go-ahead to meet him for the keys (this should have been our first red flag…).
Stop 1: Torrent Brewing
Of course our first stop in Iowa was a brewery - a local beer and a local meal means you’ve officially visited a place.
We arrived at our VRBO to find…a junk yard. A nice house in an adorable neighborhood with a driveway/courtyard area filled with…junk. And weirdly, large stuffed animals. Red flag number 2. We got our keys and the host gave us a quick tour of our unit. Old and a little grungier than we expected but such is travel sometimes. We got settled and headed out for dinner - first stop, a local brewery called Torrent Brewing and then dinner at Aunt Maud’s. We were staying in the old town area and found that not much was open for dinner so Aunt Maud’s was busy but the food was very good. We walked home and felt very safe walking around Ames at night. When we got to our VRBO, there were a few… questionable-looking characters…. (maybe guests from the main house?) sitting around the firepit. In fairness, Mike, our host, had invited us to hang out at any of the chairs in the courtyard (and there were plenty of weird, mismatched chairs scattered randomly about), but we were exhausted from our day of travel so it was straight to bed for us.
Day 2: Hiking at Ledges State Park and Football in Ames
We set our alarms for 8 for a packed day of hiking and UCF football. While Alicia slept until 8, Dana couldn’t sleep and was up at 5:30 so she made a cup of coffee. It was a pot-less coffee maker so she couldn’t see the coffee being made and when she grabbed her cup and it was cold, she just assumed it was a crappy coffee maker…only to realize AFTER finishing her first cup that the coffee maker already had old coffee sitting in it from a previous guest (what number red flag are we on now?). The best (worst?) part, the whole kitchen was covered in a layer of dust so it was clear that coffee had been sitting in there for a long time. So gross. We quickly decided no eating would be done in what we were realizing was a pretty dirty apartment so we got ready for our hike and off we went to breakfast at Café Diem in the old town area. Fancy coffees and breakfast sandwiches – nothing special but quick and got the job done.
After our breakfast, we set out for Ledges State Park. This is easily one of the best places to visit in Iowa and a great way to squeeze in an outdoor activity. It was a lovely park with hiking trails in the middle and a road/parking spaces on the edge so families could bring their littles or you could hike. We hiked the Canyon Road and Table Rock Loop trail. It was a moderate hike with pretty views of the foliage and the granite ledges that give the park its name. The trails weren’t well marked so we had to check AllTrails a number of times but there was plenty of cell service so it wasn’t a problem. In true Dana fashion, while hopping across some rocks in a flooded area, the sole of her shoe fell off so she spent the rest of the hike with no traction on one shoe. Our hike was around 3 miles at the completion. We had originally planned a second hike in the park but decided we got the idea (and you know, Dana was basically down to one shoe), so we moved on with our day.
Next up, we headed to the High Trestle Trail Bridge. The bridge has a very cool design and views for miles. The paved trail that goes over the bridge is 25 miles long and would be a great way to spend a day on a bike. We parked nearby (use 2335 QF Lane, Madrid, Iowa), just under a mile from the bridge, so we got to enjoy a little bit of the trail, the bridge, and the view on a really lovely day. At this point, we were starving and ready to head home for the game. We went to Provisions Lot F on the Iowa State campus for lunch. The food was fresh, local, and delicious. Dana says the tomato and red pepper soup was the best soup she’s ever had.
After lunch, it was back to our VRBO to get ready for the game. While Dana showered, Alicia attempted to relax in bed….and discovered a blood stain on the sheets that she hadn’t noticed in her exhausted stupor the night before. We found another set of sheets in the cabinet….also with a blood stain on it. The more we look around, this place just keeps getting grosser and grosser. When we travel somewhere that we know the sleeping conditions may be questionable (looking at you overnight trains), Alicia brings a sleeping bag liner that’s super lightweight so easy to pack and serves as a clean barrier – she was kicking herself for not bringing it on this trip! This place gave us a lot of flashbacks to the hostel we stayed at in London years ago. Trying to ignore it (Alicia really struggled with this), we headed to the game for a little tailgating before kickoff. Alicia forgot to bring a stadium-approved clear bag so we popped into Target to grab one (big enough for a few beers for our tailgating).
The UCF vs. Iowa State game was the highlight of the trip. We arrived on campus to find tailgating tents as far as the eye could see and the friendliest fans we’d ever met! Alicia saw on Facebook that a couple she’d met at a previous away game was tagged at the game so we were able to meet up with them. Turns out, they had been adopted by some Iowa State fans so we instantly made some new Iowa friends and promised to repay the hospitality if/when they make their way to Orlando for a game.
We were blown away by how welcoming Iowa State fans were. People kept thanking us for coming to the game! We made our way to our seats and found even more friendly fans. We were expecting to be totally blown out but in true UCF fashion, our team stepped up the plate, played well, made it competitive….and lost in the last 30 seconds. Oh well. It was a great game and well worth the visit to get to cheer on our team on the road! We walked home from the game and found what can honestly only be described as a hobo encampment sitting around the firepit in the courtyard of our VRBO. We were exhausted so we just headed into our apartment and went to bed.
Day 3: Seeing the Unique Side of Iowa - Scenic Drives, Swimming in Corn, Exploring Pella, and Dinner in Des Moines
We headed to Café Diem again for breakfast and then got ready for our day’s adventure. We set off for Central Grove Farm to experience a little of the unique agricultural activities Iowa is so well known for. This farm, which we dubbed Iowa Disney, is a family-friendly Iowa attraction. There were so many activities, including a corn maze (a little smaller than we had envisioned - we made it out in 13 minutes), apple picking, a pumpkin patch, a train ride, a hay ride (sans hay), apple treats, and so much more. But the best and most unique-to-Iowa experience – a corn pool! Yep, a huge “pool” filled with dried corn kernels. We of course jumped right in and played in the corn. I’d put this on the list of best places to visit in Iowa just for the corn pool.
Pella, Iowa is an adorable, Dutch-inspired town. But, as learned, Sunday is not a good day for a visit as the whole town was closed.
Next, we headed to Pella, a little town about an hour from Ames known for its Dutch heritage. As we were arriving to town (after driving an hour), we realized it was Sunday….nothing was open. Such a bummer but it was a scenic drive unique to Iowa - we saw so many adorable farmhouses and corn fields as far as the eye could see. Pella had a lot of really cute little shops and restaurants we would’ve loved to explore. Pella has a big tulip festival in the Spring and Ditch-inspired architecture so we walked around to see the buildings, the Klokkenspell (a huge clock tower/wind mill), and the gardens. Pella is definitely a top thing to do in Iowa…just not on Sunday. We popped into the Cellar Peanut Pub, the only open establishment, to grab an Iowa-made beer and make a plan. That morning, we (Alicia) had looked up hotels in Pella as the dread of sleeping in our VRBO another night grew but there wasn’t anything available. Good thing, since nothing was open! We decided to head into Des Moines for dinner since we hadn’t seen much of Des Moines yet. We made a reservation at Eatery A and off we went. Dinner was delicious and again, the soup stole the show! It was a butternut puree. Who knew Iowa would have such good soup!?
We headed back to Ames, exhausted and unsure what to expect. We arrived to find 15 or so sketchy looking characters hanging around the courtyard. At this point, it’s obvious these folks are not all staying here. We headed up to our apartment with plans to read our books and go to bed…but of course got distracted by the activities down below – wood chopping in the dark, using what looked like an old boat tow as a stage, multiple firepits, people just seemingly wondering around…just general weirdness. It’s hard to explain if you weren’t there, but I’ve truly never experienced a place like this before. The reviews indicated a quant, clean little garage apartment in a quiet neighborhood….and the reality felt a little more like a homeless encampment. We went to bed only to be woken up around midnight by the sound of the garage (which was under us) opening and closing multiple times and someone yelling “get away, get away”. So that was cool. Sweet dreams!
Day 4: Travel home to Boston & Orlando
The “yard” of our VRBO complete with all sorts of random junk, oversized stuff animals, tossed beer cans, and a homemade flag.
On our final day in Ames, we headed to the Filling Station for breakfast and then back to our VRBO to pack up and get out of there as quickly as possible. This place literally got worse every day we were there and we were VERY ready to say goodbye (Alicia especially!). Ames is a cute little town with a main street reminiscent of the 50s and the people were the friendliest I’ve ever met so we’re separating our impression of Ames from our VRBO! Ames is a great addition to any Iowa itinerary, especially if you can catch a football game.
We headed into Des Moines for one last local beer at the Big Grove Brewery before it was time to go to the airport.
And that’s another Dana and Alicia adventure in the books. See ya next time!
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