Anyone here ever been to Des Moines?

[ringmastery]

I have to go there for a week on a business trip. I'm not exactly looking forward to it. All I know about Iowa is hogs and corn.

[Philosophy]

1. No

:boring:

[LTR]

2. Lived there for a few months

Nothing really exciting there. Kinda quiet.

But if you like loose meat burgers and breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches the size of your head, then Des Moines is your place.

A real small town mentality, which is kinda nice.

Nightlife is cheap.

Other than that, it's kinda dull.

[loftycity]

3. Good art show on the 18th at Grinnel

Might want to stay in Grinnel and drive to Des Moines. I like all their college towns.

http://www.pierogi2000.com/flatfile/lombardi.html

[emulatorloo]

4. Oh don't be so hateful! Have an Iowa Chop while you are here

The State Capitol building is beautiful and worth seeing:

http://web.legis.state.ia.us/Pubinfo/Tour/

Des Moines Art Center is not too shabby

http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/

If you get real bored, head out to Adventureland Amusement Park

http://www.adventureland-usa.com/

If you are up for a little drive, german food, and some touristy fun, the Amana Colonies can be good - Millstream makes a great beer and root beer. The history of the colonies is pretty cool, actually - they have a nice little museum

http://www.amanacolonies.com/welcome/

another poster recommended Grinnell . . .neat little Louis B Sullivan bank downtown, cute college town, cool victorian and prarie style houses

http://www.grinnelliowa.gov/

Oh by the way, Des Moines has a website too!

http://www.ci.des-moines.ia.us/

I bet you could rustle up some Des Moines DUers to have a beer with if you asked nice.

[LTR]

13. Don't forget...

...the Arena Football Hall of Fame.

Last I saw, it was in the downtown mall.

Too bad tehy don't have a team anymore.

[SmileyBoy]

5. I have.

As someone who has travelled through smaller cities all over the Upper Midwest (and who currently lives in one), I can honestly say that Des Moines looks like it has more going for it than a city of its size should. It looks larger and more livelier than a normal city of 200,000 and metro of 550,000.

It's most definitely better than a lot of similar-sized cities in the Rust belt or even the Sun Belt, IMO.

I'll put it this way: Des Moines is very similar to Omaha.

[Dookus]

6. Yes

but it was on a Sunday. It was closed.

I'm serious. couldn't even find a newspaper.

[SmileyBoy]

8. You just described Fargo in the 1980's.

It's not like that anymore, tho. We're a college town, anyway.:)

[Wapsie B]

7. Yes I have been to DM

zillions of times. Not much to see downtown except insurance buildings.
The population is fairly diverse. Ethnic restaurants all around. Court Ave. would be a nice place to go for eats.

[rumguy]

9. I've driven through it a couple of times

Spent an afternoon and part of an evening there...

I liked it. Unpretentious and cool.

[emulatorloo]

10. Ringmaster, where did you go?

Some good replies, but you seem to have vanished!?!?!

Did you cancel your trip or something?

[Servo300]

11. Driven through it a few times

But never had the occasion to stop.

(K.C. to Rochester MN, is a long boring drive!!)

:boring:

[Scout]

12. "I Awoke in Iowa"

great Uncle Bonsai Song

I Awoke In Iowa

Life passing by
Staring up at the sky
In a corn field as high
As an elephant's eye
Though I don't know why
An elephant might be in Iowa

I don't recall
Ever feeling this small
Eye on the ball
As it slows to a crawl
Surrounded by all
Of this merciless sprawl they call Iowa

Here's to the plow
Here's to the plowers
Here's to the quilting
For hours and hours
Here's to the tractors
The children can drive
Here's to the churches
That keep us alive.........

How does it feel
Standing out in a field
With the women who kneel
At the thought of chenille
I'm nothing but veal
And I'm hardly a meal here in Iowa

There's Mrs. Mullins
And Mrs. Brown's rooster
There's Mrs. Billington
Bradford and Brewster
The Fullers and Fishers
Are worried 'bout frost
There's Mrs. Rosenberg
She must be lost

Now, I fell asleep to the sounds of the subway
The pizzas and pretzels and cabbies and crime
I fell asleep to the glow of excess
Of a greater Grand Central, a good Guggenheim
I fell asleep in the land of the famous
Ain't that Jerry Seinfeld, Ain't that Robin Byrd
But I opened my eyes and my ears to the strangest
Most deafening silence that I've ever heard
'Cause when I awoke
When I awoke
I awoke in Iowa

It's hard to ignore
The God at the core
While pacing the floor
Of the general store
Who could be bored
Touring this vortex called Iowa

Here's to the pious
Here's to their pity
Here's to the wonders
Of Iowa City
Here's to the prayer group
That everyone joins
Here's to the skyscraping
Sights of Des Moines

Now, I fell asleep in the city of angels
With buildings that buckle, and sidewalks that burn
I fell asleep to the trail of exhaust
And fabulous people where ever you turn
I fell asleep in the land of the large
Angelika above me and stars left and right
Then I opened my eyes to an infinite number
Of stars that have kept me awake half the night
'Cause when I awoke
When I awoke
I awoke in Iowa

Somebody pinch me 'cause I must be dreaming
How can one survive with so massive a dose
All of the bushytailed locals are beaming
If this isn't heaven it's awfully close
Of all of the places that made an impression
Always an hor d'oevres and never a feast
Here in the heartland the heart learns its lesson
If those were the lessor, than this is the least

Now, I fell asleep to the mochas and lattes
The coffees and cafes, the beggers and books
I fell asleep to the traffic and taxes
And stadiums every which way that you look
I fell asleep in the land of the outsider
Isn't that A-Rod* who's ready to leave
Then I opened my eyes to the shock of the sun and
A cultural wasteland you wouldn't believe
'Cause when I awoke
When I awoke
I awoke in Iowa

*was "Junior" when written in 1999

[Padraig18]

14. It's a nice, small city.

Clean, hilly and quite pleasant, overall.