I’ve never heard of the Daily Meal website, but others have and so, I gather, it’s a fairly big deal that it named the Des Moines Farmers Market as No. 2 in the nation – out of 101 of the best markets. First place was Pike Place Farmers Market in Seattle (Des Moines sure can’t match the fresh fish available there – but we’ve got mighty good bacon!). After Des Moines, the bests were Chicago’s Green City Market, the Phoenix Public market, the St. Paul Farmers market and Omaha’s market.
Category Archives: Agritourism
The new Raccoon River Valley Trail spur and great tacos!
Fresh tacos in downtown Perry Iowa!
We tried out the new spur of central Iowa’s Raccoon River Valley Trail on Sunday, riding 38 miles round trip from Waukee to Perry through the small towns of Dallas Center and Minburn. The trail was straight and flat (which explains why we rode so far) and pretty scenic, lined on either side primarily by fertile fields of corn and soybeans. (Perfect for a tutorial from my ag expert husband on how you can tell the difference, visually, between a field of seed corn, the kind grown to produce seeds that are planted to grow corn, vs. commercial corn, the kind grown to feed livestock.)
Having small towns to ride through every six miles or so helped keep the scenery from getting too monotonous. In Dallas Center, we spotted a nice b&b on a side street (The Yellow Swan, see photos above) and in Minburn, a little park at the edge of the trail had some cool old farm equipment that we sat in and posed for photos. In Perry, we chanced upon a terrific little Mexican restaurant off the main drag called Taqueria Villa, serving very fresh, well-seasoned, and delicious tacos (we had the “authentic Mexican” style, trying three kinds – Roasted Pork, Grilled Steak and Rotisserie Pork). The prices were almost embarrassingly cheap – a substantial portion of guacamole for $1 – yes $1. What costs $1 anymore? Add chips and it was $3. The tacos were $2 each. The owner took obvious pride in his food and service, which we greatly appreciated. Word has it you can find him and his food at this year’s World Food and Music Festival (part of the World Food Prize festivities) Sept. 20-21 in Des Moines’ East Village if you can’t make the trek to his little hole-in-the-wall in Perry. We were saddened to see the shuttered Hotel Pattee (hope that changes soon) but impressed by the Raccoon River Valley Bicycle Co., an unusually elegant bike shop in what was once the hotel’s gift shop.
Early 1900’s farm equipment in Minburn, Iowa
Filed under Agritourism, bike trails, biking, DINING, Iowa
New places to visit in Kansas!
Somehow I managed to miss a Kansas travel story by “the frugal traveler” in the paper version of the New York Times Travel section a few weeks ago but I did spot the ipad version. Frugal Traveler visits Kansas.
I Married Adventure by Osa Johnson
The story includes many places familiar to people like me who are familiar with Kansas (Flint Hills, Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Strong City, Cottonwood Falls, Council Grove, Pittsburg). But it also mentions several (see below) that I need to check out during my next visit(s). Curious to see what the frugal traveler makes of my current home state – Iowa (which apparently was his next stop after Kansas.)
Osa with a gibbon in an airplane
In Pittsburg: Gebhardt Chicken Dinners (and the better-advertised Chicken Annie’s and Chicken Mary’s)
In Chanute: the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum (safarimuseum.com)
In Strong City: Ad Astra, a locavore-ish, vegetarian-friendly restaurant and bar
Filed under Agritourism, Kansas misc
Iowa State Fair: deep-fried cheese curds, carnies, funnel cakes
We took three visitors to the Iowa State Fair – two from Illinois, one from Israel – so we covered all the bases yesterday – six hours of wandering in and out of ag buildings, eating things we’d normally never eat, checking out the 99 county contestants in the Fair Queen Contest and watching an Iowa National Guard reserves band from Fairfield play that goofy gangham style song (“Do any of you speak Korean?” the lead singer asked before performing? After getting no response from the crowd, he said “Good” and started the song…)
Deep fried cheese curds anyone?
Along the way, we tried deep-fried cheese curds (too salty and greasy for me); funnel cake topped with powered sugar (delicious but you paid for it later with a slightly queasy feeling); pork burgers (too dry); ice cream from the dairy barn and Bauder’s (delicious); lemonade (solid but overpriced.)
Illinois and Israel in the house!
And we visited the usual suspects – the ag building to see the butter cow, butter Abe Lincoln, rose contest, produce contests, giant pumpkin; the animal barns to see the big boar and the big bull and all the hard-working farm kids; the sheep and horse barns; the varied industries building to see the winning cinnamon roll and winning ugliest cake; the culture building to see the winning photos. We also rode the sky glider, kicking our aching legs in the air high above the Grand Concourse. And we walked through the crowded midway past the carnival rides and games, bombarded by the squeals, screams, neon, flashing lights and tattoos.
Night on the Iowa State Fair Midway!
Filed under Agritourism, Des Moines, Iowa
To the Iowa State Fair with visitors from Israel, Illinois
The Iowa State Fair has lured several visitors our way this summer – this weekend it’s my stepdaughter E. and her boyfriend from Chicago, plus our houseguest from Israel. Next weekend, my son is coming from Northwestern with three or four (he wasn’t sure last we talked) of his friends – from Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey and maybe California.
The weather is perfect today – Sunny, 80-ish, no wind – so the fair is bound to be packed and in its full glory. We got a glimpse of what we may be in for this morning at the jam-packed downtown farmer’s market in Des Moines. And last night, our visitors reported lots of people hanging out downtown at bars like the High Life Lounge , designed to look like a 1960’s tavern, complete with formica, shag carpet and wood paneling…plus Miller High Life beer, of course, (see photo above) and El Bait Shop…
Filed under Agritourism, Des Moines, Iowa
Ragbrai withdrawal…
Never saw sunscreen in the gallon size before RAGBRAI.
Now I understand my long-Ragbrai riding friends who are blue once the big ride is over – and this after I only rode two days. I found myself back in my office at my desk on a pretty summer day, daydreaming about being back on the backroads of Iowa riding my bike. Of course, I also found myself aching more than usual – after riding 100 miles over the course of two days. But not as achy as expected. I am enjoying reading the NPR (No Pie Refused) reporters blog about RAGBRAI http://returntoiowa.tumblr.com/ they did a good job of documenting some of the highlights I saw on Tuesday and Wednesday including the photo above (from today…)/ Particularly enjoyed their “pie” chart documenting what types of pies they’ve eaten, by percentages. (Now I know why I couldn’t find any strawberry-rhubarb pie in Monroe yesterday – I had to settle for plain old rhubarb. Still good.)
Filed under Agritourism, bike trails, biking, Des Moines, Iowa
RAGBRAI – Des Moines to Knoxville (about 50 miles)
Classic Ragbrai photo by my friend Gary Fandel (a professional photographer and it shows)
Another perfect day of bike riding weather and another great RAGBRAI ride, this time from Des Moines south and west to Knoxville, passing through some lovely countryside and several welcoming small towns including Runnells (where we were greeted by the local high school’s boisterous, enthusiastic and totally endearing Pep Band) and Monroe (where riders could don firefighter gear and shoot water hoses at a bucket or some such dangling from a line – sounds strange but people stood in a long line to give it a go.)
It was exhilarating to ride out of downtown Des Moines today at 7:30 a.m. with the sun still rising and the air almost crisp and the light magical. We quickly got a taste of what we had in store for the day – with a steep uphill by the golden-domed Iowa State Capital building – and it was way cool to have the route go right through the Iowa State Fairgrounds. As we were riding up the midway in a seat of bikes, I heard one person say “What is this place?” So I put on my Iowa tour guide hat and pointed out various highlights of the famed fairgrounds.
The route was very hilly – up and down and up and down the hills we went. I gradually got more comfortable with soaring down the hill but it was often tricky because there were so many riders. I did see one scary accident which appeared to be a collision between two riders and saw one rider down but she was talking to the people helping her. There were ambulances stationed for precautionary reasons along the route – and we heard some with their sirens activated on occasion.
In Runnells, I ended up joining a flash mob that I happened into – locals and riders all doing a funny dance routine in the street. It was so much fun! I also bumped into even more friends and neighbors today along the route, which is always a kick. By the end of the day, I was very weary but wished I could keep riding tomorrow. Maybe I’ll try to do more next year. Such a great experience.
Last night, Des Moines hosted a fantastic party downtown on a perfect clear, not too hot or cold night – with bands, food, thousands of people all gathered along the river. It was Iowa at its very best!
Filed under Agritourism, bike trails, biking, Des Moines, Iowa
What a perfect day for RAGBRAI! My friend Anne and I joined an estimated 30,000 riders (yes 30,000 riders) cycling from Perry, Iowa to Des Moines, a relatively easy 50 mile ride with suddenly perfect cool weather. It was glorious. Never had 50 miles go by so fast on a bike. Beautiful Iowa scenery – endless cornfields, bucolic farms, welcoming small towns. Saw lots of old friends and neighbors and even exchanged hellos with Iowa’s governor who was on the ride. Met people from all over the country/world. Ate with abandon – pancakes in Minburn, a hotdog, corn on the cob and Bauder’s peach ice cream in Van Meter, a fantastic Thai pork wrap by the great WDM restaurant Baru 66 at the party in Valley Junction. Now, after a shower at home, we’re off to downtown DSM for the festivities.
Filed under Agritourism, bike trails, biking, Des Moines, Iowa
Weekend away: Farm bounty in southwest Iowa
The Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center includes a community-supported agriculture garden, managed by Sarah Costa, above. Great photo by my friend Gary Fandel at the Iowa Farm Bureau!
Check out the story I wrote that appears in tomorrow’s Minneapolis Star Tribune Travel section on what to do and see in beautiful Adair Count, Iowa – including a pristine old farmstead and good farm-to-table restaurant at the Henry A. Wallace Country Life Center, historically preserved buildings in Greenfield Iowa, a way cool museum with lots of vintage airplanes and a big rock along a country road painted each year with a new memorial honoring U.S. military vets. Star Tribune story on Greenfield Iowa
Filed under Agritourism, Iowa
TakeBetsywithyou 