You heard it here first (maybe) but the DM Register is now confirming what I heard from a Perry shopkeeper a few weeks ago during a bike ride from Waukee to Perry – there are prospective Buyers for Hotel Pattee in Perry, a true gem of a historic hotel. Here’s hoping it happens!
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| Motto: Make yourself at home! | |
 Location of Perry, Iowa |
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Coordinates:  41°50′24″N 94°6′0″W |
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
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
How amazing – the sun is shining today upon brown and muddy Des Moines. I can hear birds chirping and see squirrels racing across soggy lawns still littered with patches of melting snow. Perfect morning to daydream about riding bikes through central and southern Iowa during Ragbrai this July. The DSM Register, conveniently, provided a detailed description of the route today and it looks do-able. It’s also very convenient for those of us living in Des Moines, since it passes through the city for the first time in many years. If the weather isn’t beastly hot – as it was last summer – I hope to do Day 3 (49.9 miles from Perry to Des Moines) and Day 4 (49.9 miles from Des Moines to Knoxville with highlights including mimosas at the Rosey Acres Winery, ice cream at Jersey Freeze in Monroe, beer at Peach Tree Brewing in Knoxville, as well as a visit to the home of the designer of Iowa’s state flag – that would be Dixie Gebhardt.)
You still game Anne??
Dixie Cornell Gebhardt in about 1917.
Filed under biking, Des Moines, Iowa
TakeBetsywithyou
TakeBetsywithyou 