Fab Friday: June 19

Today is all about you, Des Moines.

I love you, Des Moines, and I'm not ashamed to say it. Here's why:

1. There's nothing wrong with being easy, and Des Moines, you are easy..... to get around. Your traffic is light and your streets are generally straight and long. Keep up the good work.


2. You love your green spaces, Des Moines, and I love them too. You have an extensive choice of parks & lakes, each with their own charms. One of my favorites is Raccoon River.


3. I don't mind your weather. Coming from the Pacific Northwest - where grey skies reign for 9 months of the year - I love your 4 seasons. Yes, you get cold in the winter and hot in the summer, but I think you're just making sure we're paying attention. If I could just get you to tone down the wind a bit....


4. Splash pads! I'd never been to a park with a splash pad until I got to know you Des Moines. What a brilliant idea! Water stays warm, kids stay cool, Mommy stays (relatively) dry. Everybody's happy.


5. Your people are so kind. I know, I know, you hear a lot about the "friendliness" of the Midwest. I heard the same about the South - only here it turned out to be true. Thank you Des Moines, it made the transition much easier.


6. I do love to eat, but am not a fan of chain restaurants. It took a little while, but I found a few of your hidden gems. I will miss you El Rodeo, La Mie, Waveland Cafe, Palmer's, Carefree Patisserie, Django, Snookie's, Tsing Tsao, Ban Thai, and Cafe Su.


7. You have a near-perfect location, Des Moines. 2 hours from Omaha, 3 hours from Kansas City, 4 hours from Minneapolis, 5 hours from Chicago, 6 hours from Madison. Your choice of weekend getaways, just a few short hours away.


8. I have enjoyed your downtown Farmer's Market. Not too big, not too small, and it's a great mix of food, music, and shopping. I can get my sweet fix, choose some fresh basil, and stock up on reclaimed wood birdhouses - all in one place.


9. You have a great zoo. A nice size, not too expensive, cute little train ride. I recommend it.


10. I LOVE your airport. I can connect anywhere I need to go, it's a total walk time of 5 minutes from terminal to terminal, and my max wait time at security was 15 minutes - during Christmas!

Des Moines, let's not say good-bye. How about "Until we meet again....."

XO,

Me