Trip to Des Moines

When we were given the opportunity to attend Med School graduation this summer, it was never a question of "if" we would attend, but "how".  In the end, it required two separate road trips and a slight re-routing of vacations (My MIL flew in from Provo.  Did you know there are flights out of Provo now?  Indeed, and I hear they are very popular).  For me, it would be 28+ hours in the car with my children. Totally worth it.

And everyone was so excited to return to Des Moines!  So excited, in fact, that Big Sis set her alarm for 4am on the morning of our departure.  I hadn't slept much anyway, and after the adrenaline rush of a cheap alarm in a quiet house, I wasn't going to nod off again.  Away we went at 5:30.  I intended to break up the drive into 2 days, but after crossing Ohio, Indiana, and most of Illinois, I figured I would tough it out & make it all the way to Des Moines by rush hour.  

My reward the next morning was breakfast at La Mie. And then I had breakfast there every day we were in Des Moines.  I'm sure I gained 5 lbs. from the delicious bacon-spinach omelets.  It was worth every ounce.  

We followed up breakfast with a trip to Costco!  Oh Costco, I miss you so much.  Your Organic Strawberry Spread is beyond compare. 

After a difficult few weeks in our new, still-filled-with-boxes house, topped off with 14 hours in the car, the kids earned new dress-up outfits (thank goodness for Halloween product available in mid-August).   Big J especially loves his new muscles. 

OF COURSE we had to hit up the Iowa State Fair while we were in town.  Seriously - La Mie every day & the chance to go to the Fair?  It was like the Universe conspired to bring together the Best of Des Moines just to bring me joy.  If I'd been able to see the dear friends who just moved away from IA a few weeks prior, it would have been an ideal trip.  Close enough, right? 

100 Years of the Butter Cow!

After much begging, Big Sis got to choose ONE ride to go on.  Then, after I fainted from the realization that it was going to be $10 for both of us to ride together, we boarded the Ferris Wheel for a fantastic view of the Des Moines metro area.  

4 days in Des Moines, and I loved every minute of it.  Good Food, Good Fun, and Graduation?  

Good Times, indeed.  

  

I Want to Go to There

We are officially at the 30 day mark. 30 days until the moving truck comes and we pack up our earthly belongings, bound for Michigan and another fresh start.

Iowa has been on my mind this past week. I've so enjoyed my experience here. This two years' time has flown by on the wings of prairie winds and winter snowflakes. I am so glad that I was able to get out and explore a few small parts of this great state. I love Pella and the Tulip Festival, delighted in exploring downtown Des Moines, and enjoyed my treks across vast tracts of farmland while on my way to and from Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota.

Although there is still much I would like to see in Iowa, one attraction has recently captivated me to the exclusion of all else.

Mason City. I know, I had no idea where this place was, or what was so special about it until I caught a snippet of a show about Frank Lloyd Wright. For a number of years I've had a superficial interest in Wright's work. I admire his aesthetic and appreciate his attention to detail in both his external designs and internal fixtures. When he designed a house, he didn't just craft the exterior, but made it a cohesive whole by also creating the furniture, carpets, windows, doors, decorative elements, etc., etc. Amazing. While living in Arizona, I was privileged to tour Taliesin West several times and I graduated from Arizona State at the Wright-designed Gammage Auditorium. I have always wanted to see some of his other buildings, but time and schedule have yet to allow this - until now.

You see, Mason City happens to hold the largest amount of Prairie School architecture outside of Oak Park Illinois. The Park Inn Hotel is the only remaining hotel designed by FLW. The Stockman House has been fully restored and is open to the public.

I feel a roadtrip coming on. After last week's marathon drive, 2 hours in the car (one way) is the last thing I look forward to. But I think I'll make an exception for Frank.

PS - I am not (completely) insane. The title of this post is from last night's repeat episode of 30 Rock.

TGIF

I could not be happier that it is Friday.

This means we are ONE day from Big J's first birthday. (this also means I have much to do to get ready)

It is now after 12:30pm, so I am officially on vacation, too. Detroit here we come (OK, maybe not until tomorrow, but I am still excited).

And my kiddos are feeling healthy again, so that is definitely a reason to shout hooray!

In celebration of the end of a long week, Big J's upcoming birthday, and a whole week of vacation, the kids & I met some friends for a late breakfast/ early lunch at La Mie.

O

M

G

I did not know such a place existed in the DSM. The location is tucked into an unobtrusive strip mall facing 42nd street, a block from the freeway. The decor is concrete floors and white walls - very bare and industrial-chic (which means it was a little cold & quite loud from all the hard surfaces).

But the Food! Indeed, it warrants a capital letter! But more of an 'A' than an 'F'. It's primarily a French-y bakery with an expanded menu. Lots of crusty breads, flaky croissants, and gorgeous, shiny tarts. They are open from 7am-9pm (I hear there is an interesting dinner menu), do a brunch on Sunday, and have a limited breakfast the rest of the week. This includes omelets, egg sandwiches, salads, and open face sandwiches. And the usual barista beverages, too. I had an 'omelet' (really just two eggs scrambled, cooked flat & folded), topped with creme fraiche, and accompanied by toast, applewood bacon and sauteed spinach - all for a whopping $5.50! The portions were just right, and the food was all of good quality, cooked well, and plated with care. It was so good I may drag Big Daddy there tomorrow morning. I'm sure this place is busy all the time - but 10 am on a Friday was exactly the right time to visit. There were only a few other patrons in there, and our food was delivered in about 5 minutes.

I can't wait to go back again......

Au Revoir!

ps- I didn't intend for this to be my Fab Friday post, but it is. Oh, it is.

And For My Next Trick.....

Well, as yesterday's post was a monumental downer, I give you a little Monday simplicity.

Now that we are leaving Iowa, we must make the rounds of that which is fabulous about Iowa. So we drove out to Winterset.

Winterset is the birthplace of John Wayne.

For you quilting fans, Winterset is the home of Fons and Porter's quilt shop (closed on Sunday & Monday).

Winterset is also the heart of the famed Madison County - yes, THAT Madison County.

I wanted to check out the city park, which has a cool looking tower monument, and also encloses a covered bridge. What else to do on a beautiful weekend day?

Unfortunately, I forgot the cardinal rule of Midwest living - if it's winter, it's closed. And that included the city park.

So we circled the 4 square blocks of downtown, I made note of the quilt shop, and we headed out to find at least ONE bridge.

We came upon the Hogsback Bridge, built in 1884.

This is my new favorite picture. I may have to frame it.