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A recreation of early Iowa farms, Indian villages and towns Leave a Comment
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Do visit the State Fair, especially at night. The fairgrounds are absurdly huge, but I zeroed in on the animal barns, of course... Leave a Comment
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Downtown. Des Moines has many things to do right in the heart of the city. This is a picture of some giant artwork in Nollen Plaza. From this spot, it's a short walk to the Civic Center, Savory Hotel, Court Avenue Shopping District, Sec Taylor Stadium (Go I-Cubs!), and the downtown skywalk. Nollen Plaza is also the place to come for concerts and the start of the 'Dam to Dam' race.
Check out the website below to see many of Des Moines attractions. Leave a Comment
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Here is a nice little outing for anyone who has some time to spend in Des Moines. This place has an interesting collection of plants from around the world. Most are enclosed in a huge glass dome, due to the harsh Iowa winters. Leave a Comment Address: 909 Robert B. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA 50316Phone: 515-323-6290Directions: Eastbound on I-235, take East 6th Street-Capitol exit. Turn right on Des Moines Street, downhill to Robert D. Ray Drive dead end. Turn right and continue under the highway overpass. The Botanical Center is on your right just after the overpass.Website: http://www.botanicalcenter.com/
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Iowa's State Capital is quite interesting - not only does it have a central gilded dome, it also has four smaller "dome-lets" that surround it, almost like minarets.
This is one of those domes that uses gold leaf to dazzle the observer. That must be a very interesting job: "gold-leaf applier." Is there a college somewhat with a major in that? Is there a long apprentice process? I was reading that the leaf on the Iowa State Capital is 23-carat gold, and that it is 1/250,000th of an inch thick. That's pretty thin! I also read that when the leaf was most recently re-applied, in the 1990s, it cost the good people of Iowa $400,000. Thank you, Iowans! Leave a Comment
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Like other states - Massachusetts, for example - Iowa has a 19th century Soldiers and Sailors Memorial honoring its Civil War Veterans. And as is the case in Boston, the S & S Monument is in sight of the Capitol Dome.
The design for the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was chosen in a public competition. The winner was an Iowa woman named Harriet Ketcham. Mrs. Ketcham died before the monument could be completed, and the figures decorating the base of the monument were actually executed (to Ketcham's designs) by Carl Rohl-Smith.
This figure depicts Lt. James Horton, a Iowa soldier killed in a saber charge early in the war.
Harriet Ketcham was the grandmother of Hank Ketcham, the American cartoonist who created Dennis the Menace. Hank K. contributed to the restoration of his grandmother's monument in the 1990s. (I swear I'm not making this up. It's amazing what you can find out on the internet.) Leave a Comment
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Nothing to do in Des Moines? Well, that's not quite accurate. This museum has a good set of collections for a city this size. If you're passing through this way, and have a little extra time, check it out. Leave a Comment Address: 4700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312-2099Phone: 515.277.4405Directions: From I-80, take I-235 south. Go past downtown Des Moines, follow I-235 west. Take the 42nd St. exit south. Then turn right (west) on Grand Avenue. See the web site for precise directions.Website: http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/ Other Contact: Fax 515 557 6110
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- Red Roof Inn & Suites Des Moines
4950 NE 14th Street, Des Moines, Iowa - Days Inn Ankeny
105 NE Delaware Ave. I-35 Exit 92, Des Moines, Iowa - Holiday Inn Downtown
1050 6th Ave., Des Moines, Iowa - Ramada Northwest Des Moines
5000 Merle Hay Rd. (formerly Holiday Inn Merle Hay), Des Moines, Iowa - Super 8 Des Moines Merle Hay
4755 Merle Hay Road I-80/I-35, Exit131, Des Moines, Iowa - Comfort Inn Des Moines
5231 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, Iowa - Adventureland Resort
3200 Adventureland Drive, Des Moines, Iowa - Four Points by Sheraton Des Moines Airport
1810 Army Post Road, Des Moines, Iowa - Holdiay Inn Des Moines-Merle Hay I80&35,Ia
5000 Merle Hay Rd. (formerly Holiday Inn Merle Hay), Des Moines, Iowa - Quality Inn And Suites Event Center
929 3rd Street, Des Moines, Iowa - Country Inn and Suites
1350 NW 118th Street, Des Moines, Iowa - Marriott Des Moines
700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa - Hotel Fort Des Moines
1000 Walnut Street, Des Moines, Iowa - Baymont Des Moines Airport
6221 S.W. Army Post Road, Des Moines, Iowa - Days Inn Des Moines/Merle Hay
4845 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines, Iowa
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on December 30, 2002
on September 1, 2004
on January 13, 2003
on September 18, 2005
on July 15, 2004
