Login | Register | Subscribe to the GG RSS Feed

Getting to Know Des Moines, Iowa

1
2
3
4
5
GG Staff | 02/04/2008 - 10:00 | 1 comment

Des Moines has something of interest if you take the time to look

Your life might be a highway, but your vacation doesn't have to be. You can be connected 50 weeks of the Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowayear, but for 2 weeks give yourself permission to get off the freeway, away from the billboards and aggression. And then steer yourself somewhere simpler.

 

Locals refer to it as "Dead Moans" and author Bill Bryson declared that he's from Des Moines because Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa"someone had to be." But look a little closer and you'll find a thriving arts community, some good eating and, of course, lots of fun things to do.

Over the next few days we'll be posting all you'll need to know if you're planning a road trip to Iowa.

  • Des Moines Hotels
  • West Des Moines Attractions
  • East Des Moines Attractions
  • Des Moines Nightlife

    • In the meantime, chew on these "Need to Know" Des Moines factoids:

    Transportation

  • Des Moines International Airport offers limited air services, but Greyhound schedules daily routes to Chicago and Omaha.
  • If you're not driving here, you can rely on public transportation, cabs or a rental car to get yourself where you want to go.

    • Weather

    Des Moines enjoys an unnaturally cozy relationship with Old Man Winter, so unless you're made of sterner stuff, visit during the spring when temperatures moderate to a more sane level. By the way, summer is just as uncomfortable as winter with temperatures and humidity rivaling for top ranking.

     

    History

    Des Moines began life as Fort Des Moines, a military post that evolved into a farming community. During WW1, more than 100,000 Iowans trained for combat here. Like all farming communities, Des Moines struggled to reinvent itself during the Depression and emerged a major Mid-west business center. Today, it's the 3rd largest insurance center in the world.

     

    Special Events

    Listed in Lonely Planet's, "10000 Places to See Before You Die," the Iowa State Fair celebrated their 150th anniversary in August 2004. They still hold hog- and husband-calling contests, a 500-pound butter cow, and needlepoint and vegetable contests. But don't discount it as all kitschy. Garth Brooks, Kid Rock and Clay Aiken are just a few of the big-name performers who grace the stage, and there are more than 900 food categories to chomp your way through.

    More Information

  • Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau
  • Des Moines Register
  • Iowa.com
  • TravelIowa.com

    • Ever been to Des Moines? Love it or hate it, let us know!

    Related Stories

    Gatlinburg Tennessee
    Gatlinburg Accommodations
    Gambrinus Restaurant
    Adventure Travel - Is it for You?
    Green Travel – Do You?
    Hertz Green Collection – Reserve and Conserve

    Rate This Post

    Average: 5 (1 vote)

    Bookmark This Post

    • Delicious
    • Digg
    • StumbleUpon
    • Reddit
    • Magnoliacom
    • Newsvine
    • Furl
    • Facebook
    • Google
    • Yahoo
    • Technorati

    Comments

    I disagree with referring to

    Submitted by Christie (not verified) on Fri, 03/28/2008 - 15:06.
    I disagree with referring to Des Moines as a small town, Des Moines is a city for one thing not a town. And although it is smaller than Chicago or St. Louis it is still quite a large city for the midwest. Des Moines also has a happening night life for those who are 21+. Yea it may not be the ideal place to spend a vacation, but it is by no means a "dead" city. Des Moines is also a great place to live, especially if your trying to get started in the business world, there is great networking.

    Post new comment

    The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
    CAPTCHA
    This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
    Image CAPTCHA
    Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.
    Register

    Membership is free and with it you can set up a profile, vote on stories and post your opinions.

    Already a member?
    Login
    Not a member? Join!
    Register

    Most Recent Comments

    • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Sad and heavy heart said "On a note about the roads of Totrola which are steep, and windy and narrow, all the more reason that tour vehicles should have regular safety checks, SEATBELTS (which dirvers should mandate use or not allow passengers to continue with the tour, driver's should go slow, and Princess Cruise Lines should do extensive background checks, and not hire people with the nick-name of Crash-Dummy."

    • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Jan said "We were also on the ship with our friends, had spent the day at the beach in Tortola where the slider on my Omega came off, "broke" and lost. I had just purchased it on board the ship the day prior. But nothing can compare to the loss of a family member. The Captain had everyones attention for the announcement. Captain Draper done a great job informing the passengers of the accident. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rumphrey family."

    • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Anonymous said "I was on that cruise that took Aaron's life, and it definatley upset my week. My heart was so heavy over the thought of his dear parents losing their son on what was to be a very happy time. My heart is with his family and I will pray for them."

    • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Julia Rosien said "Thanks for posting your comment. I was very impressed with the way Captain Draper handled the situation and I told him so. He made it a priority to inform all passengers and eliminated rumor and speculation. It's nice to know the other passengers involved felt the driver saved their lives. The roads in Tortola are terrible and I'm sure much skill is involvd navigating them safely. I hope you enjoyed your cruise, despite this tragedy. Julia"

    • On Tour Bus Crash in Tortola – Caribbean Princess Passenger Dies, Anonymous said "I just returned from this tragic Caribbean Princess cruise. Although I was not a part of this particular excursion, it was both saddening and shocking for everyone on the ship when Capt. Draper made the announcements. The following day, we spoke to one of the excursion bus passengers who felt the bus driver did everything in his power to slow the bus down and they felt the bus driver had saved all of their lives. According to my fellow passenger, the fatality was caused by the young man being thrown through the front windshield. Of note, it was rumored told during the cruise that a witness saw the brakes being worked prior to the excursion."