43. Iowa

Month: April 2018

Location: Des Moines

When I mentioned to people that I was going to Iowa, the invariable response would be, “Oh, have you seen Field of Dreams”.  Yes, I have; multiple times.  I can probably quote the movie.  But I wasn’t going to go and visit a corn field, as nostalgic as that would be, but was rather seeking out more metropolitan things to do.  Apparently, Des Moines had plenty of that to offer.  It was a short 70-minute flight away from Chicago, but my preferred airline, ‘Southwest’, was sending me first to St. Louis.  I was having none of that and so took a direct flight out of ‘O’Hare’ and found myself in Des Moines at 9 am.

The lounge at 'Des Lux'

I took a ride into downtown and was deposited in front of ‘Des Lux’ hotel, which was a boutique hotel if I ever saw one.  The lobby had a lounge area with brick wall and was decorated with eclectic objects that looked like they had been collected from some, well, eclectic boutique store.  Even though I was way early, they had a room for me.  I walked through a corridor with bright red carpet to reach my room and speaking of objects, there was a large-sized version of the car from “Monopoly” on the table.  It was still very early, and there was plenty of time to do what I had planned.  So, I plopped on the bed and read to pass the time.

Brunch at 'Mullets Restaurant'

Not for long though, and at 10 am I called a car to take me to a brunch place named ‘Mullets Restaurant’.  As we drove there, I saw that there was some sort of running or biking - or some combination of both – event going on in the city.  The restaurant was located on the river and as I entered inside, I realized that all the participants in the event had decided to make this their refueling stop and there was hardly any room to move, let alone find a spot.  The staff looked like they were used to handling the crowd and the patrons themselves were in good spirits.  After some stalking, I managed to jump on an empty bar seat and found that they had some items that make breakfast and brunch places proud.  I ordered a “Hash” loaded with all sorts of goodies and now I was ready to tackle Iowa.

On my way to explore

It was an overcast day with a bit of a chill in the air and I crossed a narrow pedestrian bridge over the river to get to my first stop.  I could see downtown on one side and the ‘Capitol’ on the other, which I would be visiting later this afternoon.  When I had first sought out things to do, I had come across a place called ‘World Food Prize Hall of Laureates’.  I had no idea what it was, but since it was nearby, I had decided to visit.  It was a nice-looking building and after walking around it to find the right entrance, I found myself inside the entry hall and greeted by a guide.  I told her that I was clueless about this place and then she told me the magnificent story of Dr. Norman Borlaug.

The fantastic 'World Food Prize Hall of Laureates'

Dr. Borlaug was raised in a small farming community in Iowa, and dedicated his life to agriculture research and development.  For his work on developing disease resistant varieties of wheat and for his achievement in preventing world hunger and famine, he is credited as having “saved more lives than any other person who has ever lived”.  For a “lifetime of work to feed a hungry world”, in 1970, he was awarded the “Nobel Peace Prize”.  I do not know anyone else who has earned it more.  In 1986 he founded the “World Food Prize”, an annual $250,000 award that recognizes “achievements in improving the quality, quantity and availability of food in the world”.  Over the last 30 years it has been awarded to people from all around the world, those who have tirelessly led the crusade to solve world hunger and is referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture”. 

The Champions who have received the prize

This place was a tribute to Dr. Borlaug and the men and women who have been the recipients of – in my opinion – the highest honor that is out there.  Yes, we can recognize everyone who saves lives, be it medical researchers or those who prevent wars.  But as one of the sayings on the wall here said, “Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world”, for me, this work tops every other human pursuit and accomplishment.  I walked through the magnificent halls and looked at the plaques and honors, as well as exhibits for the next 30 minutes.  As I left the place, I was once again reminded of how much I have gained through these travels.  I had no idea.  I did not know such a place existed.  I was left with the thought of what they claimed as the “single greatest challenge in human history: whether we can sustainably feed the 9 billion people who will be on our planet in the year 2050”.  If these heroes and many others continue Dr. Borlaug’s work, I say why not!

The 'Capitol'

I started walking towards the ‘Capitol’ and it was a straight road leading to it, meaning that the golden dome was getting bigger as I approached it.  I passed through what looked a “trendy” area with boutique shops, till I reached the building.  It was a nice compound with steps leading up to the entrance and a nice view of the downtown looking backwards.  I checked in at the main desk and they told me that a tour had just departed and that I could catch-up with them on the 2^nd floor.  I did that and found a group standing next to model of a “battleship” in a glass cage, which I suppose was named ‘USS Iowa’.  Our guide was very good and for the next hour she took us through the building pointing out the architecture, the marble and wood used in its construction, the murals, the mosaics, as well as the chambers for “Senate” and the “House”.  There was a fantastic library, that people could visit on weekdays and which looked like a great place to hang out and read.  One of the displays contained figurines meant to represent all the wives of the “Governor’s” over the years and who were dressed accordingly.  There was also one male figurine since Iowa finally got a female leader and now there was a “First Husband”.

The obligatory "Field of Dreams" reference at the "History Museum"

The tour was extremely detailed and long and, when the lady said that we would all be going up to the dome, I excused myself since there were couple of other places that I still wanted to visit.  I walked a few blocks away to the ‘State Historical Museum of Iowa’ which was a 2-floor building and free to the public.  For some reason there were “golden petals” sprinkled all over the floors. It was like a typical “History Museum” with references to the past on the lower level and more current themes such as celebrities and sports figures from Iowa on the second level.  As I walked through the exhibits on the 2^nd floor, I realized that Iowa was indeed the birthplace of many artists and performers.  There were tributes to many, including the obligatory reference to “The Field of Dreams”.  It was a decent place, especially for one that was free.

And the obligatory "Dinosaur exhibit" at "Science Museum"

Next up, I was headed back towards downtown to ‘Science Center of Iowa’.  As has been the case with other such places that I have visited, I was greeted with the sight of kids and families…a lot of kids.  While the building from the outside looked great, it was a very small museum, with the lower level having a few activities and “Dinosaur” gallery and the upper level having…well, not sure what it was, but I saw some displays of snakes and other creepy things.  It was just a question of passing time and after a point there wasn’t much I could do here.  Fortunately, my next stop was nearby, and open.

Copper cup at 'The Copper Cup"

The museum was located a block away from a street that had many restaurants and bars, and one of them was called ‘The Copper Cup’.  I thought that I would be the only person in there, but there were other groups getting an early start or maybe a late cocktail lunch!  I should have realized from the name that these folks specialized in “Mules” and if you wanted one in a copper cup, you had to give your card as a collateral.  I have heard of people stealing these cups in other places and have no idea what their fascination is.  It’s a copper cup.  In any case, since I was sitting at the bar and the alternative was drinking from a plastic party cup, I handed in my card and sipped on the drink.

Nearby was a place called ‘RoCA’ and as they had just opened, I was the only person in there.  I got a drink called “Blood Orange Bourbon Press” and yes, it was Orange in color.  The next place that I wanted to visit was a bit away from downtown and so I called for a ride.  It started off well, but then I noticed that instead of driving on the road going straight to the place, my driver turned around and started going in the exact opposite direction.  When I told her about that, she argued that this was the right way, though she corrected it when I insisted.  I am all for proving that the Earth is round and eventually you will get to where you want to go, but not at the expense of my drink!

Walking through the "Sculpture Garden"

We finally arrived at the place called ‘Juniper Moon’ and their cocktail menu had some creative names.  I got something called “Boulevardie of Wonka Memes”, which was quite good.  The next place that I wanted to visit was back in downtown and I decided to walk back.  It was a pleasant evening and my walk took me through a “Sculpture Garden” where lot of wedding parties were doing photoshoots.  I arrived at ‘Proof’ which looked like a restaurant catering to younger crowd.  I got a drink called “Dirty Centaur” and watched the staff get ready for the rush of dinner time.  Further into downtown was a place called ‘Hello Marjorie’ and they were busy all right.  I grabbed a place at the end of the bar sipping “Sun Kissed Rum Punch”, as behind me the festivities were on, with big groups of people.  So, this was the place for good youth of Des Moines to congregate.  By far, the most prevalent attraction in this place was a giant pink “neon sign” which said, “The prettiest girls in the world live in Des Moines”.  Good for them then!

Ok then!

I continued down the street to ‘Splash Raw Oyster Bar’, which as name suggests boasted of wide varieties of Oysters and other seafood.  But the main reason that I was here was because they had “Iowa Association Drink of the year”, though I was unaware of the associations other responsibilities besides evaluating drinks.  I ordered the drink called “The Deathbed Confession”, and while half decent, it was hardly the best drink that I had this evening, putting the associations credibility at risk.  The restaurant did look popular though and I saw a crowd in the main dining room as I left.

Blurry but red at 'Black Sheep'

When looking for “Speakeasies” in Des Moines, the first name that had popped up was a place called ‘Black Sheep’.  It was in the same “trendy” neighborhood that I had walked by this afternoon on my way to the ‘Capitol’, and now I was going back.  The entrance was located through an unmarked door in an alley – how cliched – though this one was black, with some crosses on the top.  While researching online, I had seen it being described as “entering through a coffin”.  A narrow flight of stairs led downstairs to what can only be described as a bar flooded in red light.  It felt like being inside a submarine during battle – as seen in many movies – and it didn’t matter what drink was ordered, since it would look red.  The main component of their drinks appeared to be “Tequila” or “Mezcal” and I got something called “Holy Mountain, with chili liqueur and illegal mezcal”.  Considering that they were advertising it openly, I questioned how illegal this really was.

Watching the evening set on Des Moines 

By the time I left, the place was full of the usual type of revelers that enjoy “tequila” based drinks.  There was one last place that I wanted to visit prior to dinner and that was a rooftop bar in a nearby hotel.  It was called “The Republic on Grand” and it while it had good view of the city, the drinks were passable.  I waited till it was time to leave for my dinner reservations.  The restaurant was called ‘Baru 66’ and it had come highly recommended for its cutting-edge creativity.  It was also a fair bit away from downtown and so I took a ride there.  But it was all worth it, since the meal was one of the better ones that I have had over my travels. Everything was very well done, including the presentation and service.  It had been a long day and evening and I took a car back to the hotel and went straight to bed.

Beautiful day at the "Botanical Garden"

It was a beautiful morning, far from the overcast conditions of the previous day.  I checked-out of my room and took a few pictures of the lobby as I waited for my ride to visit ‘Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’.  The gardens were across the river, overlooking downtown and adjacent to a trail by the river, which was being used by joggers and bikers.  In terms of the place itself, there was a decent indoor “Conservatory” and a small, but pretty, outdoor area complete with a waterfall.  It did not take me long to walk through it and soon I called a car to take me to brunch.  It was place outside of downtown, called ‘Waveland Café’ and on the inside it was your good old-fashioned neighborhood diner with fixed stools by the counter-top and their own newsletter to peruse while you waited for the typical breakfast fare.  It was also quite popular with the locals, most of whom were familiar to the staff.

'Salisbury House' gardens

It took a long time for a ride to come pick me up and I asked to be dropped off at a historic estate called ‘Salisbury House’.  It was another one of those private mansions from early “20^th century” and which was now a historic landmark open to the public.  I did not know much else about the place, but there was a guided tour that I wanted to attend.  I arrived early and since there was some time for the tour, walked about in the gardens…well, whatever passed off for a garden.  I came back inside and sat in a very grand hall with high ceilings and tall tapestries.  Soon a lady came over an announced that she would be my guide.  Despite waiting a few minutes past the tour start time, I was the only person on the tour and to her credit, she seemed just as enthusiastic.

The grand  Dining Room

She started by telling me about the history of the place which was built by Carl Weeks and his wife Edith in 1923.  Carl made all his money in the cosmetic industry, after starting off as a lowly worker in his uncle’s drug store.  He then went on to study Pharmacy and is credited as inventing the mainstay of women’s makeup kit, “The Foundation”.  That made him immensely successful and wealthy.  On a visit to Salisbury, England, Carl and Edith came across a 15^th century “Tudor Manor”, which served as the inspiration of this house.  It took 5 years for construction and then for the next 25+ years it served as a home for the Weeks and their 4 sons’.  It was later purchased by “Iowa State Education Association” and in the late 90’s it was turned into a museum by “Salisbury House Foundation”. 

The fantastic Library

My guide pointed out the various artifacts in this room and then we went outside to look at the house from outside and just as she was pointing out the stones used in the construction, we were joined by a couple who were a bit late in arriving but wanted to join the tour.  Our guide gave them a quick recap and then we went back inside to continue the tour.  We visited the basement, which was empty, though could have made for a nice “Game Room”.  We also visited the grand “Dining Room”, with its fantastic long table.  But the best room on the lower floor was the library, which was as cozy as you would expect an “English” library to be.  One of the unique things that we saw was on the walls of the back corridors on the way to the garage.  They included bricks and stones from famous monuments and locations from all over the world.  This is like the “Tribune Tower” in Chicago, though the collection in Chicago is more extensive.

Farewell to Des Moines with a beer

We visited the family’s living quarters upstairs, which weren’t as elaborate as the lower level, something that is consistent with other mansions.  It was all about showcasing your wealth to guests and they would hardly be invited upstairs.  Our guide did a great job in telling us stories about the family’s life here as well as after they had vacated the property.  There was also an exhibit in one of the rooms on the life of the 4 kids, who led successful lives, though not as much as their parents.  It was a long tour and after thanking the lady for her commentary, I called a car back into downtown.

I had some available time before I had to depart for the airport, though not enough to visit any other attraction.  So, I decided to go get a beer instead.  I had seen a place called ‘1800 Draught House’, not too far from my hotel and I asked to be dropped off there.  It was your typical “Sports Bar”, though quite empty at this time.  After a beer, I walked over to my hotel and called a ride to the airport.  Although I had been in Des Moines for just 1 night, it seemed that I had accomplished a lot.  It is a fun city for sure, yesterday evening was a testament to that.  There were other things as well that made the visit worthwhile, like the beautiful ‘Capitol’.  But for me, the highlight was most definitely visiting the ‘World Food Prize Hall of Laureates’ and learning about the work that’s going on in eradicating world hunger.  It had been one of my favorite visits over the last year.  Yeah, it wasn’t heaven.  But it certainly was Iowa!