What the Hell To Do in Des Moines

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ahoi polloi 'cause
I will be in Iowa
early October

what is to be done?
record stores, weird stuff to see?
vegan restaurants?

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Thursday, 11 September 2003 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

There's a cool highway out there. I-80 is what it's called I think. You head out on that and before you know it, you're in Chicago.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 11 September 2003 05:24 (twenty-two years ago)

the art museum there has a good Anselm Kiefer, and big Oldenberg (pyramids) and a huge blue vinyl adapter plug (can't remember who did that). www.desmoinesartcenter.org

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Thursday, 11 September 2003 05:36 (twenty-two years ago)

You can spend all day trying to pronounce Des Moines.

And get it wrong.

― ken c, Thursday, 11 September 2003 07:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I grew up there! Get some beer and find a nice spot under a bridge to get drunk. Besides that, as g--ff mentioned, the art center is surprisingly good. The downtown area is nice, you could spend a day in the skywalks. There might still be a decent record store around Drake University somewhere. I seriously doubt you'll find a vegan restaraunt though.

― BrianB, Thursday, 11 September 2003 12:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Drive 1 hour east to a tiny town called Grinnell, home of Grinnell College.
See Yo La Tengo, Pretty Girls Make Graves, and whatever other indie bands happen to be making this town a stop on their tour.
A restaurant in town, the Phoenix, is run by a badass Egyptian dude; I'm sure he'd whip you up something vegan (or even the college dining hall always had tasty vegan options).
as you can see...I went to Grinnell...but...never drove out to D.M.

― mark cunningham (robotsinlove), Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Stay away from Des Moines.

Especially don't let your vehicle break down there at 1:00 am on Friday night/Saturday morning in the dead of winter, because you'll be fucking stuck there until Monday.

DON'T ASK ME HOW I KNOW.

― luna (luna.c), Thursday, 11 September 2003 18:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Cow tipping?

― phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 11 September 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Des Moines, alas, is not terribly happening. There is a record store called Zzz Records on Locust St. that's got a truckload of old vinyl (v. small hiphop section, sadly, 'cause if their hiphop vinyl were anything like their general-seventies-stuff vinyl, they would be AMAZING). There's a place called the Vaudeville Mews that's been bringing more & more bands in, booked by some high school kid who is hellbent on making Des Moines a tour stop instead of a drive-past-on-the-way-to-Omaha. The Arts Center, yes, quite nice.

As for vegetarian food, I think you're probably gonna have to just look for good Chinese. There is a place called Thai Flavors that's pretty good; Taste of Thailand is reported to have good veggie options; if you wanna head north half an hour, there's better vegetarian options right here in Ames: Thai Kitchen, "Indian Restaurant" (that's its name), Bali Satay House, a falafel joint, and Le's Vietnamese, which I love a lot - there's this amazing noodles-and-veggies-and-tofu dish they do that is one of my favorite things in the world to eat.

Also near Ames is a state park called Ledges that's wonderful to explore! I'd show you around but early October is when I'll be on tour. You might be able to take in a minor-league hockey game in DM - the Buccaneers - which is supposed to be fun, though I've only been to college hockey games here in Ames, which are also cool. You might check out a really nice wine store called the Wine Experience (this is in West Des Moines, where Iowa's version of "rich people" live), which is right next to a Baskin-Robbins, about which I get excited because they turned the Baskin-Robbins here in Ames into a damned cookie shop, and I can make my own God damned cookies but I can't very well make my own Baskin-Robbins, can I? I think NOT.

If you wanted to head south a little (not sure where you're heading to), the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has founded an entire city in Fairfield, Iowa, now fully incorporated as "Vedic City." Its spa is reputed to rock the motherfuckin' house, in a Vedic way.

Or, I guess, you could just tip cows & chew tobacco, like all of us out here in the midwest must necessarily be doing all the time, because we are terribly deprived. Do forgive us our cow-tipping however as it takes our minds off the seething jealousy for those lucky folk in cities who spend three-quarters of their income on rent & food.

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 11 September 2003 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

p.s. "ahoi polloi" is further proof that our Haikunym is a genius, and somebody better get on a small-run nicely-printed edition of his/her greatest hits, like, pronto

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 11 September 2003 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

john* thanks for tips, props
(stole that phrase from caddyshack)--
boo for being gone

*and everyone / else who was serious here / appreciate it

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Thursday, 11 September 2003 23:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I was completely serious.

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 12 September 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I know, hon, I know.
But I think we all know your
auto karma sucks!

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Friday, 12 September 2003 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

p.s. "ahoi polloi" is further proof that our Haikunym is a genius, and somebody better get on a small-run nicely-printed edition of his/her greatest hits, like, pronto

I know two years doesn't qualify as pronto but I should be able to sort this some time in the foreseeable...

― Matt (Matt), Friday, 12 September 2003 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

I was completely serious too. Cow-tipping sounds like a jolly good time!

― phil-two (phil-two), Friday, 12 September 2003 01:03 (twenty-two years ago)

go to the botanical centre! Its really cool!

― Mike Hanle y (mike), Friday, 12 September 2003 02:50 (twenty-two years ago)

it is!! it's like a gread high-tech indoor zoo only without all the goddam animals. very logan's run!

also, Taste of Thailand is (or was like a decade ago) a big Dem party hangout, might be a good place to eavesdrop as well as eat.

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Friday, 12 September 2003 04:59 (twenty-two years ago)

serious, it's gread.

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Friday, 12 September 2003 05:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The Amana Colonies.

― ben welsh (benwelsh), Friday, 12 September 2003 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

nine years pass...

Fort Raccoon. are you kidding me

― pplains, Friday, 2 August 2013 22:18 (twelve years ago)

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