Eats: Frostee’s

Northeast Iowa is full of hidden gems, but Decorah’s Seed Savers Exchange is an easy favorite. If you have even half an interest in horticulture, this heritage farm is a necessary stop if you happen to be in the area.

Before I moved to Des Moines, I had never been to a state fair before. Sure, I grew up just one state east in Illinois, but we lived close enough to the city that agricultural contests and friends in 4H were never part of my reality. Then I relocated to Iowa and was introduced to the Iowa State Fair.

As a kid, I loved going to the botanic gardens in Chicago. Wandering the different gardens and learning about all the exotic plant varieties was always a favorite activity. So a few weeks ago when we made plans to visit Reiman Gardens in Ames, I knew I would be in for a treat.

During a Saturday stop in Winterset, Iowa, we visited the birthplace of actor John Wayne. Born May 26, 1907 to Clyde and Mary Morrison, Wayne’s boyhood home is located just off the city’s main square. The tiny white home—restored to appear as it did in 1907—is surrounded by a statue of the western star, a small gift shop and, if fundraising goes well, a John Wayne Museum…

Other than Kirsten the American Girl Doll or my love for Pippi Longstocking, I have no real ties to Sweden. And while I do love Swedish meatballs, I don’t have any real Swedish heritage.

So it might seem a little strange that I drove a bit out of my way to visit the Swedish Heritage Museum in Swedesburg, Iowa. But Swedish or not, the trip was definitely worth it…

I’ve seen the sign off of I-80 countless times—Brooklyn: Community of Flags. But, for whatever reason, I’ve never been curious enough to stop. That is, until recently…

Though I was born and raised in the Midwest, both of my parents hail from the East Coast. Meaning that though I love a good slice of deep dish pizza, there’s times when I absolutely crave seafood. So a few weeks ago when my family visited Connecticut, one of my only requests was a hot, buttered lobster roll…

In 2017, I traveled to more than 15 states, discovered nearly a dozen new world’s largest things, and drove more than 10,000 miles in my little blue Honda Fit.

As the snow melts and the trees begin to bloom, there’s a certain energy that returns to the air, especially in a place with harsh winters like Iowa. But no more so than in the early days of summer. As a kid, that meant never wearing shoes, devouring endless books for summer reading, picking raspberries in the backyard, and escaping to the lake for a long weekend.

Even though I no longer have summers off, I try to approach summer with the same sense of excitement. And while I’m not a big fan of the oppressive humidity or buzzing mosquitos that accompany the season, there are a lot of things I absolutely adore about Des Moines in the summer.

Dubuque has always been a place I’ve wanted to explore. Nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River, the northwest Iowa town is just a stones throw from the Illinois and Wisconsin borders. After some amateur spelunking at Crystal Lake Cave, we spent the better part of Saturday morning exploring Dubuque, including taking a ride on the Fenelon Place Elevator…

I have a confession: I did a horrible job checking locations and attractions off of my 2016 bucket list. Of all the attractions I hoped to see this year, I only made it to one….

A few weeks ago our intern informed me that he had a new ice cream place I just had to try. While I should have been embarrassed that my love for frozen treats is obviously apparent at work, I was immensely excited to act on his recommendation…

A few weeks back, I took a Friday off and hopped in the car with a friend, heading east. Our destination for the weekend? Dyersville, Iowa—home of the Field of Dreams…

In the past few years, I’ve noticed there are a surprising number of places to enjoy a craft beer in Des Moines (and even more across Iowa). In fact, the newly opened Iowa Taproom showcases 120 taps from more than 20 Iowa breweries.

In honor of Des Moines Beer Week, I decided to compile some of my favorite local spots into an ultimate guide to breweries in Des Moines and the surrounding area.

Earlier this summer I ventured south to Pella for the city’s annual Tulip Time celebration, and while we were in town, we decided to take a tour of the Vermeer Mill, the tallest working windmill in the U.S…