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 4-H were never part of my reality. Then I relocated to Iowa and was introduced to the Iowa State Fair.Continue Reading…
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.
So to celebrate the first day of summer, I decided to compile some of my favorite activities around Des Moines that take full advantage of the season.Continue Reading…
Of all the things to see at this year’s Iowa State Fair, a 25-foot-tall replica of Grant Wood’s famed “American Gothic” was among my favorites. The sculpture, titled”God Bless America” and built by New Jersey artist J. Seward Johnson Jr., has been in Iowa for years, but somehow I’m just getting around to seeing it now.Continue Reading…
Because there are just too many fantastic things to eat at the Iowa State Fair, I couldn’t help but dedicate an entire post to the (not-so-healthy) things I consumed during my day at the fairgrounds.
Disclaimer: I did not consume all of this food by myself – if that had been the case, I would not be here to blog about it now.
Double Bacon Wrapped Corn Dog
Rating: 7/10 – Admittedly, this photo looks super gross but what can you really expect from a corn dog? The state fair just isn’t the same without a corn dog, but I didn’t really understand all of the hype about this one. Especially since there wasn’t actually that much bacon in it.
Pork chop on a stick
Rating: 9/10 – I’m not usually a huge pork chop fan but this one was incredible. So incredible, in fact, that there wasn’t even time for a picture.
[Not pictured]
Deep fried Oreos
Rating: 8/10 – I’ve had numerous people tell me how gross they think these are but, all health concerns aside, the concept of a creamy melted Oreo basically inside a doughnut is one of the most appealing things I’ve ever heard.
Chocolate-Covered Bacon on a stick
Rating: 7.5/10 – I’m a big fan of salty/sweet combinations so it’s no wonder that I’m weirdly fascinated by chocolate-covered bacon.
[Not pictured]
Bauder’s Peppermint Bar
Rating: 9.5/10 – This delicious ice cream/cookie/fudge bar combines everything that is delicious and truly amazing about summertime. If you’re only going to eat one thing at the state fair this year, it should definitely be this. A bold statement, but it’s 100 percent true.
Prior to moving to Iowa, I had never been to a state fair before. This year was my second Iowa State Fair experience and I have to say, it was even better than the first.Continue Reading…