David Recht
Two weeks ago I visited Des Moines, and I’m glad I did! I live and work in Dallas, and have a couple of clients in Iowa. Along the way, I picked up some insider knowledge about an interesting part of the country.
I arrived late on a Monday night at the airport. I had a busy day ahead of me, so I stayed at a hotel nearby. I was a little nervous about the cold weather driving I had ahead of me in the morning, as I had to visit one of my clients two hundred miles away in Orange City, and I was setting out before sunrise in single-digit (yet dry) temperatures.
I headed west on I-80, then north on I-29, around Sioux City, and north into Orange City. I’m a civil engineer by trade, so I’m naturally attracted to infrastructure. In this case, as the sun was coming up, I noticed a steam plume on the western horizon. I later read about the George Neal North Power Station Complex, and learned a few things about power generation. Of more interest to non-engineers, though, I soon learned about Dutch immigration to Orange City and the surrounding communities (along with the delicious pastries, cheeses, and meats that I was directed to by the City’s monument sign).
A tasty welcome to Orange City
The trip back to Des Moines was a combo of county and state highways, which I relished, getting a chance to see some off-the-beaten-path agriculture, and even experiencing “Iowa Nice” making smalltalk with an Iowan at a gas station, before linking up with US 20 and I-35, heading south into Des Moines.
I made my second work stop of the trip, an architect’s office in a 100 year old building near Woodland Cemetery. I’m a cemetery aficionado, but my flight was fast approaching, and, despite the cold weather, I’m even more of a zoo aficionado, so I drove over the river to the Blank Park Zoo!
Two “Iowa Nice” Sea Otters
There weren’t many people at the zoo, being a cold winter day, but I had a brisk walk, and got to see some of the cold-weather animals frolicking (lions, sea otters, and indoor rhinoceroses and giraffes, among others). I actually was a bit relieved that my flight home was delayed for an hour, so that I had time to relish the zoo.
As the zoo closed, the sun started to get low in the sky, and I picked up a copy of the Des Moines Register at the airport, and pondered the past twenty-four hours. It had been a productive work day, but, perhaps more importantly, a snapshot into Des Moines and environs, and I made a mental note to talk to my wife and kids about my trip, and plan a return someday (maybe for the State Fair, and not in the winter!).