Okay, I'll admit it, the midwestern states are not high on my list of exotic getaways that I dream of exploring. But my family, or part of it anyway, lives in the little town of Ames, which is located smack in the middle of Iowa, or thereabouts. And this year, instead of them coming out to see me for the holidays in soggy San Diego, I made the trek to farm country, bare trees, snow flurries, and wind chill factor. And it was great!
My sister planned a few adventures to dispell the notion that there is nothing to do in Ames, which is known mostly as college town built around Iowa State University. First up was a visit to a local winery. When my sister told me about Iowa wineries, I thought of a phrase from an old dairy commercial I heard over and over growing up in the Bay Area: "Cows? In Berkeley?" So my first reaction was "Wineries? In Iowa?" But yes, there is a flegling wine industry in America's heartland that has at least the rich soil going for it.
We drove to the countryside where small farms dot the flat and barren wintery landscape-- it looked like something right out of a postcard. A couple of ramshackle barns by the side of the country road provided a great photo opportunity. My sister said that she went on a barn tour a few months ago and loved it. I was surprised to see one house that was built into the ground, but I was told that it was pretty common in the old days to build houses into the ground to protect against harsh midwestern elements of high winds, tornados, and piles of snow.
Eventually we reached Praire Moon Winery, located just a couple miles outside of downtown Ames. And wouldn't you know it, the tasting room was closed that Saturday for the long Thanksgiving weekend! So we poked around the vineyards and the toured the picturesque patio area that can be rented out for parties and weddings. In looking at the Prairie Moon website, http://www.prairiemoonwinery.com/ they said they grow French and American varietals, but were struggling a bit with the some of the French varietals due to the Iowa's freezing weather. But they are new, only around since 2000, so from my point of view, it's way too early to tell if Iowa wines will catch on.
Next up was a trip to the Butterfly Spa, http://www.butterflydayspa.com/ , for some much needed pampering. The spa looks like it is located in a temporary office building, and the interior is just as modest. But as far as services go, you are treated with personal attention comparable to any other luxery spa I have visited. Their prices for massages, which run about $60 an hour, are extremely reasonable for all of the attention you get. Their other spa services include manis, pedis, and skin treatments. And what sets this spa apart from some of the others is that it is a small women-owned business. But that shouldn't stop the guys from going in for a treatment, as the spa is for men and women. How about it guys, will you get a pedicure -- just once? Hint, hint.
Next up was a visit to Perfect Games, http://www.perfectgamesinc.com/ ,which is the kind of place I would never normally go to on my own. But my nephew had to work at their King Pin Pizza restaurant on Thanksgiving night, so we all went down there for a very untraditional, but really fun Thanksgiving feast. The managers were nice enough to let my brother-in-law and nephew cook up their own original Thanksgiving pizza for us, which substituted gravey for tomato sauce and had toppings of dressing, turkey, onions, and some other secret seasonings and ingredients. And you know what? It tasted delicious!! It was like the entire Thanksgiving feast on a slice of pizza. My nephew thought that business would be kind of slow that night, maybe some single dads with nowhere to go on Thanksgiving, but wow, it turned out to be packed. There were parties at the laser bowling lanes, people hanging out at the sports bar, and kids playing in the arcade. The place is huge, seemed like the size of a football field, maybe bigger, is really clean, there's lots of fun stuff to do, and has a full bar. But here's a little bit of advice: if you order and Irish coffee, make sure the bartender puts a little whiskey in your cup!
I have a lot more to say in my next post about the nuts and bolts of getting to the midwest from California, my flying experience, and how to be a good guest when visiting reletives. Here's a preview: rent a room!
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