Tag Archives: Des Moines

Iowa Tourists

28 August 2011

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Few days ago, some dear friends from New York visited us here in Iowa. Yes, while hurricane Irene lashed out New York City and the northeastern seaboard, they enjoyed a perfect weather here in the midwest.

Aside from reminiscing the good ‘ole days we spent together and having re-bonding time, we played host to them as well as tour guide to our locale. There are more to see than cornfields here. (For there are also soybean fields!) But seriously, even though our state is not a popular tourists’ destination, we have interesting places to visit. But if it is cornfields that amuse you, then this is a “Field of Dreams” for you. (By the way, that film was shot here in Iowa.)

We visited the historic covered bridges of Madison County, which was popularized in a best-selling novel by Robert James Waller and later on made into a film, “The Bridges of Madison County,” which starred Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep.

There were 19 covered bridges built in Madison County during the late 19th century. Only 6 remain today.

This was the oldest remaining bridge which was built in 1870.

Holliwell bridge which measures 122 feet, is the longest remaining bridge.

When you step inside them.....

....they provide a passage way into the past.

We went to visit the Salisbury House located in the ‘South of Grand,’ an area in Des Moines noted for eclectic variety of historic mansions and luxury homes. The Salisbury House is a mansion built by cosmetic magnate Carl Weeks, and was modeled after the King’s House in Salisbury, England. The house was completed in 1928, and has over 42 rooms.

Some of the artifacts found inside the mansion.

mantle of the fireplace at the great hall

The courtyard of the mansion. It was being readied for an event.

We also drove around downtown Des Moines and visited the Iowa State Capitol complex.

Golden dome of the Iowa State Capitol

Allison Monument

Monument of American Revolution

Lady with parasol and the "Shattering Silence" sculpture. The sculpture commemorates the 1839 Iowa Supreme Court ruling granting freedom to a former slave.

We also toured the Temple of Performing Arts in Des Moines, a beautifully restored building, which was a former Masonic Temple. The building now hosts music and theatre performance facilities.

grand hall

clock on the top of the elevator

We also went to Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown, which just opened in 2009, and features artwork by 21 of the world’s most celebrated artists.

In the backdrop of the park is Principal building, the tallest structure in downtown Des Moines.

more park sculptures

Jumping inside the sculpture

The tour would not be complete without a visit to the farm, after all, that is what our state is known for. We were invited by one Filipino who lives in Nevada, Iowa. Her family owns an almost 9,000 acres of farmland. While we were driving to their place, we got “lost”, and intentionally took a detour to have a closer look at the rows and rows of windmills, jutting out from the vast landscape of cornfields.

wind farm

parasol lost amidst the cornfields

dust cloud

old farming equipment

setting sun over soybean fields

After touring our visitors, this gave me a new perspective and deeper appreciation of this place, even of my immediate neighborhood.

sunrise in my neighborhood

view from my porch

looking outside my window

This just solidify my endearment for the place I now embrace as home.

me on a bench at Capitol complex, overlooking the city of Des Moines

(* photo credits to my visiting photographers, and to the resident photographer, my wife)

I’m a Father of a Teenager

15 March 2011

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It seems like yesterday…….

When you arrived into our world and I held you for the first time, in a hospital room that overlooks the New York’s Central Park.

When I danced with you in the middle of the night, as you would not sleep, while the Number 7 train roars from a distant track.

When I pushed you on a swing, in a crowded playground in the middle of hustle and bustle of upper Manhattan.

In our New York Apartment (Number 7 train in the distance)

Was it only yesterday…….

When you ran in your swimsuit on the grass, with the sprinkler on, as you gleefully soaked in water under Florida sun.

When you played and dug in the dirt beside our apartment, with the nearby fragrant orange groves in sight.

When I pushed your stroller as we walked in Downtown Disney, to watch the fireworks in the humid Orlando night.

It was like yesterday……

When you first stomped on the freshly fallen snow and scooped it up with your bare hands, in the dead of Des Moines winter.

When you roamed in our yard picking dandelions, while the distant fields of corn swayed in the breeze of Midwest summer.

When I held and steadied your bike as you first learn to ride, in the driveway of our home here in Iowa.

me and my daughter in our backyard, here in Iowa

It was like yesterday, that you came into my life, and I became a father.

Where did time go? Now, I am a father of a teenager.

Yes, a teenager! But’s that’s not a bad thing, in fact, it is a wonderful thing.

My baby, is now a young lady. And I’m looking forward to more happiness you will bring.

Wayfaring Pinoy Transplant is Home

3 March 2011

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I find it hard to believe that it has been 7 years since I moved here in Iowa. After leaving Manila, which had been the cradle of my childhood, and after short stints in New Jersey, New York, California and Florida, I now have settled here in Iowa and have accepted to call it home.

Truly, my world have changed from the one I was reared into. I transitioned from the congested streets of Manila to the wide open fields of Iowa. Our neighborhood in Sampaloc was so crowded that if I open my window and ask our neighbor to lend me some salt, they can literally hand it to me through the window. Now, where I live, if I open my window and shout to my neighbor to pass the salt, he should have a very good arm to throw it that strong so I can catch it. That is if he can hear me shouting for the salt first.

Manila skyline

Consider this: the state of Iowa (145,000 sq. km.) is bigger than the total land area of Luzon (105,000 sq. km.). But the population of Iowa is only 3 million. Yes, 3 million! That’s only the population of Quezon City! Can you imagine scattering the people from Quezon City alone, throughout the whole island of Luzon, and that will still be more dense than Iowa.

You may be able to drive for miles after miles here without seeing people. But you cannot go very far without seeing the handiwork of people, as stretches of cornfields, soybean fields, cattle and hog farms are the constant scenery here. Only a very small portion of produced corn here is used for human consumption, as most of them are for processing ethanol for fuel and other industrial use. There’s so much corn, that it is just considered cattle and hog feeds. The cattle population (almost 4 million) is more than its people. And hogs? We have 20 million. There is plenty of steak and pork chop to go around.

typical Iowa scene

(photo from here)

I remember when I told my friends that I will be moving from Florida to Iowa. Their first question was, “Where is Iowa?” The next question was, “Are you nuts?” And when I told my family in the Philippines that I will move to Iowa, their question was, “Is that still in the US?” Many people, even Americans cannot locate Iowa in the map. I admit that I had no idea where the heck Iowa was, or knew that it even exist, until a good friend of mine years ago invited me to consider moving here.

This friend is a classmate of mine from pre-med to medical school in Manila. Then we both did our post-graduate training in New York City. He moved to Iowa while I went to Florida, after our training. And for some reason he was very satisfied of the way of living and his practice in Iowa, while I was not in Florida. Besides, this is the man who was the best of our batch in medical school and was the top-notcher of the Philippines’ Medical Board of our time. If it was good enough for him, then there must be a very sound reason.

downtown Des Moines

(photo from here)

As a matter of fact, Des Moines, Iowa is always in the top 10 cities in the US for raising family, for business and career, and a place to relocate. (No, I’m not making those up, but perhaps I need to hear those reports to convince myself that I made the right decision.) But what I like most here is its people. They are friendly, laid-back, simple and are family oriented. Moreover, people here still like their doctors, as the rate of medical malpractice lawsuits is not that high compared to other states. (The states where I lived before were among the high risk states for malpractice lawsuits.)

Seven years and counting. So far I have no regrets. Except when I am freezing while shoveling snow in my driveway, that moving somewhere warm (like the Bahamas) crosses my mind. But winter is almost gone now and spring is on its way. I will soon forget about the bone-chilling cold, at least until the next winter.

Will I stay here for good? Only time can tell. But for now, this wayfaring Pinoy transplant has found his home.

Not Cold? My Ears are Frozen!

24 January 2011

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Last weekend we shared a lazy Sunday brunch with our neighbors (yes, the same one who borrowed Voltes V). They have just moved from Minnesota to Iowa last summer, and as good neighbors we befriended them. They did fit in quickly to our neighborhood, and have settled in pretty much in their lovely new home.

Trying to know people with very different background than us is always interesting. They were curious how we who grew up in another country ended up here in Iowa. We told them of our experiences and what it was like back home. We were happy to inform them that the Philippines have more than 7100 islands (and that some of them disappear during high tide), and that our country’s land area is only twice as big as Iowa, but our population is about 92 M, compared to 3 M here in Iowa.

Then we talked about the Philippines’ climate where the temperature varies between 70′s to 90′s F all year through, unlike the very wide range of -20 (below 0) to 100 F here in Iowa.

As we were sharing stories, they told us that their friends have called them earlier that day and told them that they should be thankful, for there was so much snow and it was so much colder there in St.Paul/Minneapolis (Twin Cities) where they use to lived, than what we were experiencing here in Des Moines.

This couple grew up in Minnesota and spent most of their lives there, and they are very accustomed to cold. They claimed that in Minnesota, they can have up to 6 months of snow in a year. (Half a year of snow?!!) They have learned to embrace the cold weather and enjoy activities in snow. To them, Iowa winter is considered mild. (What do you mean not cold? My ears are already frozen!)

I find it funny that we have such different perspective of what cold is. I guess, to each his own.

Should I be thankful then, for it is warmer here than in Minnesota? I went out and checked the temperature outside: 8 F. Yeah, right.

Superman Visits Des Moines

13 January 2011

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In the 707th issue of Superman comic-book series that came out in stores yesterday, it showed Superman visiting the city of Des Moines. He did his usual hero stuff here, like stopping a freight train from running over a girl, rescuing a crashing helicopter, and foiling a robbery. No, I don’t have the comic-book, I just heard it from the Iowa Public Radio which I listened to, when I am driving to work. I then read it more in the Des Moines Register (our city’s newspaper, counterpart of the fictional Daily Planet where Clark Kent works) on-line edition.

According to the story, Superman, has been walking, (mind you, not flying) across America to get back in touch with humanity. Even though I don’t follow comic books (except for Calvin and Hobbes!), I am a Superman fan, and maybe I will get a copy of this most recent issue, just for curiosity sake.

That's the Principal Building in Des Moines (image from Des Moines Register)

Des Moines is far different from Metropolis, the fictional city where Clark Kent lives. For one, Des Moines is relatively small compared to the mega city of Metropolis. We also don’t have crazy characters, like the mad scientist, Lex Luthor, who wants to rule over the world. There might be some mad doctors though (No, it’s not me!). And it does not mean, we have no use of another caped hero.

I am not sure why Superman did not stay for long in Des Moines though. Perhaps he found out that we have traces of kryptonite in our water. Or maybe Lois Lane does not want to move to Des Moines. Or maybe he just cannot find a telephone booth where he can change into his tights. But then again, what other cities still have telephone booths?

21K in 2M

16 August 2010

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I am planning to participate again in the Des Moines half marathon (21 kilometers) this October. I confess, I have been slacking on my running (I always find reasons not too: it’s too cold, it’s too hot, I’m too tired, I’m too busy, I’m too lazy……). For the past 10 months, the longest I have run is 5K (and that’s far in between in occasion). Well, I have 2 more months to prepare for this.

Time to put on Hermes’ shoes of speed, Rocky’s unfading endurance, and my own iron determination. For a start, I ran 10K yesterday. Just don’t ask me how long it took me. Let’s just say I started when the sun was just rising, and finished before the sun sets.

Now I am aching for a foot massage.

Des Moines Marathon

 

Downtown Des Moines

7 June 2010

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Here are some of the sights in the city I now called home. (Though Manila will always be my true home.)

According to Forbes, Des Moines is in the top 5 cities in the US to raise a family.