Adventureland of America

Summer is fast approaching it's end and we're trying to fit in all of the fun, summery things to do in Iowa while we can.  We always try to hit Adventurland in Altoona at least once per summer.  While it's not Disney World, it's still awesome that Des Moines has an amusement park to call it's own.  It's fun to ride a few roller coasters, play some fair games and eat some amusement park food.

There is a significant amount of kid-friendly rides so young kids enjoy the park as well us old kids.

The fairly new Kokomo Cove water park is really nice and a great spot for a hot summer day.  They have a kids water play area as well as a giant older kids play area with dump bucket.  They have some big slides and a lazy river.  The water park is my kid's favorite part.  My only complaint would be that to get to the water park you have to walk through the whole amusement park to get there.  Hopefully they'll at some point make an entrance near the water park so you can enter and exit closer to it.

They also have a good selection of park food to choose from. From corn dogs and funnel cakes to pizza and tacos and dippin dots, you'll get a mini-taste of the State Fair here.  Some heartier items like Philly cheese steaks and fried chicken are available too.

 I think a good amusement park experience includes a little bit of unhealthy food.  Though we see a lot of people packing coolers and leaving them in their cars to exit the park for snack breaks and re-enter since outside food isn't allowed in the park.

While, like every amusement park, things are overpriced, games are almost impossible to win and someone always throws up on the tilt-a-whirl.  But that's all part of the memories and what summer is complete without that?!

Weekend Review - June 28th - July 1st

June 28th
unWINEd
Come out to the terrace overlooking Grey's Lake every other Friday evening from 5:30pm - 8:30pm for live music, beer and wine.  Burgers and other food will be available from the grill. Music by Soul Searchers on June 28th.

June 28th - 30th
Des Moines Art Festival

June 28th
Yoga at The Glen
6pm-7pm 
All ages welcome!
Free outdoor yoga compliments of Power Life Yoga to live music!Yoga starts at 6:00pm, stay and enjoy the music until 11:00.
Every participant receives a free bottle of water and a complimentary sweat towel.
Caribou Coffee will be serving up free fruit smoothies. Enjoy a drink on Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar's patio.Caribou Coffee will be serving up free fruit smoothies. Enjoy a drink on Blue Moon Dueling Piano Bar's patio.

June 29th, 2013
Downtown Farmer's Market
7am to noon

June 29 - 30, 2013
ArtsFest Midwest: The Other Art Show
Iowa State Fairgrounds' Varied Industries Building, Des Moines
Sat 10 - 6 p.m.; Sun 10 - 5 p.m.
Admission: Free

June 29, 2013
Iowa Barnstormers vs. San Antonio Talons
Wells Fargo Arena at Iowa Events Center, Des Moines
7:05 p.m.

June 30, 2013
Sunday Tunes @ Summerset Winery
Music by Abby Normal, Food by Local Yocals

June 30, 2013
Live At The Creek Kickoff with Decoy & Fireworks

Join us for “Live at the Creek” summer concert series, presented by Stivers, every Sunday from 5 – 8pm at Jordan Creek Town Center! Enjoy live music from the amphitheater or one of the five lakeside patio restaurants, and a wine & beer garden next to the amphitheater. “Live at the Creek” summer concert series is a great way to spend your Sunday evenings. Admission is free and will feature crowd favorites including Decoy, The Tony Valdez Large Band & Retro Rockets, Boomerang, Final Mix, Flipside, and Pianopalooza. Jordan Creek Town Center, “Live at the Creek” FREE summer concert series, Sundays 5-8pm, June 30th through September 1st. Time: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Location: Lake District

July 1st, 2013
Dishcrawl Des Moines - Celebrate Des Moines Independence from boring food.
Landing on the week where our nation celebrates it’s independence, we have set up a Dishcrawl adventure for you. This Dishcrawl takes place in the western part of Down Town Des Moines. Whether it be a twist on a traditional favorite, or exciting new dish at a Des Moines treasure, you don’t want to miss out on this Dishcrawl! 

This event is presented by your local favorite blog, Eat, Play, Love Des Moines. “Looking for fun, fresh places to go in Des Moines? We are giving you reviews of the best places to eat, play and enjoy Des Moines. We'll show you things to do you never even knew existed! We know you'll love Des Moines too!”
It's a guessing game! We’re keeping the names of the restaurants we will be visiting a secret for now, but here and there we’ll give you some hints. Follow us on Twitter @dishcrawldsm and be the first to know!
Where to Meet Us: All ticket holders will be notified of meeting location via email, 48 hours prior to the event.

June 8-July 14

Family Summer Camp at Bass Pro Shops Altoona Iowa

Noon to 5 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday Free crafts, special workshops for kids, and activities! The fun starts at noon (unless otherwise noted)! Activities: Our new Daisy BB Gun inflatable shooting range The fabulous FREE wildlife carousel Casting Buckets Soft Foam Shooting Arcade Workshops (See schedule below) Crafts (different craft each week) 12 – 2 p.m. Homemade Ice Cream - Saturdays only 5-6 p.m. Each child will receive ONE free lanyard (while supplies last) and then earn a FREE pin at the end of each workshop they attend. Here's the workshop schedule: Tuesdays Noon - Bird Watching 1:00 - Fishing 2:00 - Archery 3:00 - Outdoor Discovery 4:00 - Backyard Adventure Thursdays Noon -Archery 1:00 - Shooting & Hunting 2:00 - Wildlife Exploration 3:00 - Water Safety 4:00 - Camping Saturdays Noon - Fishing 1:00 - Water Safety 2:00 - Hunting & Shooting 3:00 - Outdoor Discovery 4:00 - Bird Watching Sundays Noon - Hunting & Shooting 1:00 - Archery 2:00 - Wildlife Adventure 3:00 - Camping 4:00 - Backyard Adventure

Follow us on FACEBOOK HERE for the most current updates and happenings =)

Prairie Meadows

Sure, you can go to Prairie Meadows for a day or evening of gambling.  But, have you considered Prairie Meadows for a weekend get-a-way?

Those are ostriches!

The new hotel is really beautiful!  They have a pool and exercise room.  Really nice decor and comfortable sitting areas throughout the lobby and of course lots of meeting and conference rooms if you wanted to host a meeting or party.  The guest rooms are spacious and modern and they have really great deals on the rooms. You can do a romance package that includes a meal, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries for about $159.


For dining options they have a few bars, a cafe in the hotel, buffet, outside vendors in the racing area and the really great AJ's Steakhouse for a fancier option.  They often have live bands playing in the evenings and the full entertainment schedule is here.

Kids are allowed in most of the dining and racing areas. And if you think playing slots and table games are the only things to do, check out the racing schedule.  They even have ostrich and camel races once a year and they are hilarious!  Kids really like to watch the races and sometimes the jockeys will even give kids their racing goggles and take pictures with them after races.

And if races, dining, gambling and live entertainment aren't enough to do, you can always go ride some roller coasters or water slides next door at Adventureland.  Jethro's BBQ is across the street and Downtown Des Moines is just a few miles away.

So if you want to get away without having to go too far away, even for just a day, with kids or without, check out Prairie Meadows.  If you haven't in a while a lot has changed and you might just find out you really like it!

UPDATE!! The 2013 ZEBRA and Ostrich races will be on July 21st @ 1:00pm.  Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult and there is no wagering on these races. Just for family friendly fun! Can't wait!

Let out your inner cowboy (or girl) at Pizza Ranch!

There are a few Pizza Ranches in the area, including Ankeny, Altoona, Indianola and Waukee.  While Pizza Ranch is a chain, I love how much they do for the community.  They are always doing fundraising events to support local schools, sports, churches and other community organizations.  They donate a portion of a nights sales, or let the organization participants clear tables to earn tips that go to the organization.  Very cool.

They have a lot of selection on the buffet and you can request pizza toppings to be prepared for the buffet as well.  They also offer gluten-free pizza and take allergies seriously.

The environment is fun and very family-friendly.  We are fans of the cactus bread on the dessert table. Yum!  It's strudel and fruit-topping pizza and goes great with the vanilla ice cream also on the buffet.

The fried chicken is also popular and I've even witnessed fights over pieces of fresh chicken as it comes out from the kitchen.  Ok, maybe not actual fights, but people are really passionate about this chicken I tell you.

There are some online coupons here.  And the full menu can be viewed right on the website.

For a reasonably priced family meal, check out your nearest Pizza Ranch.  The kids will love it and you may just like it too.  You pay at the counter and can immediately start getting your food, so no waiting for hungry kiddos.  The food is pretty good and if you go on a fundraising night, you might be supporting a good cause too.  Check it out.

Bass Pro Shop Bowling

I recently decided to open a Val-Pak and found a coupon for Free Bowling at Bass Pro Shop in Altoona. It was good for up to four people and I thought it would be a lot of fun to take my kids there on a cold winter day. I was not disappointed!

Pros: 

• Very Clean and Great Atmosphere--you feel a bit like you're underwater with the decorations and shark's mouth ball return. 
• Automatic Bumpers appeared for the kids and lowered for my turns. 
• Clean-ish shoes. They were the cleanest shoes I've seen at a bowling alley, but they are still bowling shoes.
• Great score board screen and I didn't have to do a thing! 
• My littlest guy--two years old--was able to use a stand to push the ball off of and he had a great time playing too!

Cons:

• This bowling alley has you pay per lane, per hour. It is too expensive for just the kids and myself to go to, but it would be a fun night out with friends or more people. 

Overall, we had a great time and look forward to going back soon!