Baru in The Art Center

As you might have heard, the Art Center restaurant has been taken over by Baru.  Chef David Baruthio, who also owns and operates Baru 66 in Windsor Heights is now in charge of feeding the hungry Art Center visitors.  How cool.

The beautiful courtyard dining is still available as well as indoor seating, all located at the Art Center (which has free admission every day) on Grand Ave in Des Moines.

The restaurant is closed on Mondays, but offers lunch Tuesday through Friday, Dinner on Thursdays and lunch on Saturday and Sundays.  

The menu boasts soups, salads, sandwiches and heartier entrees like duck leg, pasta marinara and salmon risotto.  All of the Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-free items are clearly labeled on the menu and there are plenty of options in those categories.  

My friend and I ordered the cheese plate and appreciated that there were two of each item which was conducive to splitting along with some spiced walnuts and raspberry jam.

My friend enjoyed her salmon platter and I was most happy with my "Chef's Casserole" which was sauteed filet with mushroom, onion, bacon and fried egg. It was a nice portion and very tasty. A great gluten-free option.

I'd certainly visit again.  Entrees start around $10.  Service was efficient so you could probably take kids along if you were visiting the Art Center, but it wasn't particularly kid-friendly as far as menu choices.  

All-in-all a lovely meal with a nice selection of wine, beer and cocktails as well.  A great place to take out of town guests for a special occasion, Mom for her birthday or date-night on a Thursday evening for the Prix Fixe special.  When the weather cooperates, make sure to snag a courtyard seat.  The scenery is beautiful.

Des Moines Renaissance Faire

If you or anyone in your family dreams of being a knight, longs to be a princess or is obsessed with pirates. You are going to want to hit the Renaissance Faire this year. Or maybe a turkey leg, a big glass of mead and a giant bog of kettle corn sounds like a tasty meal, then go too.


In it's 11th year, the Faire has evolved into a fun event for the whole family.

This Year's Faire runs for three weekends and boasts a different theme each weekend:

August 31-September 2
- Knights, Barbarians & Heroes

September 7-8
- Scots, Britons & Irish

September 14-15
 - Pirates, Scallywags & BuccaneersKids under 5 are free and my son's favorite part is when he is knighted by the king. Very cute. The hours are 10am to 6pm and it is held rain or shine.

Ages 5-12 are $8 and adult 1 day passes are $16.  There is multi-day price info on the website.


The Faire is located at the Sleepy Hollow Sports park near the State Fairgrounds.

There is lots of entertainment and food vendors, pony rides and jousting and lots more to do and see.  Check it out!

Ragbrai fun! Even if you aren't a biker!

Today's guest post is by my fabulous friend Christie who loves to get out and do fun things with her two adorable boys!  Today's adventure helped to prove that you can have fun during RAGBRAI even without the wheels!

What’s this RAGBRAI thing people keep talking about?  It’s just a bunch of crazy people riding bicycles across the state of IA in 100 degree heat, right?  Wrong!  It’s a week long, state wide (literally) celebration!

My oldest son loves riding his bike so I thought he’d get a kick out of seeing some of the bicyclists as they neared Des Moines.  Little did I know that the bikes are just the excuse for many communities to come together to have some fun! 

Dallas Center was the closest stop in the time we had available to go.  I did some research and found all kinds of fun things going on as the bikers rode through.

We arrived around 10:30 and walked the main stretch to see what we could find.  We found lots and lots and lots of bikes along with a lot of yummy smelling food stands.  If I hadn’t had two small kids in tow, I would have started eating my way through Dallas Center.

Biking not your thing?  What about BINGO where the winning number is selected by a chicken or cow dropping their load on a giant BINGO card?  I was hoping to see the action but it was going to be a while before they let the cow loose to do her business so we moved on.

The kids had seen the bounce houses when we arrived so it was time to let them play a bit.   Next to the inflatables was a small gazebo where a band was playing. 

The whole RAGBRAI atmosphere was so upbeat and fun.  We talked to several riders and everyone was so friendly despite having been on a bike for two and half days.  I overheard several riders talking about how welcoming everyone had been to them as well. 

If you get a chance, check out RAGBRAI at any of the upcoming stops this week (they’re in Des Moines!)  The atmosphere can’t be beat.  For more information, you can check out the RAGBRAI website: http://ragbrai.com/ 

National Balloon Classic - Indianola

One of my very favorite festivals of the summer is the National Balloon Classic in Indianola.  The 2013 festival runs July 26th to August 3rd.  Activities for the week include a 5k walk/run, morning balloon flights that are free, evening balloons flights that are $3 per person admission (or $10 per car load). Entrance includes the nightly entertainment, the ability to watch the night glows, which are really cool where you can go right onto the field, all of the balloons light up in the dark and it's fun to watch. And there are food vendors and kids games there nightly as well.  You can even camp at the field for $5 per night.

On Saturday the 27th at 11:00am there will be the annual Balloon Classic Parade that starts at Irving Elementary School.  You can schedule a Balloon ride in advance by contacting the official balloon ride operation for the event "On the Fly" at 1-800-690-1287.

The weekday evenings are usually less busy, plan some time to get there as there is often a line to get in to park.

Here is the 2013 Schedule on the National Balloon Classic Website.

Riverboat Cruises!

Have you ever wished you could take a boat ride down the Des Moines River to relax, have some cocktails or a meal and take in the sights.  Well you can!  The Jon Anderson White Riverboat offers lunch cruises, cocktail cruises and even murder mystery cruises!  The riverboat docks just north of the Robert D. Ray Drive Asian garden at 799 Robert D. Ray drive.  Just park and walk through the pagoda to board the cruise.

The schedule and more info can be found here.  And tickets can be purchased online through Midwest Tix on the Riverboat website.

Lunch cruises include sandwiches on south union bread, fruit, cookies, tea and lemonade and more with a cash bar available.   Cocktail cruises offer cocktails, beer and wine for purchase and a lovely spread of heavy appetizers like meatballs, chicken salad, cheese & crackers, and more.

Cruises are educational and fun.  The knowledgeable tour guide gives bits of history about Des Moines and the riverboat throughout the cruises and you are able to see sights that are accessible only from the river.

Plan a date-night or get a group of friends together to take a cruise.  Or plan a family outting for a weekend afternoon.  Lunch and cocktail cruises run $22 for lunch and $25 for cocktail cruises per person while you can take the lunch cruise without the meal for $14.  They have special diner cruises as well that run about $50 per person including full meals. We enjoy taking riverboat cruises and we hope you will too!

You can even rent the boat for private parties and special events! You can find them on Facebook here.

Tulip Time! Pella

One of my favorite festivals of the spring is the Tulip Time festival in Pella, IA, about 45 minutes from Des Moines.  Tulip time is the first weekend of May every year and it is so fun.  Whether you go for the food, the parades, the shopping, the history, the entertainment or just to see the tulips in bloom, you are sure to have a good time.

My dear friend Liz grew up in Pella and she gave me the inside scoop! 

If you are going for the food, Liz says some of the best food is at Veld's meat market. Everybody has their favorite there, but she likes the beef jerky and the pella bologna. There's also Ulrich's which offers the gourmet tulip shaped cheeses. Be sure to try the poffertjes (mini-dutch pancakes) , stroopwafels (2 thin waffles with caramel in the middle..mmmm), Vet bollen (it is a fried donut like thing made with mashed potatoes) and a bologna on a stick.  There are tons of vendors so you are sure to find your favorite too.   Jaarsma's is another favorite for both tourists and locals. There are long lines sometimes for the dutch letters, but also the Dutch apple bread is phenomenal. The Dutch spice cookies are also very popular. Double Dutch sandwiches are pretty good. It's dried beef and gouda cheese on a raisin bun.  Remember, Jaarsma is open all year long, so Liz recommends trying the other delicacies since you can make a return trip for the bakery items any time if you live near by.

For the history buffs, there is plenty to see and do. The Scholte House is absolutely beautiful. It was built by Pella's founder Dominie Scholte. Rumor has it that he promised his wife a house just as big and beautiful as the one she had in Holland. It's open for tours to the public.

The Amsterdam School is another neat historical attraction. It was the first school of Pella and is your typical one room school house of the 1800's with many original components. The Tulip Time website tells me you can call to arrange a tour.

For the arts and crafts lovers, there is the Dutch craft market held in West Market Park (also where the kids's games and inflatables are) and also another one in the Molengracht plaza.  The Molengracht has a neat little canal running through it which makes for a good photo op.

For 2013, the Festival is May 2-4 and because of all of the April rain, they are predicting the tulips to be perfect for the event.  Last year the tulips bloomed early and were dead by the festival.  So we are in luck this year and I can't wait!

We have started a tradition for taking a photo in from of the tulips every year.  So neat to watch your kids grow and make some memories. Start your own tradition too!

Here is the schedule for 2013. They also host a 5k on the Wednesday night before the festival too.

Some things to remember:

-The parade and parking is free, but find a seat for the parade early, they fill up and your kids will want a good seat to see. Or you can purchase limited grandstand seating for about $5 for the grandstand show (which Features the Tulip Queen and her court, Dutch dancing and street scrubbers) and use those seats to watch the parade.

-While it's free to browse and watch the parade from the sidewalks, the children's play area, tours, souvenirs and food cost extra, so plan ahead.

-If the food lines are long, a good time to get your favorite snack at the beginning of the parade after you claim your seats, but before the floats get to you. (Thanks for the tip Abby!)

-Parking can be tough, so take advantage of the shuttle, they run often.

Please share any other tips you've learned over the years and your favorite Tulip Time food!

Making Iowa History Fun!

When I used to think about the State Historical Museum downtown, I never would have thought it would be fun for kids.  Well, I was totally wrong!  My kid begs us to take him to the FREE museum all the time to do the super fun scavenger hunt, see all of the animals and of course, eat lunch at the Barrata's cafe that is on the top floor.  

Visiting the museum makes for a great morning.  We start on the first floor where we pick up our pencils and scavenger hunt maps and get looking for stuff. It's fun and educational and our kids really enjoy exploring the museum at their own pace.  Since entrance is free, it's ok if we get tired and break for lunch early.

I love that this is a fun way to start to introduce our kids to Iowa's rich history.  There is so much to learn and this is a really cool museum.  There are even a few hands-on exhibits.  Not quite as kid-friendly as the Science Center, but hey, there is a lot to see and it's free.

We always bring a snack with us since there isn't a snack bar or other place to buy snacks other than the lunch cafe which serves soups, salads and sandwiches and always has a $5 special of the day like mac & cheese or lasagna.  They also have a kids menu, so feel free to bring the little ones.  Earlier is better for the cafe with kids since they tend to fill up with business people around noon, so if you're worried about your kids being too antsy, go at 11-ish after doing the museum for a few hours (they open at 9 on weekdays).  


Oh, and don't forget to bring quarters for the meter. You can park right in front of the building with no problem finding a spot if you get there right at 9, but you'll need change for the meter if you go on a weekday. My kid thinks it's pretty fun and we've been visiting since he was about 3.  Let us know if your kids like it too!

We think you'll like Sue too.

If you haven't been to the Science Center of Iowa to check out the newest exhibit,  A T. Rex named Sue yet, we suggest you do.  The exhibit is free with regular admission and will be on display until May 2nd, 2013.  


Sue is the largest, most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus ever found.  She is pretty cool when you get up close!


They also offer other dino-related activities such as a dino-dig, and opportunities to look through the eyes of a dinosaur.  The exhibit is very educational and fun.  If you are looking to avoid crowds, try going on a weekday morning and keep in mind that Fridays tend to be field-trip days.

You can probably get through the exhibit, especially with little ones in about a half hour, so make sure you come prepared to check out the rest of the science center as well if you are aren't a member and are paying full admission.  The IMAX theater is also showing a Dinosaur movie that looks cool.  So maybe check the showtimes before you go if you plan to see that.  The permanent exhibits are always fun too.  


The cafe has a good variety of lunch and even dinner options or there are a bunch of restaurants that we like to go to after a visit up the street a little, like Dos Rios or Fongs Pizza.  We park half-way between where we want to eat lunch and the Science Center and walk so we don't have to park twice.  Remember to bring change for the meter if you do that.

Warning: The gift shop has a whole display of new dinosaur-themed toys and projects.  They are pretty cool, but be prepared for some begging if you have kids.  Or maybe some begging husbands...

Travel Back in Time with Taste

We all know Living History Farms is a great place to take the family to learn about life on the farm and they have great family Halloween and Easter events.  But have you ever considered a date night at the farm??

Check out Living History Farm's 1875 and 1900's dinners.  

Historic Dinners (Click here for more info and to purchase tickets)

If you choose the 1900's dinner you'll be transported to the farmhouse in a horse-drawn carriage!  Both menu's are fantastic! You learn a bit of history, get to tour the farm and eat a meal prepared by staff that slaved all day over the stove preparing your meal the way they would have back then.

I recommend the 1900's turkey dinner! Enough food to make you feel like it's Thanksgiving again! You are greeted at the farmhouse by hot cider and treated like kings and queens.

You can make reservations right online and even take in your own bottle of wine for a corkage fee of $10. Tickets are $50/person. and the first party to reserve a night picks the meal. They can even accommodate special diets!

Tips: Dress in layers!  The ride out to the farm can be chilly and eating by the fire can get warm. Oh, and be ready to use an outhouse if you have the urge...They'll give you a lantern of course to lead the way...