Iowa Distilling Co.

If you saw the photo on Facebook of me sampling some whisky and rum on Friday, you know, my average day at work...You might have been wondering just what I was up to.  Well, even if you weren't, I'm about to tell you all about it anyway!

I was just taking a tour and meeting the awesome guys at Iowa Distilling Company.  Of course sampling the goods was necessary as well.

The guys have a great story about starting out distilling in one of their garages (with proper license of course) before eventually ending up in their current location, a 100-year old building in Cumming, Iowa, They opened here about a year and a half ago.  It's conveniently located right across the street from The Cumming Tap.

The guys have come up with some stellar concoctions including all local grains.  They have Caribbean molasses shipped in from Barbados for their rum, but they use local ingredients wherever possible.

We got to sample the Iowa Shine, which is a 100% local corn whisky that is smooth and exciting for those who don't do wheat gluten.  We also tested the Steel Drum rum, which was lovely and their very popular Prairie Fire whiskey (my personal favorite) which is cinnamon-y and spicy and fantastic in warm apple cider.  You can find their products at most local stores who carry liquor as well as a lot of bars and restaurants around Iowa.

They do tastings and tours on Saturday afternoons and Tuesday evenings, which is totally convenient since Tacopocalypse serves up tacos on Tuesday nights just across the way at the Cumming tap (who also carried their product).  They also do tasting by appointment since they guys have flexible day jobs that allows lots of days spent at the Distillery working remotely.  Tastings are free and Todd, Tom and Phil and truly nice guys who are excited to show you around, so you the process and share their knowledge and local product.

I'm also excited to announce that they are teaming up with Dischcrawl Des Moines to bring you "Cocktail Wars" on December 10th.  5 local bartenders will come up with a cocktail using an Iowa Distilling Co. rum or whiskey and participants get to vote on their favorite to crown the winner.  Read more about Cocktail Wars and get tickets here.

Take a a short ride to Cumming and check out this awesome operation.  Support local!

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!

So you wanna be a pilot?

What kid doesn't love airplanes?!  Did you know that The Ankeny Regional Airport will provide tours of the airport including up close looks at planes and helicopters at the facilities for free!?

They ask that you call and make an appointment and limit your group to not more than 20 to 25 people since there will just be one person giving you the tour.  The contact Phone number is 515-965-1020.

This tour is great for kids of any age they have coloring pages and model planes to give out at the end of the tour.  The tour is pretty informal and you can go through quickly or take your time depending on the age of the kids.

Get a group together and make an appointment.  Your kids (and you) will have a great time.

Ps. Check out flying lessons for adults too!!