Family Fun Getaway to Des Moines - Day Three

 It's our final day in Des Moines. It was an overcast morning, with a chance of rain later in the afternoon, but that didn't stop us from heading to the Blank Park Zoo. The original children's zoo, Des Moines Children Zoo, opened in May of 1966. It was designed around a nursey rhyme theme featuring a castle with a moat, Noah's Ark, and an animal petting area. In 1982, the zoo closed for renovation and reopened in 1986 as the Blank Park Zoo. This all new 22 acre zoo was no longer considered a children's zoo. And since its reopening, there have been several larger additions made such as the seal and sea lion pool and a major expansion to include Jamaa Kwa Africa. And the newest exhibit is the Alpaca Acres which opened in May of this year. Come along for a tour of the Blank Park Zoo!

As we make our way to David Kruidenier's Australia Adventure, we found beautiful flamingos! These stately pink birds are some of my favorites. Did you know that flamingos are born white? It isn't until they are adults, and from the nutrients found in their diet, that they turn their familiar pink hues. These graceful creatures are simply stunning!

This little otter was so playful and had us all entertained! A swimmer, explorer, and showman as it splashed around the exhibit. The otter had us all moving back and forth to keep an eye on his every move. 

Inside Australia Adventure, Wallaby were everywhere! And they were on the move. 

We saw some of the most beautiful birds!

Penguins, sea lions, tortoises, monkeys and more....

The Alpaca Acres is an extra fee. It's $6 for non members, $5 for members, and it's $2 a cup to feed the animals. They are sweet, and furry, and very photogenic. We really loved hanging out with them for a bit.

The lions were massive, the giraffes tall. The zebras had stripes and the baboons fought. Like the Simon and Garfunkel song goes, "It's all happening at the zoo."

After the zoo, we drove to find the Jordan House. The Jordan House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as it was a stopover on the Underground Railroad. Freedom Seekers would hide out in the fields, outhouses, and barns of the property. Owner James Jordan was considered the "chief conductor" for Polk County. In addition to assisting the freedom seekers, the Jordan House was also open to travelers seeking accommodations on their way out west. It was also a gathering place for local politicians and business leaders. Jordan became a business man and prominent civic leader within Polk County. The Jordan Home remained in the family for nearly a century, but was sold in 1947 to the Church of the Nazarene. In 1978, the West Des Moines Historical Society purchased the home to renovate it as a period home and create the existing museum.

I would have loved to take the time to tour the home, but it is an hour plus guided tour only available on Friday's and Sunday's. They have two different tour times, 11:00 and 1:00, and they require a 24 hour notice. The tours are $5. If you would like more information on this museum, head here. 

The rain began falling while we were walking the zoo, but it was nothing but a slight drizzle. As we were leaving, the rain picked up. By the time we took the photos of the Jordan Zoo, the rain had settled in. It was nearly 1:30 and we needed to get back on the road. Again, it's a nearly three and a half hour road trip. And we didn't want to get tangled up in five o'clock traffic! A quick pit stop to grab lunch and we were headed home.

We thoroughly enjoyed our family fun getaway to Des Moines. Thank you so much to the city for having us! We will definitely be back as there is still some things on our to-do list! If you get a chance, make sure you Catch Des Moines! 

XO,

Andrea

*This was a sponsored post, but all photos and comments are my own.

A Day in Minneapolis

During our time in Minnesota, we spent an entire day in Minneapolis. This is a city with so much to do! I honestly wish we had more than a day to spend here. Next trip! But on this Saturday in July, we took in as much culture and history as we could. And thank you to Meet Minneapolis for sharing their Media Passport with me! It was full of incredible information around each of the hot spots to hit. Here is a glimpse into what a Saturday Funday in Minneapolis can bring you!

Up first, we visited the Minneapolis Institute of Art or Mia. Nestled into a darling residential area of ivy coated brick walled apartments, I immediately thought of being young, single and living in this quaint area. I also thought of how McKinley would fit right in around here, being an artist himself, and hoping that he finds sanctuary in a city dwelling of his own someday. Water works!! I digress. The Mia is a free art gallery that houses over 90,000 old and new works of art. And when I say old, there are pieces that date back nearly 5,000 years! Collections from well known artists like Rembrandt to Monet to Matisse are on display, as well as art from six continents. We were overwhelmed on where to start and what to look at first. 

We started on the third floor and worked our way down. McKinley was immediately awestruck by a painting of a tornado that whipped through St. Paul. One of his favorite things to draw are tornados. Kismet! Next, we walked through an architectural exhibit with pieces that look like a cross between Art Deco and Mid Century Modern, both of which are my favorite design esthetics. Also, there is an amazing view of the city skyline!  

   Before we continued, we had tickets to the Van Gogh and the Olive Groves exhibit. There were five paintings in total, three that are part of Mia, two as part of the traveling exhibit, as well as landscapes and three works on paper. The Olive Grove paintings were done during Van Gogh's time at the Saint-Rémy de Provence, a psychiatric hospital. He spent a year there, of his own accord, and painted the olive groves he saw outside his window. He would venture out among the groves as well. What he captured was his perspective of the different times of year and how the groves took shape in early spring to late fall. McKinley and I spent a lot of time talking about the way the sun fell or how the trees themselves were full or bare. I loved that he could experience something like this, as traveling exhibits are crucial to expanding everyone's knowledge of past and current artists. If you are a local, or just happen to be in Minneapolis on a visit, the exhibit runs through September 18th.

After we left the Van Gogh exhibit, we continued to explore the gallery. We found works by Paul Signac, George Seurat, Ralph Fasanella (a painting I personally fell in love with), and Claude Monet. 

We found the Tatra T87 four door sedan. This unique automobile offers a three-piece windshield, a back fin, and is so streamlined that every feature of the Tatra offers a well-crafted form that reinforces function. Hans Ledwinka was the designer of this sleek car and created the rear dorsal fin to stabilize the car at high speeds. It has a rear-mounted 75-horsepower V8 engine, making the Tatra one of the fastest cars of its day, going 100 miles per hour. There were only two thousand 1936 T87 designs produced. North America never received an export of this automobile. 

Check out this Frankfurt Kitchen that was gifted to the museum. It dates back to 1926-1930. Can you spot any design concepts that we might still use today? I see several. Subway tile, open shelving, minimalist decor, and possibly the glass front cabinets. 

Here are some additional photos of our time in the Mia.

Up next was the Mill City Museum. This museum is located on the banks of the Mississippi River and gives you the history of how the city of Minneapolis grew from one single product, flour. Gold Medal Flour originated in Minneapolis. Did you know that flour comes from wheat? Raw wheat would arrive via boxcar to the mill where it was sent through small machines that eventually turned it into flour via the Washburn "A" Mill. The mill closed in 1965 and all machinery was left in place. However, in February of 1991, the mill caught on fire destroying most of the space. You can tour the "interior" and see remnants of machinery and other parts of the mill. 

The Water Lab was McKinley's favorite spot. Become an engineer and recreate the mill with the help of the water from the river bank. Can you make water flow and produce power at the same time? 

I loved reading all about the products we use today.

Head to the rooftop and look out over the Mississippi River. It's an incredible view!

We got lucky, with it being a Saturday, and stepped out into the Mill City Farmers Market as we were leaving the mill. What a cool vibe! Fresh vegetables, local honey, fun clothing and accessories, and just a lovely moment in the city. 

If you are feeling up for a long leisurely walk, you can take one along the Stone Arch Bridge. The bridge has 23 arches and measures 2100 feet long. We didn't take the walk, although it was on our list of things to do, but it was getting late and we still had several more things to accomplish before the day was over. Look back at the photos of the river from the roof top of the mill. You get a great view of the bridge!

After leaving Mill City, we ventured down to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden located across the street from the Walker Art Center which is a partnership with the Minneapolis Parks and Rec. The garden is an extension of the center with collections of modern and contemporary art set against a park backdrop. This free exhibit sits on 11 acres and offers 40 pieces of artwork. The most famous is the Claes Oldenburg Spoonbridge and Cherry, which we saw just days before his death.  And though this is a post about Minneapolis, I have to  provide a bit of Kansas City art history. The Shuttlecocks on the lawn of the Nelson Art Gallery are also Claes Oldenburg structures. How lucky we are that we saw one on our road trip and can see another any time we want. 

Walk across the street to the Walker Arts Center to experience their contemporary and visual arts exhibits. And, if you are feeling a bit competitive, hit the 10 hole Skyline Mini Golf course. We so wanted to do this, but the wait time was over an hour, and we didn't have the time to wait. It is on a first come, first serve basis so get there early, if you can. 

Finally, we found our way to Minnehaha Falls and what a surprise to find out it was the weekend of their Art Fair. McKinley loves an art fair! It was fun to walk among the vendors, checking out all the works of art, and walk away with a little souvenir. We took photos along the falls and McKinley just had to take a Surrey cycle ride. We didn't make it very far. It was difficult! 

We are now at 5:00 and exhausted! We had a six hour trip ahead of us the next day and McKinley really wanted to take one last swim at the hotel. We completed our evening, our trip actually, pool side, and I partook in a glass of Prosecco! It was just what I needed. 

McKinley was so sad to leave. He asked if we could stay one more day and I told him we had to leave in order to come back. And come back we will! There is still so much we need to see and do in this amazing city and we can't wait to see you again!

XO,

Andrea