Iowa is the last state I visited and is the 44th on my list. It was almost 6 hours drive to get to my first Iowa tourist destination coming from Moorhead, MN. While driving from Minnesota to Iowa, it was mostly fields after fields after fields of corns and potatoes.
On my list to see in Iowa, I have only 3 noted. First was in West Bend and the rest were in Des Moines. In West Bend, I visited the Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption.
It was beautiful and enchanting. I was in a middle of nowhere while driving to my destination and suddenly this shrine showed up infront of me and was shining with magnificence. The Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption is the world’s largest grotto built by a priest from precious stones plus a museum, a chapel and a campground. The Grotto has been described as a ‘miracle in stone’ by The Iowan magazine. The attraction was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 and has been featured in Roadside America and Disney’s The Straight Story. It is composed of nine separate grottos with each portrait displays a scene in the life of Jesus Christ. Precious stones can be found from pearls, rubies, sapphires to topaz, malachites, geodes, azurites, quartz and even stalactites and stalagmites with petrified wood.
It was indeed magical to see and explore the grotto but my expedition needs me to leave to my next destinations which were both in Des Moines. The drive from West Bend to Des Moines was almost 3 hours. It wasn’t a busy street and traffic wasn’t bad as compared to Dallas. I got to Pappajohn Sculpture Park easily.
Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a pedestrian sculpture museum of public attractions. The park is 4.4 acre in size and is located within a major crossroads of the urban grid. Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a pedestrian-friendly entryway to downtown Des Moines.
Next attraction in Des Moines was Jim Muto Recreation Area. The location was convenient coz it was just close downtown. Parking was at the streets and there were a bunch of strollers and bikers. It was a good way to relax while waiting for the sun to set.
Before I ended the day, I had a great meal and it was worth a try. I went to a German Restaurant. It was called Hessen Haus. I ordered Jagerschnitzel which was an 8 oz tenderized center-cut pork loin, hand-breaded, fried and smothered with mushroom and onion gravy. It was delicious. It has been 2 decades from my last schnitzel meal.
After that delicious meal, I went out to get to my car and found out that the restaurant was just closed to SCI or Science Center of Iowa. Unfortunately, they were not open to the public at that time.
For the entire duration of my time in Iowa, I can say that I did enjoy it. There were still a lot to see and the people I met were really nice and accommodating. Iowa, as the 44th on my list, was sure a good place to visit. I will come and visit it again but it won’t be anytime soon since I still have 6 more states to finish my goal. But for now, stay safe and follow social distancing while traveling!
The Traveler Carl 