Des Moines Off The Beaten Path

The Salisbury House dates from the 1920s, but it was constructed to resemble English country homes of the 14th to the 18th centuries. It operated both as a museum and as a conference center, and the gardens are a popular place for weddings.

Grab a camera and head west out I-80 to
Winterset. Turn south and the signs will point you to the various covered bridges seen in the movie with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. It is relaxing out there and seldom overcrowded.

Des Moines Menace.

Our local soccer team competes in the Premier Development League and is currently undefeated. There are special events at many of the games geared specifically toward kids, and the players hang out after the game to sign autographs.

Contact Information Follows:

By e-mail: info@menacesoccer.com
By phone: 515.226.9890
By fax: 515.226.1595
By mail: 6400 Westown Parkway
West Des Moines, IA 50266

Chichaqua Bottoms is a natural area about 20 miles north of Des Moines. The Skunk River runs through many acres of woodland with scattered ponds. There's a campground and the DNR sponsors different events like 'Catching Croakers', and the 'Freeskinner's Encampment'. Canoe rentals are also available.

I couldn't fit the entire websit URL in the box provided, so here it is:

http://www.traveliowa.com/thingstodo/public_camps/central/bondurant/177/

Living History Farms is dedicated to preserving our knowledge of the past. You can see authentic reproductions from the 1900's, 1800's, and earlier. Local people dress up and go through their routines, but are more than happy to tell you what they're up to.

Living History Farms
2600 111th St.
Urbandale, IA 50322

Salisbury House is a little slice of England right in Des Moines. Beautiful architecture with gardens and statues.

Here is the official blurb:

''When visiting the Salisbury House, one is struck by a feeling of displacement, as if walking into the heart of gothic Britain. These impressions are not the result of chance, but of an exacting process of construction involving two architects, hundreds of craftsmen, and a five year time span. A re-creation of a 500 year old house in Salisbury, England, the Salisbury House was built in Des Moines by a nouveau riche cosmetics mogul - an expression of his symbolic and financial power in his homeland. It was built to appear 100 years old on the day of its completion.''

Now that's one way of being a virtual tourist!

Salisbury House Foundation
4025 Tonawanda Drive
Des Moines, Iowa 50312-2909
Phone: (515) 274-1777
Fax: (515) 274-0184

Believe it or not but many people would consider the downtown area of Des Moines off the beaten path because there is little tourism there. However I enjoy Iowa's largest Downtown. Des Moines has a great skywalk system that wanders through most of the buildings and in the system you can find resturaunts, shops and even a few bars. However most people using the system are businesspeople.
p.s. It can become extremly crowded durring the Highschool wrestling and basketball tournament time, sometime in march I believe.

South of Des Moines, in Madison County, there are several beautifully restored, historic covered bridges. The nearest town is Winterset and maps are available that point out where the bridges are and how to get to them.