Special Birthday

This will sound crazy, but I am thinking of taking my husband to Iowa for his birthday next January. After we visit Alaska this summer, Iowa will be the only state he%26#39;s not visited. Since he%26#39;s turning 60, I am looking for something unique to do for his birthday.

Can you give me ideas for the best hotels and restaurants in Des Moines? Since it will be in January, I%26#39;m wondering what other types of things might be going on for entertainment.

Special Birthday

January is not a good month to plan a random vacation to Iowa. The weather can be anywhere between impossibly horrid to just horrid :) Seriously though, I can%26#39;t imagine picking that month to travel, even if it is for his bday. Maybe you could tell him on his bday that you are going in the summer :) Below zero weather, the snow, the snow, the snow, the wind, the weather....uggggg.

Des Moines in warm weather is so much nicer. In the dead of winter, there will not be much ';going on'; in Des Moines. In the summer, you%26#39;ll have some festivals, you%26#39;ll be able to go outdoors, the weather will be a ton nicer, you can site see, etc.

Special Birthday

PearlBob,

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, I know January in Des Moines is a horrid month--what a great way to describe it! That%26#39;s why I%26#39;m thinking only of an overnight at a great hotel with a great dinner at a wonderful restaurant. The goal is to touch down in Iowa--that%26#39;s all. Can%26#39;t help it that his birthday is in January. Going later is really not an option because of other travel planned throughout the year.

BTW, I see you%26#39;re an expert in Memphis. That%26#39;s my hometown!

You%26#39;re right, it sounds crazy, but if you are set on a trip to Des Moines in January, more power to you. I have a couple of suggestions. The Suites at 800 Locust in Downtown is a nice botique hotel. 800locust.com We spent our wedding night there about 4 years ago. They do a wonderful job. Try a fireplace suite or a corner suite. They also have spa services. Dinner at 801 Steak and Chop 801steakandchop.com would be nice, an excellent high-end steak house - try the lobster corn chowder. It is only a block north of the Suites at 800 Locust. Also in the same area is Centro, an Italian Bistro written up recently in the WSJ as a favorite of the Presidential candidates. Centro is in a building called the Temple for the Performing Arts. templeforperformingarts.com You can check to see what is being performed in the temple theater on the upper floors. Usually there is a comedy playing (Late Night Catechism, Triple Espresso). You can also check out the ever changing scene in the East Village eastvillagedesmoines.com. Several excellent restaruants, bars, bookstores, shops opening all the time. A story in the NY Times in late 2007 had a very favorable review of the East Village. Try Lucca for dinner or lunch. Be sure to do some furniture shopping at Sticks. If you are art fans, the Des Moines Art Center at about 47th and Grand is a surprising gem. desmoinesartcenter.org

Have a great trip. I would suggest Des Moines in the summer, when the festivals are going on, but you can still make it fun in January.

pdbhawk,

This sounds like the perfect weekend. Thanks for the great suggestions. Just what I wanted.

BTW, my husband has began to joke that if he doesn%26#39;t get to Iowa pretty soon, I%26#39;ll be having to fly his ashes there as a last request. (his sick sense of humor)

I much prefer a fun weekend (even in January) than the alternative!

Ah okay, if it%26#39;s just for one night, I imagine you won%26#39;t be doing more than just eating dinner and hanging at the hotel. Just be wary of the travel - snowstorms and ice keep planes grounded, even in Iowa. :) Flight delays are common in winter. The airport is prepared for it, but if your plane is coming from even worse weather, then...well you know, it%26#39;s a domino effect.

I agree the East Village is a cute shopping/dining area, however in the cold, you%26#39;d be walking around outdoors, and that%26#39;s not fun. :)

More power to you! I vowed to never come back to Iowa again in December, January, February, or March.

Thanks again, everybody, for the suggestions. I%26#39;ll just sort of let this thought percolate for a while now.

Traveling in the winter is always %26#39;iffy%26#39; at best no matter where you%26#39;re traveling to/from. Bad weather in one destination can cause interminable delays elsewhere when planes can%26#39;t leave because their destination is having bad weather. (Preaching to the choir, I know.) I%26#39;ve been caught in that trap more than once.

No problem. Report back on the forum and let us know the results of your trip if you make it.

I assume Iluvlv stands for I Love Las Vegas. FWIW- It%26#39;s definately not Vegas, but Iowa does have casino gambling. There is a full casino and racetrack on the east side of Des Moines, Prairie Meadows in Altoona, and a riverboat casino about 40 miles south, Terribles in Osceola.

Yes, indeed, that%26#39;s what Iluvlv means. That%26#39;s the ceiling of the Bellagio by my name--the Dale Chihuly sculpture. I%26#39;ll keep the Iowa gambling options in mind, in case I opt to skip the winter trip and go another more hospitable time of the year.