making midwest memories
you ever visit a place that makes you forget about the things that stress you out at work? a place that makes you smile til your cheeks hurt? a place that makes it incredibly impossible to leave? ethan & i took a trip to lake red rock and felt just that. i’m pretty used to fast & quick weekends when it comes to visiting ethan but this was a perfect escape. we packed everything into our days and at the end we were able to relax in the comfort of a lake front cabin.
ethan first took me to a town called valley junction. we stopped in a few antique stores and found everything from old neon sign advertisements to a bust of ronald mcdonald’s head, which was unfortunately sold by the time we got there. next, we hit up a place called atomic garage. the tie dye exterior was a dead giveaway to the eclectic things we would find inside. half of the store was a thrift shop with everything from old wedding dresses, ‘60s era go-go boots and other gently used clothes, while the other half rented out the clothes for costume parties and every other celebration imaginable. there were fringe jackets, racing fire suits and embroidered blue jeans, among other things.
we also went to bozz prints, a screen printing company that specializes in midwest creations. i picked up a iron-on patch and a few postcards, and ethan got me a print of lake red rock, a sweet little memento of our trip.
before checking into our airbnb, we stopped to grab a drink at the hall. it’s basically a gathering hall meets food truck, filled with long tables and an impressive selection of craft beer. instead of having a typical menu, various food trucks from around the area provide meals to the local patrons. it’s a really cool concept that encourages community & conversations.
then, we checked into our airbnb where we met our gracious and thoughtful hosts sharon and len. they introduced themselves and showed us around the property, which includes two decks, a pool, hot tub and fire pit. the lakefront bungalow offered cozy furniture, hotel-like amenities and a wood burning fireplace. but that’s not all - the one bedroom apartment had a grand bathroom, complete with comfy robes and a luxurious walk-in shower, and a mini rec room with a treadmill and weights, though you couldn’t keep us inside for long because the views from the deck were just insane. we spent more time staring out the windows than we did at the television. on the first morning, we woke up early to catch sunrise and caught a glimpse of the local wildlife. we saw an otter basking in the morning sun, and a few bald eagles soaring about.
not too far from where stayed was the cordova observation tower. on a clear day you can climb the 170 steps to the top and see downtown des moines. eth & i paid the $.50 fee to check out the view but the turn stall didn’t let us in!! the failed trip was a good laugh and i’m sure the view from the top is amazing – we’ll just have to come back another time.
no trip with eth would be complete without a visit to a racetrack, so in typical fashion, we stopped in knoxville, the sprint car capital of the world! in all honesty, it was really fun and i’m glad we stopped. we spent about an hour in the sprint car hall of fame checking out old stock cars while ethan explained everything i needed to know about the sport. best part - we got to sit in an actual car that was once driven by the legendary tony stewart!
our small town adventures continued in pella, iowa, well-known for its dutch heritage. walking through pella was like stepping into a small european town. it was old and charming & made me feel as though i was in amsterdam and not south-central iowa. being the bar flies that we are, we took up shop at the cellar peanut pub. we actually ended up walking into a beer school, so while we were sipping on pilsners & amber ales, we learned a thing or two as well.
my favorite thing about the town is the vermeer windmill. it stands tall at 124 feet, making it the tallest working windmill in north america! the mill was designed and built in the netherlands before it was shipped and reassembled here in pella.
just a few steps away from the windmill is the klokkenspel, an old-time clock with mechanical figures. on various hours of the day (11am, 1, 3, 5, and 9pm) you can hear the bells chime and watch a story unfold with the moving figurines. it was a fun little site that pays homage to the dutch, who first came to pella in 1847.
i’ve been told that pella has an incredible tulip festival in may so i can tell you that this isn’t my last time visiting the town! by the end of the trip we had explored three unique small towns, and had a relaxing weekend at the lake. exploring these little slices of americana are what i live for. i learned so much + got to enjoy it all with the man i love most! our trip to lake red rock is one i won’t soon forget.