Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

The last thing we did before leaving Des Moines was visit the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. At first glance, the geodesic-domed conservatory doesn't look like it could house a very big collection, but the 80 foot tall, 150 foot wide Plexiglas panels house a variety of plants ranging from lush tropical vines and trees, delicate orchids, and colorful coleus, to desert succulents, and everything in between. Every 6 weeks the Master Gardeners are given a concept to use as a springboard for creating a new horticultural display. "High Flight" was the theme when we were there, based on the poem of the same name by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. The poem was the inspiration for suspending gardens and plants in the air and structures that raise an endless variety of plants to eye level and above. We were delighted and amazed at all the creativity! Here are some of the pictures from the gardens.

Farmer's Market & Downtown Des Moines

We spent three full days in Des Moines, and the weekend we were there was the opening day of the Downtown Farmer's Market, which runs every Saturday, May through October. May 3rd happened to be a most gorgeous weather day, highs in the low 70's, puffy clouds, and light breezes, so it seems that everyone in the city agreed with us, and thought it would be fun to come out! The market connects urban and rural communities while supporting 300 family farmers, bakers, artists, and crafters from around the state. Spanning nine city blocks, it is held in the Historic Court District, flanked by the Des Moines River on one side, and the looming buildings of the Capitol and courts on the other. Musicians of various styles set up on every other corner and entertain for fun and tips. We had a wonderful time taking in the sights, smells, and sounds of this fun event. 

Des Moines, Iowa

As I sat down to write this post, and much to my surprise, I discovered that 2 ½ years had already gone by since we last visited a State Capitol. The summer of 2011 we were in a capitol visitation frenzy, zigzagging across the East Coast and a dozen State Buildings over the course of three months, chalking up our total visits to 38 - followed by nothing between then and now. We broke the dry spell on May 2, 2014 with a visit to Des Moines, Iowa, the first of ten capitols we hope to visit before this year is out as we work our way north and east and ultimately to New York and the New England States this summer. The most striking feature of the Des Moines State Capitol is the 23-karat gold-covered dome that rises 275 feet above the Capitol grounds. The gold leaf covering the dome is so thin that 250,000 sheets pressed together measure only 1 inch thick. We picked a good season to visit as the Kwanzan cherry trees were in full bloom everywhere we looked, including the Capitol grounds. The inside of the State Capitol is a showcase for artwork, woodcarving, artifacts, spiraling staircases, and decorative wall and ceiling painting and stenciling. A collection of dolls depicting Iowa's former and current first ladies can be found near the Governor's Office, and a painting of a basket of corn called Plenty is prominently displayed at the top of one of the lavish stairways. What would the capitol of Iowa be without one or more depictions of corn? Here are some pictures of our visit to the Iowa State Capitol.