My favorite things Des Moines addition! With all of my days off recently, plus friends and fam in town, we/I've had a lot more time to check out places in Des Moines (and enjoy them too). We've done everything from shopping, to restaurants, to indoor activities now that winter has us indoors more than out. Here are some things I've loved lately in our wonderful capital city:
2.) We tried out Jester Park's newly opened climbing wall and had a blast! There is sooo much to do out at Jester now, with the wall being the icing on the cake. For kids 5 and older, it's $5 per day (per child) to climb. That's a heck of a deal! There's also snow shoes and skiis for rent as well. We happened to go on a warm day last weekend, so we chose to hike our favorite trail and the creek.
3.) We did the Iowa State Capitol Tour years ago and loved it even with young kids. With our upcoming long weekend (thanks to another break for our schools), we plan on taking the tour again. I'm anxious to see how the minis feel about this tour now that they're older. [read about our last tour here]
4.) Now that there's snow in central Iowa, we love to go sledding. Waveland Golf Course has our favorite sledding hills in the city.
5.) It's almost causcus time! Of course, Raygun is my go-to place for all things Des Moines and it's definitely where I grab my caucus/political related tees.
6.) I know I'm biased, but the Des Moines Children's Museum has many, many fun things happening (and we're working hard behind the scenes to make sure they happen) that I'm so proud of! Check out daily activities, the upcoming Pajama Party, and of course the annual Giggle Gala. I've been talking nonstop about all of this greatness, so of course, it makes my favorites list.
7.) We checked out Game Day at Merle Hay Mall New Year's Eve and there's many things I love about this place (we did not check out the restaurant). It's a great addition to Merle Hay Mall, where you could easily spend an entire day at this mall for a family day. There's shopping, a movie theater, a jumping place (Hop A Lot), plenty of restaurants, and now the arcade.
8.) Check out Artfull in Valley West Mall. There's super fun classes and also open art times (think along the lines of Glazed Expressions) in a more intimate setting. I'm a big fan.
9.) Adventureland Inn Cabana Rentals for the indoor swimming pools is perfect for a middle of winter pick-me-up. Get a one day pass, get a room (minus the beds), and spend the day swimming.