Des Moines, Con't

I wanted to get a few more thoughts about Des Moines down before moving on to other shorter (but easier to write about) stops along my trip.

As already noted, Des Moines seemed like it would be a very comfortable place to live.  It's a very manageable size, and easy to get around, and have a number of nice places to live.  It has enough to keep one (well, to keep me) entertained, including art museums and galleries, lots of live music, a theater district that attracts Broadway touring companies, decent places to dine, etc.  I'm not so sure what the local sports scene is like, but other than college football (which I catch on TV) and figure skating (ditto), I don't really care about sports.  I think there's a minor league team in the area and the U of Iowa and Iowa State aren't too far away.  And being Big 10 country, I'd get to see a lot of Big Ten football every fall on TV.

I'm less certain I'd find the group of friends that are like me.  I've made and have friends of all ages and marital/parental status, and I tend to gravitate towards people older than me anyway, but I don't want to feel like a social freak if it turns out I'm the only unmarried 37 year old woman in the whole city.  And let's face it, not every town is like DC in that there are large numbers of unattached, or at least child-free, 30 and 40 somethings.  (That's something I always liked about DC -- lots of people in the same or similar social situation as me.)  Chatting with the locals, I got mixed opinions about how easily I would make friends with similarly-situated young-ish people.  I'm certain Des Moines would be great for a family, but less sure it would be great for a singleton.  This impression is bolstered by how early so many things close.  Des Moines is not one of the those towns that totally closes down at 5pm, but it's not a round-the-clock bustling city, either.  That's sort of OK with me, as many of my hobbies are the solo, stay-at-home kind.

Out on the town with Dan (Linconstyles), flashing our Warcraft gang sign.

I also have slight qualms about being kinda-sorta in the Bible Belt.  Des Moines itself is pretty liberal and progressive, and has enough ethnic diversity that I wouldn't expect too much in the way of bigotry, either racial, religious or sexist.  And I didn't get a single question about where I went to church, or other tips-offs that an atheist like me would be a total outsider.  But I worry about the rest of the state.  Now, Iowa isn't as politically off-putting as some of the states I plan to visit, but I'm wary.  I was heartened when I read the Des Moines Register, and read the feature that listed all of the bills that the state legislature recently passed and, more importantly, failed to pass, because most of the really bad bills failed.  Things like seriously cutting back on education, help to the poor, and reproductive freedoms, etc. for the most part did not pass, although it was a little disheartening reading that some of the bills were even proposed in the first place.

While I'm thinking about it... it seems more and more that so-called "conservatives" are doing their damnedest to cut back on education at all levels of government.  When did ignorance become a conservative cause?  :(

Now back to Iowa...  When thinking about Des Moines, I have to take care to think only of Des Moines.  I've realized over the past few days that I really liked the surrounding areas, from Dan's farm a few hours away, to the tiny town of Adel 30 miles to the west.  I like that the city and suburbs of Des Moines so quickly end and immediately become farm land, with occasional sporadic small towns sprinkled around the state.  But other than occasional weekend ventures out into the country, my life in Des Moines would probably be limited to the city itself, so I'll have to take pains not to confuse my fondness for the countryside and its small towns with fondness for Des Moines.  Having said that, I was favorably impressed with Des Moines and I suspect I would be content or happy there.  I do not feel as if I must live in Des Moines, but I'll certainly keep it in mind when thinking about my future.

Outside the Des Moines art museum.

Coming soon:  What I've done since I left Des Moines!  Teaser:  Niagara Falls!