Des Moines Family Workcation Weekend

You're telling me that we've got another workcation with the whole family planned! Oh, heck yeah.

A shoot that was originally going to be shot by Daniel (yeah, he's kind of working for me these days) in Des Moines fell into November. That meant I could pick it up. A rare shoot in a state that I could just drive to.

Anywho, Brooke thought we should get Signatures Supper Club on the way down. The just across the border Supper Club had a long wait, but we got cozy in the car and waited it out. I got crabby about this, Brooke got embarrassed about leaving and coming back, but it all worked out.

We found this place when we went to the Waseca County Fair a couple years ago. They had a food stand selling hot beef sundaes. We never get to Iowa, let alone on a Friday night, so I said we had to eat here. If there is ever a wait longer than 20 minutes Scott will say no and find somewhere else to go. We had to wait 40 minutes or so without a reservation. Unlike in Wisconsin where you can wait at the bar we had to wait in our car. 

That's the stuff.

To add to our crabbiness. Theo didn't like his burger because it was "too grilled" and the server called him miss.

I'm getting real annoyed with people assuming Theo's a girl. A cute boy? Sure. A girl? Why make that assumption.

Down in Des Moines we were super disappointed when we found out the pool was closed for repairs. Boo, hiss.

This trip was starting off great. 

When I first saw this giant turkey I thought, why do they still have a turkey out. My brain was not thinking that Thanksgiving was next week. 

Walking distance to our hotel was the Science Center of Iowa. The kids and I walked over while Scott was working. 

We basically use our science museum membership to go to museums when we travel more so than going to the science museum in St Paul. 

I think we spent an hour in just the first room.

The kids and Brooke got a head start, but after my quick shoot at a day school, I met up with the fam at the museum.

This place was so much fun. We spent a lot of time in each exhibit. 

It wasn't as big as Minnesota's science museum, but the kiddos might've had more fun.

This was the highlight. I think they spent most of their time here.

All the big kids would go as fast as they could to get as many balls as they could through the tubes. Every few minutes the balls would drop out. 

We might just  keep renewing our science museum membership back home since you get into so many across the United States for free.

They had to show me the epic Lego exhibit before we went home. They weren't kidding.

My photoshoot guide suggested we go to the Drake Diner.

This place had such 90s vibes, but kind of ruled.

Another suggestion was Raygun and the surrounding East Village. I had no idea what this store was, but the kids got some gnarly t-shirts and everyone was happy.

The store had a lot of midwest and political themed shirts. Meadow picked out this one. 

The kids area even had a secret playroom.

Theo always puts up a fight when we want to walk anywhere, but you've got to say the Iowa capital building was pretty rad. Even he might admit it.

We missed out on getting to go inside by a half hour. 

Theo's new shirt is so perfect for him. 

We took a brief detour to the Dust Collective. This place had so much great clothing, but it ain't the affordable vintage we could find when we were 20-somethings.

We thought we'd get milkshakes from the Zombie Burger + Drink Lab, but somehow got tricked into getting the boba shakes at the sister ramen joint that's housed under the same roof. 

We just wanted shakes and not dinner and saw they had a fast casual section. We were told it was the same food until we looked up the actual menus. 

Earlier we drove by the old depot and I saw there was a german restaurant there and wanted to check it out.

We weren't quite hungry enough for dinner, but we did get a giant pretzel and beers at the Hessen Haus. 

They were already decked out for Krampus. 

If we hadn't just had boba shakes we could have had this. 

Would totally come back here for a full on dinner.

Meadow couldn't wait to wear her new shirt the next morning.

We had a coupon to Donutland way on the outskirts of sprawling Des Moines. While we decided not to get 13 donuts or something, we did get a donut a piece.

I think it was like buy a dozen get a dozen free. We did not need that many donuts. 

We had to head home so Theo could get to a birthday party. Wasn't a bad weekend to spend in Des Moines.