On Day 10 of our RV trip to Des Moines, Iowa, Tom and I attended the Iowa State Fair then started our trip home to the Pikes Peak Region of Colorado.
Exploring the Iowa State Fair
The Iowa State Fair, held in Des Moines, is the fourth largest state fair in the United States welcoming more than a million visitors. This was the first time for Tom and I to visit the Iowa State Fair. But, our Iowa friends, Doug and Rachel, are veteran participants of the fair. They offered us valuable parking advice before we even reached the fairgrounds.
Tom and I wanted to drive to the fair so we could start our drive home from the fairgrounds. However, we were unsure if or where we could find a large enough place to park our rig. Doug suggested a large parking area just a few short blocks from the southeast entrance of the fairgrounds. Tom and I arrived at the parking area soon after it opened at 6am. We were directed, by the parking attendants, to a perfect spot with plenty of room to open our slide, beautiful views of the adjacent farm, and trees to shade us from the hot afternoon sun.
After a relaxing breakfast "at home" in the parking lot Tom and I joined Doug and Rachel for a tour of the fairgrounds. We walked through the many livestock buildings to see chickens, rabbits, pigs, cows, bulls, horses and even an out-of-place live elk.
Of all the things to see and do at the Iowa State Fair, one experience stood out above all others... pork chops on a stick! Not for me, the vegetaria. But, I did indulge in the pickle cheese curds. Yum! We enjoyed more food and drinks at several of the bars/restaurants on the fairgrounds including Cattlemen's Beef Quarters and Stockman's Inn.
Tom and I considered staying for one of the free concerts that night. Instead, we decided to put a few miles behind us on our trip home. This was our first trip without our crazy pup and we were missing her!
Sights along the way
We still had plenty of daylight as Tom and I headed west on Interstate 80. When we stopped at a rest area near Adair, Iowa, I took the opportunity to get unclose to a windmill blade that is on display in the rest area. That single blade is 148 feet long, 11 feet wide, and weighs 23,000 pounds!
Tom and I enjoyed a beautiful sunset as we crossed the border from Iowa to Nebraska then quickly found a place to boondock. The Cabela's parking lot in La Vista, Nebraska was perfect!
Slideshow - Day 10
Here are some photos from our day at the Iowa State Fair and the first night of our drive home.
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