Spring is finally here and the weather is warming up – don’t
spend your weekend at home. Check out
these great activities in Des Moines for your whole family.
Blank Park Zoo
The Blank Park Zoo offers activities and sights to last your family a few hours or an entire day. Don’t forget to visit the Kids Kingdom to give your kids some playtime. You’ll pay a reasonable admission price based upon your kid’s ages – and kids age 2 and under are free! For an additional fee, schedule a behind-the-scenes tour and check out animals like the giraffes, sea lions or wallabies.
The now-closed Varsity Theatre. The business opened its doors on Christmas Day in 1938, and it showed its last film on December 30th, 2018.
The recent
closing of the Varsity Theatre, located across the street from the campus of
Drake University, is a major loss to cinema lovers across Iowa. However, there’s still plenty
of alternatives for movie-goers searching for their new favorite place to watch
the latest and greatest films. Whether you’re looking for
Hollywood blockbusters or more indie films, there’s a theater to
suit your interests.
Century 20 Jordan Creek
Located inside
the Jordan Creek Town Center, the Century 20 theater showcases big-budget
Hollywood films. Given its location, it can serve as either a great break
during a day of shopping across the rest of the town center, or it works fine
as a standalone trip, givens location right next to Jordan Creek’s entrance.
The concessions available here are typical movie theater fare, with buckets of
buttered popcorn, candy, and Icees available for purchase. The auditoriums are
loaded with luxury recliners, RealD 3-D screens, and signature Cinemark XD
surround-sound. For blockbuster showcases, it’s tough to
beat. “I went to Century 20 to see Infinity War with some friends of
mine,” Drake student Nate Wright said. “It’s a good environment for a huge
movie like that, and even though we were at a late-night show, the customer
service was still great.”
AMC Classic Southridge 12
With AMC being
the largest national theater chain on this list, you likely already have some
expectations of what the experience will be like, and it’s probably not
far off. Southridge 12 hosts big-budget movies in huge auditoriums at its
standalone location. Much like the Century 20 described above, the snacks on
offer are about as traditional as movie theaters offer. It’s a very
straightforward experience that doesn’t break the bank. The only major
complaint to file here is that AMC theaters, in this writer’s experience,
tend to have the longest advertisements before the main event actually starts.
It’s a small gripe, but still one worth noting.
The Fleur Cinema and Cafe
If
blockbusters aren’t your usual cup of tea, then you might be more at
home at the Fleur Cinema and Cafe. The independent theater combines old and new
aesthetics to create an entirely new experience. Before watching the show,
audience members are able to pick up refreshments ranging from coffee to wine.
Auditoriums are designed with audience comfort in mind and are equipped with
3-D projectors for newer films. However, the Fleur’s speciality
lies in its chosen films, which are often indie projects or even produced by
local filmmakers. On rare occasions, the theatre even hosts revival screenings
of older movies based on audience votes. Considering all this, it’s no surprise
that The Des Moines Register awarded the Fleur the title of Iowa’s Best Overall Theater.
Flix Brewhouse
Des Moines is
fortunate enough to have one of the 10 Flix Brewhouse locations in the United
States. Combining the biggest films out in the moment with restaurant service
and craft beers, Flix creates a completely fresh and unique setting to take in
films. Food orders are delivered to patrons in the theater, allowing viewers to
eat while they watch their films with minimal intrusion. It’s a great
environment that you can’t get elsewhere in the area, but it’s also
slightly more expensive because you’re also paying for a meal (although
it should be said that the food is all amazing). If your budget is okay with a
larger hit, Flix can’t be recommended enough.
Do you ever hate it when your
room smells strange but you can not seem to find a candle anywhere? Or if you
need to cover up a smell you do not want your parents to smell? Then you will
love to read about the top five ways that you can make your room smell
delicious without having to grab a lighter.
First things first, you should
either jump on your computer or into your car so that you can get the materials
needed to live a better smelling life.
Amazonis a great place to visit because of the plethora of scent
alternatives that the website provides and delivers straight to your door. If
you do not own a computer or smart phone, then your local grocery store or mall
will have scent alternatives available to purchase.
“I would rather use scent
alternatives than candles in my house because I have birds to fly around and
children that could easily start a fire with a real candle,” said Michelle
Jergens.
Wax Warmers
Wax Warmers provide the
illusion that there is a candle in the room but is a safer choice than a real
candle. You can benefit from wax warmers because you only turn on a switch to
make the light heat up the wax and you do not have to worry about the smell of
smoke from blowing out the candle. Wax warmers are available on any online
store (Yankee Candle, Amazon, eBay, Bath and Body Works) or in any store for
$20.00 or less.
Wallflowers
Wallflowers help the room
smell fresh and are easy to plug in and remove whenever desired. The Wallflower
plugs into the wall while providing a dim light, however, this part of the
device gives off zero scent until you add the base. You can find the
wallflowers at Yankee Candle, Bath and Body Works, Amazon, etc. for less than $15.00.
These
diffusers are easy to use because of only three steps it takes for these to
make the room smell delicious. First, you have to fill the water up to the
line. Second, you need to grab your favorite essential oil scent and only put
four or five drops of it into the water. Finally, you plug in your diffuser and
watch the vapor come out of the top. You can find essential oil diffusers at
any grocery story, Bath and Body Works, Amazon, etc.
Essential Oil Diffusers
These diffusers are easy
to use because of only three steps it takes for these to make the room smell
delicious. First, you have to fill the water up to the line. Second, you need
to grab your favorite essential oil scent and only put four or five drops of it
into the water. Finally, you plug in your diffuser and watch the vapor come out
of the top. You can find essential oil diffusers at any grocery story, Bath and
Body Works, Amazon, etc.
Concentrated Room Spray
One or two sprays of this
concentrated scent will make your room smelling great for more than 3 hours is
a better choice than a candle. The only thing that you need to do is go to the
store and purchase one…or five and remove the cap and spray in the room desired.
This spray will cost you less than $10.00 for each of the spray bottles. Concentrated
Room Sprays are available at basically any store you walk into, and it is even
available at some gas stations.
Reed Diffusers
This is the perfect
solution if a candle is not close by or if you are afraid that your cat will
knock over your candle and burn down your house. A thick piece of glass wraps
around tiny wood like sticks that soak up the scented oil that is in the glass
which creates the room to smell delicious without a flame or a plug in needed. Yankee
Candle, Target, or your local grocery store will have these on stock so that
you can purchase it for less than $30.00 a set.
Interested in purchasing candle alternatives?
Yankee Candle provides an easy and friendly website to help you purchase
your candle alternatives today! Bath and Body Works also provides an easy to use website to help your purchase
your alternatives!
We’ve all been there, binge watching the next TV series into
the late hours of the night but, for some of us that takes a paranormal twist.
Whether you’re watching Zach, Erin & Nick on Ghost Adventures or following
along with Ryan and Shane on Buzzfeed’s Unsolved Network you’ve probably had
the same thought my roommate Kaley did, “So, what’s haunted in Iowa?” And boy
have you stumbled upon the right article for you…
**All places listed have available tours so no illegal trespassing has to occur!
As one of Iowa’s
most notable unsolved crimes this Villisca House is no stranger to attention. On
a quiet night in June of 1912 a family of eight went to bed after a fun-filled
day mingling at a social event just down the block. Each member of the family
was brutally murdered with an axe by an unknown assailant, to which the popular
belief is that they had been hiding in the attic until midnight. Bizarre
factoids about these murders is the killer covered each mirror in the house
with clothing, made a plate of food but never ate it and left a slab of bacon
next to the murder weapon. After ten years of investigations and spectating of
the who the killer could be there was ultimately no one punished for the
gruesome murders of the Moore family.
A classic ghost
hunting trip always needs an insane asylum, especially the second one built in
the state of Iowa. While it is still in use today for alcohol and drug rehabs
with a training school for nurses – they also offer field trip type tours of
the facility! Many of the guests have reported hearing voices and feeling cold
drafts in parts of the hospital that are rumored to at one point house the
lobotomies and electric shock therapies. Even hospital workers don’t dare go in
these parts for fear of hearing the screaming from disembodied voices.
While this Inn is
still in operation, they do host ghost stories twice a year and may be the
ideal location for weddings and honeymoons. But, if you’re looking for
something more short term you can stay the night for $70-$100. This house has
been reported to have many spirits inhabiting it is including an apparition of
a boy who continuously plays tricks on guests, a lady in white and an old man
who love to stare at guests and then quickly vanish into thin air. In addition
to sightings of these ghosts, rooms in the inn get messed up when no one stays
in them. The now owners also report that there are at least five spirits who
have made the inn their permanent home.
So? What are you waiting for? Hop in that truck and get going on these adventures and remember, don’t… just don’t beg for a demon to use your body as a vessel, it’s never gonna end well.
Don’t know what to do Friday night? Bored of just going to the bars or sitting at home watching tv? There’s a place where you can enjoy some libations and let out your creative side.
