I was recently able take a group of teachers to a small school in Iowa that is doing everything right, where teachers work together to do whatever it takes for their students to find success. (Kudos and thanks to Montezuma Public Schools for hosting us.) It was a fast trip (arriving in Des Moines at 7:50 PM on Monday night, arriving at the school at 8:00 AM the next morning, staying for our visit and observations, departing from Des Moines at 7:35 PM Tuesday, arriving back in Tulsa at midnight).
While we drove to our small village destination we did enjoy the changing color of the trees and the rolling farm land, some of which was being harvested.
We had a few hours to kill before our departing flight, so I took my group to Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines before we went to the airport.
What a serene place. And, it didn’t hurt we were there an a spectacular fall afternoon.
Post Balzac by Judith Shea (foreground), Ancient Forest (Deborah Butterfield (background) and Spider (Louise Bourgeois)
From left to right, back of Moonrise (Ugo Rondinone), air gets into everything even nothing (Ugo Rondinone), and In the Morning (Anthony Caro)
Nomade by Jaume Piensa with a utilitarian sculpture in the background.
Nomade from the inside looking up.
“air gets into everything even nothing” with apartment buildings in background.
I really don’t know what it is about Iowa. Maybe it is that my sister’s family and my mother currently reside there so for the past fourteen or so years Iowa has always held a since of peace for me when I visit. Maybe it is the immaculate farms. Maybe it is the kind people.
Speaking of my family, I was able to sneak in a late lunch with my mom and sister who drove down to meet me and my crew. We had lunch at a quaint and cool little place in Grinnell, Prairie Canary. I had a delicious Kale Salad with mixed greens, black quinoa, diced roasted beets, garlic-roasted chickpeas and feta cheese tossed in a vegan orange-ginger vinaigrette. I am sure I will try to replicate this fall deliciousness soon here.
Kale Salad and Pesto Chicken Club from Prairie Canary.
You can read about it here.
Read Debra E.‘s review of Prairie Canary on Yelp
What a wonderful trip, the observation of the school, the glorious sculptures and weather and that great salad too. I just made a quinoa salad with kale but yours has more delectable ingredients.
We watched Return of the King a few nights ago & that tree sculpture looks like the tree in Gonder. That’s my nerd commentary here. 🙂
Nerd comments are always welcome!!!!!
Sounds like you had a great time and boy – it sure is beautiful!
I do think it’s a beautiful state.
I have never been anywhere near Iowa, let lone in it. So thank you for sharing a gorgeous slice of it, great pics.
I had never explored downtown Des Moines, so this was a pleasure.
You’ve brought back fun memories of my home state. Now that my parents’ house is gone, I rarely have an excuse to visit except for high school reunions. But I’ll make an effort to get to the Pappajohn Sculpture Park (there is a Pappajohn Pavilion in the Univ. hospital where I used to work—big donor in a lot of areas!).
I saw their name on a few buildings downtown as well.
Ugo Rondinone was on CBS’ Sunday Morning today as well. I was pleased I even knew his name. 🙂