The capital of Iowa, Des Moines is a sprawling city noted for kicking off the U.S. Presidential campaigns every four years. If you are looking for a more traditional place to raise a family, this may be the place.
Des Moines also serves as the seat of Polk County, and is the center of a growing metropolitan area. With an estimated 196,857 residents in 2006, Des Moines has experienced marginal growth since 1990. The core population peaked at 208,982 in 1960. Since then, outlying suburbs have boosted the overall metro population to over 534,230. While Des Moines has successfully annexed bordering areas, a plan to merge governments with Polk County was soundly rejected by voters. The median age of city residents was 35.6 years in 2006 with 76% of the population being White non-Hispanic. Another 8% were African American, 10% Hispanic and 4% Asian. The African American and Hispanic populations are significantly higher than the Iowa average. About 10% of residents were foreign born, significantly higher than the state average. Over 25% of residents claimed German ancestry. Families made up 62% of Des Moines households. The 2006 median income for households in Des Moines was $41,651, slightly under the state average. It was somewhat below the national average of $46,242. Unemployment in 2006, at 6.8% among the civilian workforce, was greater than the national trend. About 15% of the population lived in poverty, equal in percentage to the number of dropouts in Des Moines.
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Camping is a great way to see the world at very little expense. Almost every state (in the US) and every country in the world have campgrounds that are open to the public. There are a few that are free to use, but most charge at least a small fee for use of the grounds. Here are a few stops to get you started on your outdoor adventures.
Alaska - Denali National Park offers several camping areas for those adventurers willing to brave the elements and the animals.
Alabama - Blue Springs State Park (located near Ozark, Alabama) is a 103 acre park that’s center of attention is the swimming pool and spring pool which are both fed by an underground spring.
Arkansas - Caddo River in Glenwood, Arkansas is a great place for roughing it in complete luxury. It offers beautiful cabins and bunkhouses at reasonable prices (or you can just stay in your tent if you prefer).
Colorado - The camping sites at Black Canyon of the Gunnison fill up quickly during the summer months. It offers some of the most sheer walls, narrow openings and startling depths in North America.
Delaware - Trap Pond State Park offers a unique experience of Delaware’s Cypress Swamp. It offers a wide variety of recreational opportunities and camping experiences.
Georgia - Red Top Mountain State Park and Lodge is off the 12,000-acre Lake Allatoona in Georgia. It offers a lot of great activities for the whole family.
Iowa - Muscatine County, Iowa has a hidden Gem in the Saulsbury Bridge Recreation Area. Camping is free on Wednesdays (from May - October) and it offers some of the best environmental education programs around.
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Be cautious of those amazing airfare deals that have lots of restrictions in fine print. Read all of those tiny words and make sure you aren’t purchasing something that you don’t really want. Sometimes you can get airfare deals that require many layovers or late night flights. I am personally fine with taking a night flight but can’t stand layovers.
If you’re looking to escape winter and do some traveling you should check out this travel blog. You’ll get some good ideas on where to go such as how to enjoy a vacation for two, what to do to plan last minute vacations, and some itinerary ideas for your next trip to Hawaii.
From international adventure travel to weekend getaways, you’re sure to find some useful information to help you plan your next vacation.
Iowa has some beautiful places that are wonderful vacation destinations. One of the must see places is Crystal Lake Cave. There is an interesting story behind this location. Back in 1868 lead miners were looking for a lead vein and they drilled 40 feet into the ground. And although they were not successful in finding the lead they had hoped for they did find something else even more amazing. What they found was Crystal Lake Cave. Although the cave was discovered for many years it was not open to the public until 1932. Bernard Markus, one of the original miners, played a role in getting the cave open to the public and it finally became so after his death.
While the miners were digging they found quite a few different types of gems and minerals that are on display in the gift shop. There is no other show cavern like Crystal Lake Cave and this is the longest a cave has been “alive” in Iowa. The cave is underground and continues to be one of the most amazing places to visit in Iowa. The tour of the cave takes about half an hour to 45 minutes and it is an adventure like none other you have ever taken. A tour guide will lead you so that you get the most out of the adventure. Keep in mind that no matter what the temperature is outside it will be quite cool in Crystal Lake Cave and the year round temperature is usually around 52 degrees Fahrenheit.
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