Tour the beautiful Iowa State Capital, or walk the grounds and enjoy the view. Within walking distance of the Capital is Historic East Village, a nice district with food , shopping, and a bouldering gym (Climb Iowa - East Village).

45 min from Des Moines is the town of Pella - a Dutch community with a charming town square, delicious bakery, and Dutch architecture. Our wedding is the weekend before Pella's annual Tulip Time, when the town imports thousands of tulips to line the streets.

For a historical outing, you can see the John Wayne birthplace museum and the covered bridges that inspired the movie "The Bridges of Madison County" in Winterset, IA, located 35 min NW of Des Moines.

John Wayne Museum: https://johnwaynebirthplace.museum/

Covered Bridges: https://www.traveliowa.com/places/the-bridges-of-madison-county/436/

Located just 15 minutes away from downtown Des Moines, Climb Iowa boasts the state's largest indoor climbing and training facility, with more than 10,000 square feet of climbing, 200 routes and problems, a fitness room and yoga studio.

Beautiful small lake with bike / walking paths near downtown Des Moines.

Des Moines has a great bike trail system. Bikes are available to rent by the hour at stations all over the city (see https://www.dsmstreetcollective.org/bike-share). Gray's Lake is a great starting point for getting on the trails, or you can find a map here: https://www.dsm.city/departments/parks_and_recreation-division/places/trails.php

- Jordan Creek Mall and Town Center (photo above)

- Valley Junction - Historic shopping district with local shops

- The Outlets of Des Moines - https://www.outletsofdesmoines.com/

- East Village - local shops, near state Capital

Restaurants

- Iowa Machine Shed

- Biaggi's Ristorante Italiano

- Iowa Tap Room (East Village)

- Zombie Burger (East Village)

- Eatery A (Downtown)

- Jethro's BBQ

- The Republic on Grand

- HomeGrown Des Moines for breakfast/brunch

Coffee Shops

- Smokey Row

- Scenic Route (East Village)

- Chain and Spoke (Downtown)

Other

- Jasper Park Winery

- Big Grove Brewery & Tap Room