Iowa Trip Part 2

 

In the previous post, I was in Des Moines for the AQS QuiltWeek but alas, I had to head back home at some point. So rather than try to do the whole trip in one day, I decided to spend a night in Iowa to see some other sights.  But where, oh where would that be. 

 

Research mode kicked in & I decided it would be best to head back part of the way on Wednesday evening rather than facing the whole drive Thursday morning.  So, I ended up in



 

 Kalona, Iowa - the largest Amish settlement area west of the Mississippi.  I stayed at the local motel - clean & friendly.

 I arrived pretty much just in time to see this sunset over the corn field across the highway from the motel.

Kalona is a nice little town with a couple of quilt shops, which I unfortunately didn't have time to stay until they opened Thursday morning.  But the whole town celebrates their quilt heritage.

 

They have a quilt block walking tour around the whole town, showcasing 42 different quilt blocks done in brick on the sidewalks, measuring 6 feet square

 

 One of my favorites - Blue Dahlia.

 

Double Wedding Ring 

 This one is called Kalona Star

Log Cabin

And around the countryside, there are barn quilts of course. I found this one right on Highway 22, heading into nearby Riverside, Iowa.

Riverside, Iowa has an interesting claim to fame.  Any Trek fans out there?

 

 

And finally, on my way out of town, I did a double take, drove around the block & had to stop and get a picture of this.

 

 

I mean just how often do you see a 600 lb. cast aluminum chicken? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iowa Trip Part 1

 

The trip to the AQS Des Moines QuiltWeek started early & dark but by the time I crossed the Mississippi, the day was bright & warming up.  And just in case I thought I was lost in the fog, this rest stop confirmed my location.

The downtown part of Des Moines where the show was had some great scenery though I didn't have a lot of time to explore.  That's the capitol in the distance.

And a look at a nearby bridge over the Des Moines River

 Love this sculpted fountain.

The show was at HyVee Hall at the Iowa Event Center located in the heart of downtown Des Moines, which was decked out, welcoming quilters to the city.

 

 

The facility is good but not quite as nice and open and light as the DeVos center in Grand Rapids.  However, the show sprawled on and on as over 1600 quilts were on exhibit.

 

Shameless plug - one of those quilts was mine.  Quietude was juried into the first ever Modern Quilt Challenge. And while it didn't win a prize, seeing it hung was a total rush!

 

There was so much to see and not a lot of time to see it all. Since I was in hyper-viewing mode, shopping was not a priority at this show - which goes against every fiber of my shopping maven being.  There's more to come so stay tuned!