Des Moines: Static and Slightly Sticky
okay, so i’m pretty sure i’m running on fumes and lukewarm coffee. 4282035 and 1840001626 - don’t ask. it’s just…there. the air here in Des Moines feels like damp wool, you know? like someone’s been wearing a really heavy sweater for a week and hasn’t bothered to change it. the humidity is clinging to everything, 70% and rising, and the pressure’s sitting at 1038 - feels like my sinuses are trying to escape. temp’s hovering around -8.72, feels like -14.62, min -9.75, max -7.67. i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. honestly, i’m starting to think i need a new job. or a new planet.
I landed here yesterday, mostly because my flight was cheaper than a decent burrito in Chicago. Des Moines. it’s…beige. aggressively beige. the buildings are beige, the streets are beige, even the sky seems to have a beige filter on it. it’s not bad, per se. it’s just… profoundly unremarkable. i’m trying to find something to latch onto, some weird little detail to make it feel less like a prolonged waiting room.
I spent the morning wandering around the East Village. it’s got a few decent breweries - the Lowdown is pretty solid, if you’re into that sort of thing - and a surprisingly decent record store, ‘Vinyl Frontier’. someone told me that the owner, Silas, has a collection of Velvet Underground bootlegs that would make your head spin. i didn’t find them, but i did snag a copy of ‘Astral Weeks’ on vinyl. small victories.
I overheard some guys at a diner - greasy spoon, naturally - talking about the Iowa State Fair. apparently, it’s a thing. giant pork chops, tractor pulls, and enough corn to feed a small nation. someone also mentioned that the local bluegrass band, ‘Prairie Thunder,’ plays every Tuesday night at the Blue Moon Saloon. i might check that out. if i can find it.
Speaking of locals, the neighbors are…interesting. if you get bored, Omaha is just a short drive away, and Cedar Rapids is a bit further. they seem like the kind of people who appreciate a good lawn and a polite wave. i saw a guy in a plaid shirt watering his petunias at 3 AM. no judgement.
I’m trying to document everything, you know? the beige, the breweries, the bewildered expression on my face. i’m thinking of starting a series called ‘Des Moines: Observations from a Slightly Lost Soul.’ it’s not exactly Pulitzer Prize material, but it’s something. i’m using my Sony a7iii and a bunch of vintage lenses - mostly because they’re cheaper than buying new ones. the light here is…challenging. it’s flat, you know? like a pancake.
Here’s a quick gear list, because apparently that’s what people want:
Sony a7iii
Vintage Zeiss lenses (seriously, they’re amazing)
Waterproof backpack (it’s always raining)
Portable espresso maker (priorities)
* Notebook and pen (for capturing the beige)
I heard that the Des Moines Art Center has a decent collection of Midwestern art. i’m planning on checking it out tomorrow. i also need to find a decent coffee shop. this instant stuff is killing me.
I’m starting to think I should have just stayed in Chicago. but then again, maybe this beige is exactly what i needed. a reset. a blank canvas. a really, really long nap.
Check out TripAdvisor for some vaguely helpful reviews: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g33859-Des_Moines_Iowa-Vacations.html
And for local eats, Yelp is your friend: https://www.yelp.com/directory/Des-Moines-Iowa
I also found a local board with some interesting events: https://www.desmoines.gov/events
Seriously, though, if you're looking for a place to just...be, Des Moines might surprise you. Or it might not. Either way, it’s beige.