Des Moines Day-Tripping--TRIP 3

"It's a lovely day today...and whatever you've got to do, you've got a lovely day to do it in. that's true..." I hummed the melody as we headed north toward Ames.
"It's actually going to feel hot today," said Andy, "maybe even into the high 70's. But rain is on the way."
GPS Marianne tried to take us to the Iowa Arboretum on Peach Avenue via Ames, a distance of 47 miles. We outwitted her and headed for Route #17. We would have made it too in just 19 miles, if we hadn't followed her directions on gravel road #280.
"I'm going back on County E57," said Andy. "This is ridiculous!"

This display of plants arranged amid the rocks at
Iowa Arboretum gives Andy ideas for our backyard.

"Good plan," I agreed, but it was too pretty out to let it bother me much.
Far out between Ames and Des Moines and nestled in among corn fields, the Iowa Arboretum, about 330 acres, offers year-round gardens and woodland hiking from sunrise to sunset. The Library of Living Plants showcased 18 plant collections outdoors, including perennials, dwarf conifers, nut trees, butterfly garden, wetland trees and deciduous trees. We strolled along the paths of crushed stone and checked out labels on trees we couldn't easily identify.
Across the street well-marked trails led through forest preserve with century-old oaks along loop trails above a ravine. The leaves were all down; they crunched in dryness as we shuffled a mile or so over the Walnut Trail. Two others trails, probably half a mile total in length, had numbers for nature identification but no pamphlets to read. The one-way Herrick Memorial Trail, a gift from the estate of G.G. Herrick, led to the ravine floor wetlands via 133 steps. The sign on top estimated one quarter mile each way, but the end had been washed out by a small creek. We climbed back to the top--all 133 stairs.  Fake spider webs, draped on lower branches, decorated the exit loop.
"A flier announced two different Halloween parties on Saturday, October 20," I told Andy. "Maybe this is like a haunted house to scare kids... You know, like jump out from behind a tree. But I hope they don't do it on those stairs!"
By the time we finished our walks and left, the temperature hit 70 degrees, and it was too warm for sweatshirts.

From the Capitol Building, downtown Des Moines
etches a skyline against the clear blue. 

With the help of a map and the gold dome of the government headquarters, we found our way to the State Capitol. High on a hill overlooking downtown Des Moines, the building, statues and monuments stood out in spectacular fashion against the blue of the sky. A few fleecy white clouds and oak trees, resplendent in varying shades of yellow and brown, accented the Memorials.
We walked around the Capitol, its gold leaf dome glistening in the bright sun. Entrances were blocked by Employees Only gates, even though there were numerous parking areas for visitors.

By state, each stone block lists the
names of those who died in Iowa
during the American Revolution.

One particularly interesting Memorial had 13 stones in a circle. Dedicated to the American Revolution, it commemorated each state, but much to our surprise, it listed people from each state who had died in Iowa... even a man named Nathan from Connecticut.
"I never thought anyone settled out here until later," I said to Andy, "much less fought against the British."
"Me neither, but obviously they did," he answered, "and in considerable numbers."

Shattering Silence adorns the hilltop.

The statue Shattering Silence, 2009, celebrates freedom and liberty. The inscription read, "Our  liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain," the Iowa state motto. The statue commemorates the freed slave Ralph, and carved around the outside was the story of Ralph's fight for freedom seven years before Iowa became a state. It explained that 1830's slave Ralph heard that a fortune could be made at the Dubuque, Iowa lead mines, but as a slave he was not allowed to leave Missouri to travel to free territory without his owner Jordan Montgomery. In the spring of 1834, Jordan wrote an agreement giving Ralph permission to travel to Dubuque, and Ralph promised to pay Jordan $550 plus interest in return for his freedom.Ralph worked in the lead mines for four years but never made enough money to buy his freedom. Two slave-catchers offered to return Ralph to Jordan for $100. They captured and handcuffed Ralph to send him back to Missouri on a Mississippi riverboat.  Fortunately for Ralph, Alexander Butterworth, a concerned eyewitness, saw Ralph's capture. With the aid of Judge T.S. Wilson and a court order, he rescued Ralph from his captors just in time. Ralph's freedom rested in the hands of the newly established Iowa Supreme Court and Judge Wilson, one of Iowa's first judges. The court had to decide whether or not Ralph was a fugitive slave.  The case, "In the Matter of ralph (a colored man)," made history as the first decision of the Iowa Supreme Court. In 1839, Ralph was declared a free man.  That decision established Iowa as a free territory.
About a year after the hearing, the same judge saw Ralph again, working in the garden behind the judge's house. He asked Ralph what he was doing.
"I ain't paying you for what you done for me," Ralph replied, "but I want to work for you one day every spring to show you that I never forget." Ralph was true to his word.

\The Japanese Bell of Peace and Friendship
and Shattering Silence stand together
in the government complex.

The Japanese Bell of Peace and Friendship commemorates the 1959 Hog Lift between Iowa and Yamanashi, Japan. Thirty-six breeding hogs were air lifted to Yamanashi after two typhoons wiped out the farming region. The bell was rededicated in 2011 for the 50th anniversary of the Hog Lift.
The dark marble of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial challenged noon photography. We walked around it in silence, always humbled by the sacrifice of thousands who served and died. The Korean War Memorial, an etched pillar, includes some history of the conflict. It was dedicated to those who served. Two million Chinese and North Koreans died. The American tally included 54,246 killed; 103,284 wounded; and 8177 missing. A smaller granite monument recognizes those who had earned Purple Hearts.

With the dome of the Capitol behind it,
the Civil War Monument stands tall.

The Civil War Monument soars skyward. It was dedicated to all those from Iowa who fought and died in the Civil War, but instead of "war," the Monument simply referred to the 1861-1865 conflict as a "rebellion." It was apparent what people in Iowa thought about slavery.
Next to the Civil War Monument we saw a statue with the likeness of William Boyd Allison, a U.S. Senator from Iowa for 43 years. It said, "Oldest in service, wisest in council, a friend to all."

The Flame of Freedom
honors World War II
sacrifices.

We walked around the World War II Monument, the Flame of Freedom, facing the Capitol and then headed back to Little Red.
Downtown seemed almost deserted. "It can't be Tuesday," I said to Andy. "There's no one here, and it's a business day." The downtown business district was all quiet with no one on the streets. It was a ghost town.
"I've read that 80,000 people work in downtown Des Moines," he said. "Look overhead. Maybe that's why it seems empty."
Up above the first floor of most buildings were enclosed walkways. I counted four in one block and almost every block had at least one.

White Ghost reminds me of a cartoon
child looking over the nearby statues.

"The winters must be just brutal," said Andy, "so Des Moines has accommodated for the weather." People here stay inside. Even the garages downtown are all high rise.
We drove out Grand Avenue to where John and Mary Pappajohn donated 30 pieces of sculpture to the city of Des Moines. The city built the park to display the art. Picture perfect weather prompted strollers to meander along open-air paths to view the art. Each piece was labeled by the main sidewalk, and a border of rose bushes, mums and cattails separated the garden expanse from the busy inner city streets.

Three Dancing Figures
celebrates life in
downtown Des Moines.

I photographed the white porcelain White Ghost, 2010, by Yoshitomo Nara. We circled the double city block gardens. Andy particularly liked Three Dancing Figures in painted aluminum, 1989, by Keith Haring; and I would choose Nomade, 2007, by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. On the other side of the block, I took pictures of Juno, 1989, by Deborah Butterfield and Spider, 1997, by Louise Bourgeois.We walked two blocks east to the city library, thinking it was the art museum connected with the Pappajohn sculptures.

Andy admires Juno, a horse
of a different color.

"Oh no," said a surprised librarian. "You must be thinking about the Des Moines Art Center. It's about 40 blocks away up Grand Avenue."
"Too far to walk!" I joked.
He didn't seem to appreciate the humor.
"It closed at 4:00 p.m.," said Andy. "Let's try to see something of it."
We hoofed it back to the car to check the address--4700 Grand, and we were parked near 1300. "If I can get up there by 3:00 p.m., we'll have an hour," he said and headed west on Grand Avenue toward Greeenwood Park.
Surrounded by oaks and maples dressed in full fall foliage colors, the museum exhibited art inside and out. Since photography was totally banned, Andy and I could merely walk and read and admire and browse.
At 3:50 p.m. a guide downstairs warned us that closing time was absolute. We had enjoyed 50 minutes of cultural stimulation. It was time to meander toward the entrance.
Outside, we walked around the building, admiring the architecture and looking at statues. I chose Henry Moore's 1964-1965 cast bronze, Three Ways Piece No. 1: Points, because of the beautiful fall foliage in the background. Then I shot a picture of Bruce Nauman's 1990 Animal Pyramid in front of colored leaves. "Why don't you try it from the opposite side and use the white building as your backdrop?" suggested Andy.

The dark bronze Animal Pyramid stands out against the
white marble of the museum.

I did, and he was right. The bronze was much more apparent. "I read about this one inside," I told him. "Some think it is poking fun at people...  like the circus of life."
The statue showed five caribou. On the backs of the caribou perched eight deer, rearing their front legs in the air. Four foxes balanced on the heads of the deer. Nauman used foam taxidermy molds to make the animals look strangely unnatural. That explained for me why the statue could also be a satirical comment on hunting and the display of stuffed animals. I checked further. The Internet said, "Animal Pyramid shows elements of humor, as well as making a serious commentary on the human condition."
The statue stood out against the white marble of the building, and "as noteworthy as the art collection is at the Des Moines Art Center, the museum likewise boasts an outstanding collection of architecture.

The remnants of blooms
from only a few roses
remain in the Mills Garden.

Three architects collaborated in the design of the museum. Eliel Saarinen, I.M. Pei and Richard Meier, all three among the greatest names in architecture of the 20th century, contributed to the building. Each represents a very different style and period of modern architecture. Their combined efforts, starting with Saarinen's original Lannon stone building, followed in 1968 by Pei's bushhammered concrete addition, and Meier's three-part clad porcelain and granite addition in 1985, resulted in a unique blended architectural achievement.
Before heading back to the motel, we strolled through the Clare and Miles Mills Rose Garden, a favorite spot for gardeners, walkers and wedding parties since the 1930's. Most all the roses had been trimmed back already, but just the backdrop of colored leaves in the park and the pure blue sky made this place an artist's dream. The color overwhelmed. It was an incredible place to end an incredible day.
What made it even better were memories of a fantastic Mexican dinner at Carlos O'Kelly's and the lowest price for gas so far on this trip at QT for $3.479 per gallon.