ROADTRIP: Reiman Gardens

This season's issue is about short drives from Des Moines, Iowa, and a great one to take right now is just a half hour north to Iowa State University in Ames, the home of Reiman Gardens and host right now of Sean Kenney's amazing Lego sculptures. Since moving to Des Moines, I've wanted to visit Reiman, but couldn't get The Boy interested; Legos are the answer. A great pamphlet picked up from the Reiman information desk shows where all the sculputures are (you can miss the showier ones, but some blend in amazingly), and tells more about the artist, one of a handful official Lego artists. Photos of all the sculptures are below, but if you are planning on going, it's better if you see them first in person. Just look at the butterflies, which are usually one of Reiman's main attractions.




I noticed in Juice that there was a bluegrass band playing at a winery in Madrid, and now that I'm pretty familiar with Madrid, figured I could make my way over there on the way back. Sure enough, there was a sign pointing the way to Snus Hill Vineyard & Winery right from I-35, so we had a beautiful drive sort of the width of Des Moines but much more north. Highway Home Blue Grass Band was great on a weather-funky afternoon, I now have a nice gift (with the help of a lovely Snus staffer, since I can get excited about everything wine right up until the drinking) for my housesitter, and The Boy met Clive, a gorgeous frog of some sort he named and really wanted to bring home although of course he said he understands that's not ok.