Is This Heaven? No, It's Iowa.*

After the tractor parade, we had to be off; we were expected at our B&B in Des Moines by 7 or 8 p.m. First, though, we made a quick stop at Willie’s Tamales on the road out of town. Aunt Ruth and Uncle Vern had pointed out Willie’s on the way back from Kenyon’s the night before, and it was definitely worth the stop.

Willie's makes a Mississippi Delta tamale. Jane and Michael Stern, who are responsible for many a good meal and many an extra pound in this family (and a trip to the emergency room in Peoria), have described this dish as "an anthropological wonder" -- a mix of traditional Mexican (masa wrapped in corn husk) and genuine soul food (slow, slow cooked beef and pork filling) steamed in a rich chili-infused stock and served in multiples of three. It is found in a very limited area of Mississippi and Arkansas ... and Peoria and environs. (Willie, it seems, moved to Peoria from Mississippi.)

Thus fortified, we continued up the highway to I80 and headed west to Des Moines.

Sadly, this isn't saying much.


The welcome centre near Davenport featured a huge sculpture of iconic Iowa products, these two being the most obvious.

After a nice hour’s detour off the interstate, we arrived in a rainy Des Moines. Our B&B was a big, beautiful old house in a neighbourhood of similar houses. “Congratulations!” our host exclaimed as we came in. Congratulations for what, we thought – sure, we made pretty good time from Chillicothe but it didn’t seem worth commenting on. “You’re just married, right?” she asked.

Having set the record “straight,” we headed out to find food and wine. Our room was so comfortable that we decided to eat in rather than dine out.

A little garish, perhaps, but that bed was so soft.


And we didn't have to worry about losing track of time.

We headed out to the Gateway Market (what a grocery store!) and loaded up on bread, cheese, olives, La Quercia prosciutto (about which more later), and wine. With the chocolates on the pillow it was a fine night!

Tomorrow: the Iowa State Fair!

*From W.P. Kinsella, Field of Dreams