In order to see my friends, J and S, and their son, in Des Moines, before they moved, I had to make tracks south and east, from Pipestone.  I got into DM late Monday night, staying at the Village Inn Motel.  The next day, finding myself with a cash flow issue, the day before payday, I opted to spend most of the day in the Des Moines Central Library.  There were some gems to be seen, in downtown Des Moines, as I waited for my evening visit with the peeps.

Here are the major Baptist, Roman Catholic and Lutheran edifices, respectively, in Des Moines.

Next, are some views of the central business district.

I spent about two hours with the G family, in east Des Moines, including finding out how well a little guy can ride his horsey.

When the family was ready to call it a night, I headed for the Capitol district.  Night in Des Moines can be surprisingly noisy, even on a Tuesday.  I reveled in the sounds- rockabilly and hiphop, while checking out the lighting of the Iowa Capitol Building, and its adjunct facilities.

To top it all off, I was delighted to find that Iowa’s rest areas have WiFi, which I needed that night, and are safe enough to stay the night.  So, “free” accommodations it was. 🙂