Backroad Iowa

Still Waiting by Lee Smith Via Flickr: Yard Art in Boone county Iowa. 50's cool busses.

Shaded by Lee Smith Via Flickr: Yard Art in Boone county Iowa. 50's cool busses.

To Cool for School by Lee Smith Via Flickr: Could be some of the coolest yard art I have seen in awhile.

If you want your imagination to run wild look at it in actual size and check out the upper left window pane of the top floor windows that are not broken out. The Identical blur turned up in all the pics I took from this angle. I am sure its something on a screen if there still is a screen. Next time I an in the area I will find this place again. On the sad note in Iowa this is what is happening to most of the family farms.

Yay, I have updated internet explorer.  I should have done this a long time ago but didn't.  So Tumbler now works on my PC.  I was trying to do this with my phone but was failing due to slow connection speeds.  Now we will see if I can keep this up with out excuses. 

Dr Wolfe's Hospital 1909 2

People watching is one of the best things to do at the fair. It was even more fun this year with a camera. The windows of this building made a great frame for shadow people.

Via Flickr: From 1959 to 1985 the Pioneer Theatre was lighting up the big screen. Now only the screen stands looking over a RV sales operation. The once 700 car capacity lot makes for a lot of space for campers.

As of 7/16/14 the depot is up on wheels and should be moved to its new location 8am on the 17th.

Another place along the road you will not be eating at. Minburn is a small town in central Iowa not far from where I live. I love stone buildings and this one is no exception. And to make the building even better is that is in a state of decay. I have drove by it quite a few times since moving to central Iowa in 99 but don't recall it ever being open. This was also the second stop on the maiden adventure for my wife, the kids and I. The kids could have cared less as their noses were either stuck to a movie, or on the phones. But we had a great time and our adventurers have now become a large part in our lives as we can grab the camera hop in the little gas sipper car and take a cheap trip. Or we can make a day out of a short trip the grocery store. The later usually with only the baby in tow since he doesn’t mind so much. .

Long since closed Rutland School building. I am not sure what year it actually consolidated. It has sat with no children for as long as i can remember. Across Iowa there are tons of school building sitting in the same or worse condition as towns lose their schools due to lack of children to fill them. .

Downtown Des Moines Skyline shots are always fun. It’s cool to get on top of the parking garages for another perspective. This was taken while looking at the north side of the Younkers Building. The Financial Center and the EMC Building are a couple of the tallest in Des Moines. Most views of the EMC building are of the front and its Vodka bottle facade.

West side of the North Des Moines Best Western. There are 50 pics of the property on my flicker page. Follow the link attatched.

Housekeeping at the North Des Moines Best Western. Notice that the cans of soda are all over the floor. Most have not been opened.

This place is just massive I have a few from the hotel side of the property. The North End Diner and Best Western North Des Moines appear to be a playground for anyone keen on wrecking everything in sight. I am thinking the diner closed sometime in 2009 or late 2008 and the hotel was closed before with no intention on reopening. The hotel a former Ramada was refurbished in 2004 but all the reviews I read have this place listed as a dump. I guess that could be one portion of why it closed. It was a sprawling hotel with 4 separate room units, a huge pool, and entrance with the North End Diner all attached by a long walkway that was never heated or cooled. My wife had posted her pictures on FB and a local fire fighter had commented that they used the hotel portion for training and now it is so full of mold that it is unsafe to enter. I guess that is no reason for vagrants and kids to enter looking for something to smash as almost every window and door are make for an entrance now. The place will be gone at some point the hotel is a ehh who cares in my book but the Diner was a cool place to eat. And there seem to be less and less of the old school diners around to get the 50’s feel for your burgers.

Another view of the front entrance to the North End Diner. Even though it has been closed a good 5 years the crome is cool.

The North End Diner and Best Western North Des Moines appear to be a playground for anyone keen on wrecking everything in sight. I am thinking the diner closed sometime in 2009 or late 2008 and the hotel was closed before with no intention on reopening. The hotel a former Ramada was refurbished in 2004 but all the reviews I read have this place listed as a dump. I guess that could be one portion of why it closed. It was a sprawling hotel with 4 separate room units, a huge pool, and entrance with the North End Diner all attached by a long walkway that was never heated or cooled. My wife had posted her pictures on FB and a local fire fighter had commented that they used the hotel portion for training and now it is so full of mold that it is unsafe to enter. I guess that is no reason for vagrants and kids to enter looking for something to smash as almost every window and door are make for an entrance now. The place will be gone at some point the hotel is a ehh who cares in my book but the Diner was a cool place to eat. And there seem to be less and less of the old school diners around to get the 50’s feel for your burgers.