Iowa Guide

Flooding Concerns Return to Iowa

Kyle Eslick — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:12:40 +0000

Less than a month after Iowa experienced the worst floods in recent memory, a brief but devasting thunderstorm struck much of the state of Iowa, leaving people once again needing rescused by boats and new flooding concerns.

The storms are expected to return again tonight and last again throughout the night and into the morning.

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Iowa Schools Continue to Overbudget

Kyle Eslick — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:12:45 +0000

State officials have reported notified close to 60 schools that they are in danger of spending over their assigned budgets, with is up from 17 (2006) and 22 (2007). This is a disturbing trend for the Iowa Department of Education, who has a history of shutting down schools that overspend.

In looking over the list of affected schools, it looks like most are smaller communities, with the only major schools being Urbandale and Dubuque.

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Country Inn & Suites Hotel Review

Kyle Eslick — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:24:48 +0000

Traveling to the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area? If you are looking for a great deal on a hotel room during your stay, look no further than the Country Inn & Suites, located at

2910 South Main Street , Cedar Falls IA 50613
Reservations: (888) 201-1746 US Toll Free
Telephone: (319) 268-1800 Fax: (319) 268-9130

In addition to consistently having one of the highest hotel ratings for the area, Country Inn & Suites also offers meeting rooms for business meetings and many of the following other benefits:

Free High-Speed Wireless Internet Access
Meeting room facilities are available with catering options
Heated indoor pool & spa
Fitness Center- featuring: Treadmill, Bicycle & elliptical machine, Complimentary local Gym passes are available
Free CNN, ESPN & HBO in all rooms
Microwave, refrigerator, hair dryer, iron/ironing board & coffee maker in each room
Whirlpool specialty rooms with wet bar
Kids 18 & under stay free with an adult
Free breakfast including waffles, bagels, an assortment of breads, muffins, hot & cold cereals, fresh fruit, juices, coffee, tea, milk & cocoa and much more available daily
Free local telephone calls & long-distance access
Coin-op laundry facilities with complimentary laundry soap
24 hour free cappuccino, hot cocoa, coffee & fresh baked cookies
Free weekday USA Today newspaper and local newspaper
Handicap accessible rooms
Book It & Return Lending Library

This hotel gets a very strong recommendation from Iowa Guide. If you’d like to find the best deals on hotel rooms in the area, we recommend you check out our Hotels page.

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Machine Shed Review – Des Moines, Iowa

Kyle Eslick — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:58:16 +0000

Located at the famous Living History Farms, the Machine Shed is popular restaurant among those in the Des Moines, Iowa area. Known for its “farm theme”, the Machine Shed provides a number of quality beef, pork, and poultry dishes that are made from scratch. Even the potatoes are made from scratch!

If you’d like to give the Machine Shed a try, you can find their Des Moines location at the following address:

11151 Hickman Road
(I-80/35 – Exit 125)
Urbandale, IA 50322
(515) 270-6818

Machine Shed Hours:

Mon-Sat: 6 a.m – 10 p.m.
Sat Buffet: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sun: 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sun Buffet: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

(Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Day)

For other locations, you’ll want to visit their official website.

The Des Moines Machine Shed gets the Iowa Guide stamp of approval, and we often find ourselves recommending this location to our friends and family when they come to Iowa!

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The Iowa Chops Are Born!

Kyle Eslick — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:27:20 +0000

For those that might have missed the news, it was officially announced Wednesday that a new Des Moines hockey team has been born. The Iowa Chops were announced as the team that would replace the Iowa Stars, who recently were moved to the state of Texas. This new team will be the affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

You can now check out the Iowa Chops new website at Iowa Chops.

What are you opinions on the teams new name?

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Des Moines Marriott Downtown Hotel Review

Kyle Eslick — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:06:29 +0000

If you are going to be traveling to the Des Moines area, probably the first place you will want to check is the Downtown Marriott hotel. As one of the premier luxury hotels near Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines Marriott Downtown offers so much more than a convenient address.

The Downtown Marriott hotel is connected to the Iowa Events Center and Wells Fargo Arena via a skywalk in the heart of the Des Moines business district, which is very close to many popular shopping destinations, top restaurants, and all types of entertainment.

Marriott’s guest rooms are designed for business travelers and feature luxury bedding and high-speed Internet. Dining options range from the Rock River Grill and Tavern to the culinary creations of our banquet chef. The fitness center is well-equipped, and you ll love the sauna and pool.

If you have an event coming up, or even a wedding, their wedding and event planners can make any occasion an elegant affair. You can also hold an impressive business meeting with Des Moines Marriott s 25,000 sq ft of flexible event space. Their hotel also offers catering and event services on and off-site.

As mentioned above, if you will be spending some time in downtown Des Moines, you’ll want to check out the Downtown Des Moines Marriott. Everything is pretty much a stones throw away!

For discounts on hotel stays, check out the Iowa Guide Hotels page!

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Iowa Cubs Take Over First Place in the Pacific Coast League

Kyle Eslick — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:42:12 +0000

In case you’ve been living under a rock, the Iowa Cubs have been on fire lately and now are leading the PCL American North division by 4.5 games.

You can easily follow the iCubs progress by monitoring the official PCL Standings.

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Splash Seafood Bar & Grill Review

Kyle Eslick — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 19:51:00 +0000

When it comes to seafood restaurants in the Des Moines area, probably the first place you will want to check out is Splash Seafood Bar & Grill. Located in downtown Des Moines near the Wells Fargo Arena, Splash is known for their fresh seafood, handcut steaks, and of course one of the premiere winelists in the state of Iowa.

If you prefer your seafood raw, there is now a Splash Raw Oyster Bar and Seafood Market across the hall, which of course features oysters, New England clam chowder, and the largest selection of caviar in the Midwest.

Have a large party? Splash can also accomodate up to 60 guests for business meetings and other events with advanced notice.

To see other restaurants within Des Moines, or the State of Iowa as a whole, check out our Iowa Restaurants page.

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Welcome to IowaGuide.org!

Kyle Eslick — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:13:10 +0000

You’ve stumbled on to IowaGuide.org! This site was created to help you plan your vacations and travels throughout the state of Iowa. Feel free to look around and let us know if you have any questions!

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