Date: August 23rd, 2026 8:26 PM Author: cocky parlour
Holy fuck I very narrowly made it here today that was awful. So far people in Iowa seem very nice, chatty and helpful but a little weird. Lot of beetus mobility wagons at the state fair which was 180. Shocking # of browns here.
Date: August 23rd, 2026 8:35 PM Author: cocky parlour
I'm in Des Moines. Tomorrow I will go to tour the capitol, science museum, a sculpture garden, walk around downtown and perhaps go to see John Wayne's childhood home which is now a museum. If I don't go tomorrow I will stop there on my way to Omaha. Anyone have any other IOWA recs?
Date: August 23rd, 2026 8:46 PM Author: cocky parlour
Staying AWAY from bars. Was at a wedding last night, vowed to Irish exit early and be in bed by midnight to make the trek to Iowa easier...instead got home at 430am plastered.
Date: August 23rd, 2026 8:46 PM Author: cocky parlour
My Uber driver was adamant about some steakhouse here called Frankies, and Smokey D's BBQ. I was going to go to Iowa Taproom to get a pork tenderloin sandwich. Apparently that's a thing here? Going to a steakhouse in Nebraska on Weds eve in Omaha w a buddy.
Date: August 24th, 2026 9:11 AM Author: Confused ticket booth laser beams
South Sioux City, NE is at least 90 minutes from Omaha. Are you going to drive 3 hours out of your way to follow up on TSINAH's Eastern Nebraska steak restaurant reco?
Date: August 24th, 2026 9:15 AM Author: cocky parlour
Probably driving past it between Des Moines and Omaha. Gonna detour to John Wayne’s birthplace then the Strategic Air Command museum by Offut before checking in to my Omaha hotel.
Date: August 24th, 2026 9:30 AM Author: Confused ticket booth laser beams
He blew off my recommendations for Beaverdale and he's not going to South Sioux City on his meandering way to the "little apple." Quite frankly, I am in total alignment with you that this guy is doing the Midwest all wrong. He needs to sit his ass down and connect with the earth a bit, maybe watch About Schmidt. I don't know. But this is already a tragic fucking disaster.
Date: August 23rd, 2026 8:55 PM Author: cocky parlour
I think you posted this one in a previous thread. As mentioned earlier tomorrow was planning to get a pork tenderloin sandwich since apparently that's a thing vs pizza. Opinion on Kelly's Little Nipper. Internet is suggesting there for sandwich.
Date: August 24th, 2026 7:05 PM Author: cocky parlour
I would like to do this for THE CONTENT brother but I had that pork tenderloin sandwich for lunch and there's just no fucking way I can eat again today. If it was at least on ubereats or something i'd order it and try and slice just to report back but I don't pick up my rental car until tomorrow and I don't want to uber to the boonies to take a bite of pizza then come back, i'm still pretty jetlagged / sleep deprived from flying home on Thursday from Europe, ripping it Fri then going to that fucking wedding Sat and flying to Iowa on 2 hours sleep. I'm gonna be conked out by 10.
Date: August 24th, 2026 7:49 PM Author: cocky parlour
Planning to add Truman Library, Truman House and Clinton's where Truman worked. Will drive direct Omaha to Independence then go check in to KC hotel AFTER.
Date: August 24th, 2026 10:02 AM Author: copper laughsome public bath gunner
Hey, random question: I know you're focused on Des Moines right now, but I'm curious about the pork tenderloin sandwich situation. I've been to Iowa a few times and somehow never actually tried one (ridiculous, I know). Is it genuinely one of the great Midwest foods or am I setting myself up for disappointment? And while we're at it, is the capitol tour actually worth doing or is it mostly just a selfie stop?
Date: August 24th, 2026 11:09 AM Author: Deranged garrison
It’s basically a no frills milanesa. Much less room for error since there isn’t much for frills or accompaniments, but if you go to a place that knows what they’re doing it can be pretty solid.
Other cultures do the big ass fried piece of thin pork thing better imo though
Date: August 24th, 2026 2:17 PM Author: cocky parlour
Had the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich at Kellys Little Nipper and the sandwich was 897987230987032 as was the bar. It's been there since 1940, opens at 10 and was JAMMED at noon on a Monday with drunks. If I spent more time in Des Moines would def become a regular there.
Date: August 24th, 2026 10:47 AM Author: Jet-lagged jap nursing home
there is nothing between des moines and omaha worth seeing imo. just get on the 80 and zoom over there.
This area has the authentic pizza huts with the tiffany glass etc. you should eat in one of those.
on the way south there is a little town called auburn that you could stop in. I just ate at the subway there. would be 180 for you to take a photo. it has a small historic downtown and surprisiingly a movie theater bc there cannot be more than 1000 residents
Date: August 24th, 2026 10:54 AM Author: cocky parlour
Only adds about 15 minutes, could swing it if I get on the road early that day. Trying to go direct to Independence to see Truman Library, then some KC stuff before going to Chiefs preseason game.
Date: August 25th, 2026 12:29 AM Author: Deranged garrison
Joe’s is overrated and got famous primarily for the location and seismic culinary innovation of “what if we put two smoked meats on a sandwich PLUS CHEESE?” Not bad by any means but I’d do Q39 as my favorite in town, Arthur Bryant’s for the classic experience (divisive but I love their weird sauce and piggish pile of burnt ends), and Jack Stack for getting weird. The rack of lamb ribs goes hard.
Date: August 24th, 2026 10:54 AM Author: Jet-lagged jap nursing home
i was also in Audobon which is between DM and omaha and not that far off the path. Also a relatively in tact downtown (a lot of these towns have let their buildings go to rot). Many people go to Audobon because of Albert the Bull Park: World's Largest Bull
Date: August 24th, 2026 6:50 PM Author: cocky parlour
The main concern is I am already stopping in a small town to see John Wayne's birthplace and I want to make sure I get to the Strategic Air Command museum with enough time to see everything before they close at 5pm. Aviationtism and all.
Date: August 24th, 2026 2:55 PM Author: indecent dingle berry gas station
MN is the largest by average daily attendance and it's not close. TX sometimes beats it in total attendance but it runs 2x as long.
IDK if I would necessarily say that the MN fair is ruined by Somalis in particular. They do congregate a bit around the midway (particularly after dark). But that's not really anything new, homegrown blacks were doing the same thing before Somalis showed up.
I will say that the amount of nonwhites at the MN fair is bothersome. In recent years the fair's last day (Labor Day) has developed a reputation for more shit going down. I suspect whites are staying away because of the bad reputation, and also because the following day is a big day because it's the start of the school year. Last year I went on Labor Day and it was markedly worse than an average fair day in terms of the proportion of nonwhites.
Date: August 24th, 2026 2:57 PM Author: cocky parlour
There were a group of plastered middle age women at the bar all cheersing each other to the first day of school today. I suppose they are getting day time blackout to celebrate not having to watch their kids.
Date: August 24th, 2026 2:19 PM Author: cocky parlour
Just got back. The Capitol is 180 and beautiful, def worth it. Aesthetic AF law library as a bonus. The bar and the pork tenderloin sandwich were both 180 and if I was here longer i'd have stayed there all day boozing and talking to the regulars. There was even a cute ISU girl with nice cans in a tank top.
Date: August 24th, 2026 2:58 PM Author: Pontificating Comical Parlor
wat type of browns.. i really hate the way ppl use "brown" it cld mean beaner or turd or muzzie. these are three WIDLY diff groups in terms of gorgeousness for prosperity
Date: August 24th, 2026 3:42 PM Author: cocky parlour
Matched with a girl in KC who claims she was a model in NY, lists her highest level of education as high school but also lists "Cornell" under education. Sick neg for SUNY-Ithaca.
Date: August 24th, 2026 7:42 PM Author: cocky parlour
I learned at about 3am last night that trains rolling through here have to sound their fucking horns even in the middle of the night. Apparently this is because Des Moines will not allocate $ to upgrade intersections to ones that do not require horns being sounded at all hours. Locals say they not only get used to it but miss the train horns when they live elsewhere. Let's see if I can sleep through the night tonight! Also would anyone like PICS?