Iowa Girl on the Go

There were times this afternoon, standing on the route of the Des Moines St. Patrick’s Day Parade, that I thought for sure the crowd was more interesting than the parade itself.

And, I asked myself, since when do so many people own a St. Patrick’s Day costume? It felt an awful lot like a green Halloween, what with the green hair, green and white boas, oversized sunglasses, green striped knee socks, tutus, giant green hats, beads, leis, and the inevitable “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” T-shirts. (I was amused by one shirt that said “Kiss Me Anyway.”)

The parade, sponsored by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, started at the state capitol, went over the Locust Street Bridge, and ended at the Marriott at 6th and Locust.

I guess I’m a parade snob. I’m rarely impressed by a local parade. I think the organizers use weak criteria for deciding who gets in — or maybe they have no criteria at all and anyone who signs up gets in. I will never understand the random vehicles that ride in these parades. In today’s parade, for example, there were limos and semis with no decoration nor tie to the holiday. There were LOTS of tricked-out party buses, some with little or no sharing o’ the green. And people just sort of walking along, looking less interesting than the crowd.

But there were some good entries, too. A fun entry by Hounds Haven Basset Rescue featured adorable, costumed basset hounds. One of the few true floats in the parade was a replica of three taverns in an Irish village — very cute. The men in kilts were fun — but aren’t kilts more of a Scottish thing? I enjoyed each attempt at Irish music and dance, even if it wasn’t all that great.

As usual, I got bored and left before the parade was finished.

This week’s springlike weather was a perfect time to take an evening stroll. And where better to stroll than along the river in downtown Des Moines? Obviously it was not an original thought on my part, because lots of folks were doing it.

I started at the University Avenue Bridge, a concrete arched bridge built around 1920 that crosses the Des Moines River just north of the botanical center. This is one of the prettiest bridges in Des Moines, in my opinion. It reminds me of the bridges designed by Iowa State grad Conde McCullough — and it’s possible that he designed this one since he was working in Iowa about the time this bridge was built. He later grew to fame for his bridges along the Oregon coast.

The walkway near the Des Moines Botanical Center is pleasant, even without blooming trees and flowers. There are several benches positioned along the riverfront where you could sit and enjoy the view.

Next up, as you walk south along the east side of the river, you’ll encounter the John Deere Chinese Pavilion, a part of the Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens and Chinese Cultural Center of America. This center (according to its website) highlights the importance of diversity in the Des Moines community and acknowledges the significant contributions that Asian Americans have made to Iowa. The gardens also serve as lasting monuments honoring Gov. Ray’s visionary moral leadership and humanitarian outreach. The gardens were dedicated Aug 1, 2009.

Just past the Asian garden is the Center Street Bridge, part of the Principal Riverwalk. The Riverwalk project began in 2004 and is still under construction. Sections that are completed include the very attractive Center Street Bridge, the Brenton Skating Plaza, Long Look Garden, Meredith Trail (which connects to Gray’s Lake) and more. Work continues on the Court Avenue Plaza and a multi-use trail.

The Center Street Bridge is pretty any time of the day, but at night it takes on a completely different look, with lights in the center that reflect onto the river in an ever-changing rainbow pattern. The bridge links the east and west sides of the city at the northern edge of The Principal Riverwalk loop. The bridge features two separate pathways — one for walkers/joggers and one for bicyclists.

A little further south, near the Embassy Suites hotel, the Simon Estes Amphitheater frames downtown and is the perfect place to watch the sun set. The amphitheater, named for opera performer Simon Estes, is the location for the popular Nitefall on the River concert series held each summer.

A few more blocks south is the Union Railroad Bridge. Once a carrier of train traffic, the Union Railroad Bridge has provided a pedestrian link over the Des Moines River since 2006. Painted its original color, “caboose red,” the bridge features cantilevers on each side, allowing pedestrians to stop and enjoy the view. The bridge is part of the Principal Riverwalk.

And, finally, a parting shot of the downtown skyline.

I would never have considered making the Downtown Des Moines Skywalk system a destination or a topic for this blog if I hadn’t read David Elbert’s column in the Feb. 9 Des Moines Register. Titled “Makeover of D.M. skywalk glitters with images of city,” the story detailed a facelift that included new artwork and physical upgrades.

I’m not sure how “upgraded” or beautified the skywalks are, but I had a hell of a lot of fun traversing the maze of walkways over streets, inside buildings, through parking garages, and over alleyways.

Here’s what the “See Des Moines” website says about the skywalks: “Connecting meeting facilities, shopping, restaurants, and entertainment, the extensive, 4-mile skywalk allows visitors to enjoy Downtown Des Moines all year long no matter what season it is.”

That’s a great point. Because once you get into the skywalk system, you don’t have to worry about the elements. It was cold yesterday when I took my walk (which was actually longer than 4 miles because I had to double back several times) and I didn’t even wear a coat. Some of the walkways are chilly and others are a little over-heated, but most are very comfortable.

When I started my walk at about 10^th and Locust, I fully expected to walk past hotels and parking garages, because that’s been my main connection with the skywalks in the past. You know: Park in the of the big downtown garages and walk to an event. Or walk from Court Avenue to the Civic Center. But I didn’t expect to walk through Capital Square (400 Locust) and through the Iowa Events Center (where a little girls’ dance competition was taking place inside Veterans Memorial Auditorium). I remembered walking through Kaleidoscope Mall at the Hub but it’s been years. This mall, like many of the businesses along the skywalk route, caters primarily to downtown workers and thus only open Monday through Friday during the day.

My walk would have been completely different had I done it on a Tuesday at noon. I would have encountered business-suited workers rushing from meetings, talking madly on their cell phones. Instead, I encountered mostly families with young children, older adults on scooters, a few single walkers, and a couple of homeless guys. Through long portions of the skywalk system, I had the place to myself.

I walked past a number of restaurants (all closed), a barbershop, small retail stores, corporate banking headquarters with security guards, a former department store (Younkers), the Des Moines Register, and the Polk County Convention Complex.

I was probably the most entertained by the Iowa Events Center area because several events were going on and thus the whole place was accessible. I hadn’t seen Vets since it was renovated (actually, I’m not sure I was ever in Vets before it was renovated, either). No matter. It’s a real showplace. The architecture is grand, the meeting spaces roomy, and the ballroom expansive. Besides the little girls strutting their stuff on the main level, the Variety telethon was starting upstairs. Inside Wells Fargo Arena, workers prepared for the girls’ state basketball tournament. And a group of teenagers (many of whom looked to be the aforementioned girls’ basketball players) was just going into the Iowa Hall of Pride (I have that attraction on my list for another blog, another day).

So back to my source of inspiration: David Elbert’s column. In it, he said much of the facelift is “subtle” (windows washed, new carpet installed, lighting replaced, drooping ceiling tiles fixed). I can’t say I noticed any of that. The skywalk system morphs about every two blocks depending on what area you’re in. If you’re walking through Wells Fargo, you better believe the floors, ceilings, and walls are all gleaming architectural gems. If you’re walking through a parking garage, you’ll be lucky if there is carpet at all. More likely you’ll be walking on concrete or tile.

Elbert also says there’s new artwork replacing aerial photos of gliders and hot air balloons that have been displayed for 20 years. In their place are 19 oversized photos of the city’s skyline and other icons along with artwork that celebrates downtown. If you go, don’t expect to see this all along the walkways; it’s confined to just one small section. It’s nice, but it was the artwork in Vets that really caught my eye (to be fair, Vets itself is not part of the skywalk system…you just sort of end up there if you keep walking).

Here’s a little skywalk history, again thanks to David Elbert and the Register:

• The first pedestrian bridge was across Fifth Ave. south of Walnut St. It was built in 1969. It connected the then-under-construction J.C. Penney building with the then-under-construction parking garage on the east side of Fifth St.
• Since 1982, nearly four miles of skywalks have been built downtown. The original backbone of the system was along Seventh St. through the Marriott Hotel and Younkers to Wells Fargo Bank.
• Today the system runs from Court Ave. to 801 Grand (a very hoity-toity section, if I recall) and from Wells Fargo Arena to the Nationwide Insurance campus (near where I parked).

Elbert explains something I noticed: A lot of the buildings connected by the skywalks are vacant. Insurance companies Wellmark and Aviva left downtown in 2010 and as a result those spaces are vacant; the relocation of those workers has forced some retailers to close down as well. Elbert says the Keck Building is in foreclosure.

One thing I’ve always noticed about the skywalks is that they’re not easy to get to from street level unless you know the system. I know you can access them on Court Ave. upstairs from Court Avenue Brewing Company, from the parking garages, and from the Marriott and other hotels. But I might have a hard time finding access elsewhere.

Part of the time I was in the skywalks I wasn’t sure exactly where I was, but it’s fun to pop out and see a street scene of, say, the State Capitol building, Java Joe’s, a river bridge, or a eclectic apartment building.

If you decide that a walk through the Des Moines skywalks would be an interesting adventure on a cold or rainy day, you shouldn’t have any trouble finding your way through. Signage, though outdated in sections, is plentiful and maps are located throughout the system.