Andrea on Vacation

Last weekend I headed home to Iowa to hang out with my family (and a friend) and eat all the food. Mom and I always make a list of things to do and places to eat while I am home. This year’s list was pretty epic with some new restaurants, old favorites, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, shopping, Star Trek, and gambling at the casino.

I haven’t been to the Machine Shed in years but it was on the way home from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library so we stopped in for some Iowa-style food.  While not a Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives spot it was featured on Food Paradise on the Travel Channel, the TV channel right up my alley.

#piegamestrong

The décor outside and inside was very Iowa. I snapchatted to my little hearts content outside to make everyone jealous of all the farm tools and ears of corn surrounding me

I decided burnt ends would be a good way to round out my delicious salad bar meal and man, was I right! Burnt ends are best- little meat nuggets of goodness.

Later that day we wandered down to the Bix Festival to check out the party and people watch. Bix is a 7 mile road race that is huge in the area with over 18,000 participants. I’ve never actually run it but my dad did for many years and now a lot of my friends do it.

For the past 2 years I’ve ridden by bike across Iowa for RAGBRAI instead, which also ends on Bix 7 race day. It is impossible to do both. This year I did neither! #lazy

All of my favorite foods in one place: corn dogs, nachos, and funnel cake!!!

I held off from eating all the junk at the Bix festival because I was getting ready for my all time favorite Iowa food- Happy Joe’s taco pizza! I’ve traveled no where that does taco pizza like this (if I find it at all).

Mom and I took a break from eating out one meal and made sweet corn, green beans, and fresh tomatoes from this roadside stand.

Seriously, sweet corn from Iowa beats the pants off Maryland’s sweet corn. BC wanted me to bring some back in my suitcase but alas, I did too much shopping and didn’t have any more room.  A shopping win but a sweet corn fail.

Other than that we hung out on the Mississippi River with friends:

And drank beers on the dock at sunset.

It was a good little Iowa weekend. It went way too fast but it was still good to get home once this year!

Reader Question: What is your favorite food from your hometown?