Check out Cyclone territory Sept. 14

By Pat Shaver

Photo courtesy of ISU Athletic Communications

The day trips features is an ongoing series on fun spots to visit within a day’s drive of the Corridor.

AMES—For those visiting enemy territory for the big game Sept. 14, Ames offers some unique places worth checking out.

The Cyclones play the Hawkeyes at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames for the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The game begins at 5 p.m.

For those arriving a little early, there are plenty of lunch and dinner options in Ames. Great Plains Sauce and Dough Co., 129 Main St., features six different homemade dough options. The restaurant has honey on hand to drizzle on the crust ends, offering a unique flavor.

Hickory Park Restaurant Co., 1404 S. Duff Ave., specializes in hickory-smoked meats and has a menu with more than 100 choices. The restaurant seats about 450 people and serves about 15,000 per week. Since the restaurant is so large, don’t be turned away by the appearance of a long wait, they try to get people in and out quickly.

As a college town, Ames also has a variety of bar options. Café Beaudelaire, 2504 Lincoln Way, is known for its signature Long Island Iced Tea served in a large carafe. For local beer, try Old Main Brewing Co., 316 Main St. If you’re looking to go out after the game, the Campustown area on Welch Avenue is where you’ll find the student crowd, while Ames’ downtown along Main Street might be a more low-key bar experience.

For those spending the night, the Grove Café, 124 Main St., would be a good breakfast option. The small café was voted one of the 20 Best Breakfast Restaurants by Local Eats.

There are a few local wineries in the area, Snus Hill Winery and Prairie Moon Winery; both have live music on weekends.

Take your bicycle and try out some of the biking trails around Ames. If you haven’t walked around the Iowa State University campus, it ranks among the top beautiful campuses and has a large public art collection.

Take a tour ISU’s Reiman Gardens, one of largest public gardens in Iowa. The Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing features up to 800 live butterflies, of 80 different species, in flight.

Ada Hayden Heritage Park, 5205 Grand Ave., features a 130-acre lake, with a boat ramp, fishing and 3 miles of hard-surface pedestrian and bike paths.

Visitors can take a tour of the ISU Dairy Barn, home to more than 400 milking cows. People can view the operation daily from the milking parlor.

Ames has several golf courses, Veenker, Coldwater Golf Links, Homewood and Ames Golf and Country Club.

In nearby Boone, the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad and Museum offers train tours of the area in a 1920s-era coach train car.

 

CBJ reporter Pat Shaver is an Iowa State alum who would like to point out that the Cyclones beat the Hawkeyes in 2012 and 2011. Some of his co-workers would like to remind him UI won the football rivalry 2008-2010.