One of the greatest things about Des Moines is the Bicycling opportunities. Amusingly, RAGBRAI will be winding up during Gnomedex. So bring your bike and enjoy the amazing bike trails, both recreational and mountain biking (yeah, right, mountains without mountains) and join the thousands of bicyclists who will enjoy biking in Iowa in July. (Be prepared for heat and humidity.)
Another great outdoor activity is geocaching... bring your GPS and hunt down the 60+ geocaches hidden in Central Iowa. See
www.geocaching.com for more information on that pasttime.
As a native Iowan, I'd like to welcome all Gnomies back to Des Moines for Gnomedex! I had a great time in past years, and look forward to seeing you all again this year! I'm still trying to locate that statue that was an amusing attraction at Merle Hay Mall and is now at some super secret residence. <_< Have you ever seen a buff guy with wings riding a tricycle, I think it was in bronze? (Perhaps satellite photography would reveal its location?) Anyway, I'm still on the hunt for that.
Jennifer