Anyone Familiar With Ames, IA?

[Janet89]

This is one of the stops on the Hot Rod Power Tour. We have been waiting on a friend to decide if he is going, and now everything is booked up in Ames!! We booked a no-frills motel called University Inn. It has two good reviews on TA. I really need to know if it is in a good, safe area. We will be traveling in two classic cars.

Thanks!!

[NotJLB]

Unless it has changed drastically since my 9 years there, at Moo U and after, I can't imagine any area that would be unsafe.

Originally Posted by Janet89

This is one of the stops on the Hot Rod Power Tour. We have been waiting on a friend to decide if he is going, and now everything is booked up in Ames!! We booked a no-frills motel called University Inn. It has two good reviews on TA. I really need to know if it is in a good, safe area. We will be traveling in two classic cars.

Thanks!!

[mrmiczim]

I lived there for almost 30 years and it is as safe or safer than Springfield. This motel is on a major street in Ames, but you could try Boone or Nevada. Both are only a few miles from Ames

[Janet89]

Thank You!!! Nothing I had come across showed Ames to have any questionable areas, but I wanted to be sure!

[Branson_native8]

While in Ames may i suggest a restaurant? Hickory Park is a great place to go grab a bite to eat. My wife is from Ames and every time we go back to visit her Grandma we have to stop in. Or you may also like Great Plains Pizza. If you go there you simply must try their world famous cookies. Just my two cents.

[jrnew]

How cool that the Hot Rod Power Tour is going through Ames! It is a nice town and Hickory Park is a GREAT place to eat.

I work and dr in that town, your typical college town, pretty busy when school is in session, otherwise a fairly quiet place!

Jamie

[preacherman]

Originally Posted by Branson_native8

While in Ames may i suggest a restaurant? Hickory Park is a great place to go grab a bite to eat. My wife is from Ames and every time we go back to visit her Grandma we have to stop in. Or you may also like Great Plains Pizza. If you go there you simply must try their world famous cookies. Just my two cents.

Here's another vote for Hickory Park eatin'

[Grand Lady]

Here's another vote for Hickory Park and their ice cream sundaes are wonderful.

[Janet89]

We just got home from the Power Tour. Unfortunately, we did not get to eat at Hickory Park. A big storm was coming (same night the tornado hit the boy scout camp). The Jiffy Lube across from University Inn was great and let us park indoors overnight. We ended up eating at Las Fuentes next door to the motel. Yummy and cheap!
My heart goes out to everyone effected by the floods. We didn't see much except swollen rivers due to the detours. I hope everyone is OK.

[fordarama]

hey, did ya have any trouble in little rock, how was the tour????
The weather was already hot, ...

[Janet89]

Hi Fordarama! Little Rock was one of my favorite stops. Beautiful drive, as usual. The tornado damage along 65 was unbelievable We didn't really realize what we were looking at, at first. We really weren't paying much attention in Clinton, but just south of there, there was a semi lying on its side (like a child had been playing with it) and many piles of rubble. We are still trying to figure out what it used to be, grain elevator, gravel plant? Then we saw the trees and a home with plywood and tarps and realized it was tornado damage.
Anyway, Little Rock had a cruise night for everyone on the river front. We paraded from the fairgrounds to downtown. We ate at a REALLY GOOD pizza place downtown, it was chicago style, but the name escapes me. It started with a G. My husband, son and our friend went up on the bridge that leads across the river. I was too chicken And yes, it was sooo HOT. Little Rock really made everyone on the tour feel welcome.

[NotJLB]

Same here, being from DM, and Ames.

I was in DM last Tuesday and Wednesday. They lowered the floodgates at Saylorville at 10 PM Tuesday, because the water was topping them. I was surprised that the flow was 3 times Table Rocks 14000 CFS . . . 42000 CFS!!!

DT DM is immediately downstream.

Wednesay I was at the Polk County Courthouse, then the County Attorney's Office, then another DT attorney firm, four blocks from the river, from 3:00 PM-6:00 PM.

I left on SW 7th, over the Raccoon, and things had not flooded yet.

Prior to court I was on 2nd ave, turning around at a blockade, and when I did I was facing one of the news crews/cameras, set up in one of the converted warehouse condos along the river.

Originally Posted by Janet89

My heart goes out to everyone effected by the floods. We didn't see much except swollen rivers due to the detours. I hope everyone is OK.

[fordarama]

over the weekend there were two guys on the big dam bridge,
one decided it would be a good idea to stand on the rail
he fell in and drowned...
I have not been across the bridge,
I am just not fond of heights
I am happy little rock was good...