Welcome to Marshalltown

Saturday, June 10

We arrive at our Marshalltown hotel, a two-hour drive from our beloved Perry. We wait in the van while Roy checks us in. It is incredibly windy (a consequence of Iowa's flatness, I assume), and we watch some hapless sparrows flap against the wind. One lands on the grass, near a crow. The crow grabs the sparrow and starts pecking at it, feathers and sparrow parts flying. This puts us in the mood for snacks.

Before arrival, I had done a little research and found glowing Roadfood & Epicurious reviews of a restaurant called Stone's. So off to Stone's we went.

It's a quaint place, open since 1887. Decorated like my Aunt Bessie's farmhouse. Known for its mile-high lemon chiffon pie. Epicurious called it one of "America's Top Ten Pies." We'll see about that.

We all take a trip to the salad bar. There are only two mayo-covered salads. Promising. The waitress says all of the steaks are from the local butcher. Things are looking up. I order the chopped steak, medium.

It arrives, wrapped in bacon (yeah) with hash browns (all righty) and a side of veggies (frozen - but I can deal) and covered in brown gravy with canned mushrooms (uh-oh). I cut into it; it's well-done. Not medium.

Wisa orders onion rings (frozen - hm) and prime rib, which she says is pretty good.











Pam orders the same. Both orders come with mashed potatoes, which are totally devoid of salt (oh, no) and seem to be made with water instead of milk (oh, the humanity).













Dessert has got to be better. PJ tries the rhubarb pie, I order the famous lemon chiffon pie.

















Pretty, eh? The lemon is mile-high, just as advertised. But it has the texture of wet circus peanuts. The rhubarb pie isn't much better.

Now, I belive that it's the job of a restaurant critic, even a small-beans amateur like me, to point out the good things, the gems of a restaurant. I'm not here to whine about bad food.

But "America's Top Ten Pies"?

Epicurious can bite me.

Welcome to Perry!

Tuesday, June 6 (continued)

After a 3-hour drive, we arrive in Perry. Another small town, but this time, our lodgings are a wee bit nicer.

Check it out:
www.hotelpattee.com

Trish and I are in the "King's Daughters" room and are treated like the princesses that we are. The bathroom is huge. I swim a few laps in our giant tub/jacuzzi.





We have dinner at The Highland Elk Bistro. What a place like this is doing in a town like Perry, I have no idea but am totally grateful for it.

I have meatloaf wrapped in bacon with smashed red potatoes and haricot vert. For dessert, Wisa & Pam have the "fudgy-wudgy" cake. It is very wudgy.















After dinner: we throw a few games in our own private bowling alley.













Life is good.










Wednesday, June 7

Short presentation @ the library in the morning. We are guests @ the Rotary Club lunch (pork stir fry & cheesecake - hm). Then a workshop with middle school students.

Afterwards, another soak in the jacuzzi. Then a lovely mocha @ the Highland Elk coffee shop, which is in the same building as the Bistro. They have great coffee, lovely snacks, and the world's biggest marble bathroom. Not to mention leather sofas, free wireless, local periodicals, and lemurs.






























Then we are off to another reception, this time @ the biggest house in Perry. 4 floors, 9,000+ square feet. The decor: zebra rugs, animal heads, and crocs. Lots of 'em. Republicans live here. We meet the high school band director, the minister, the mayor, the school superintendent, and a man who works at the local piggery - or rather, the de-piggery. "We deconstruct the pigs there," he says. He offers to give us a tour of the facility. We politely decline.



Thursday, June 8

Morning demo & workshop at a youth correctional facility/school. The students are all teenage boys and are incredibly respectful & well-behaved. I make a list of JT kids who might benefit from enrollment.

Another afternoon workshop with middle school students. But first: we have early lunch in the middle school cafeteria. Hot dogs, tater tots, chocolate milk, & flashbacks.







Afterwards, snacks @ the Highland Elk coffee shop. Meatloaf sandwiches, curried chicken salad, chocolate truffles, and nice coffee. Am ready to move in.

An evening teaser performance. We play in a courtyard of sorts, next to the hotel. Among the audience members is a Chinese kid, whose family (the Wongs, formerly of Milpitas) owns the Mandarin Cafe, the only asian restaurant in town. We promise to have lunch there the following day.

We go back to the Highland Elk for dinner. I really have no idea how such a beautiful place survives in a small town like this, but here's hoping it stays open forever. Trish & I get there early, so we start with martinis: green apple for me, and citrus for her. Kanpai. Those disappear quickly, so we order more: I get an almond joy 'tini, Trish gets a creamsicle 'tini. Happy birthday to me!

Dinner: I taste Trish's heirloom tomato & fresh mozz salad. We split the orange-glazed salmon (with wild rice & asparagus) and crab cakes (all crab, no filler). Everything is tasty.











The day ends @ the bowling alley. Because it's my birthday & everyone has to do what I say, Ron (one of our Hancher chaperones) & Dan (his partner) have to bowl a game with us. They are good sports.