The capital city of Iowa, Des Moines, comes with a rather interesting story regarding its name. No one really knows the origin of it, although it is widely accepted that the name was taken from the Des Moines River. It is assumed that the river was named after an American Indian tribe called the Moingonas. Some other ideas all also around, but the Moingonas seems to be the one most people accept.
When visiting Des Moines, the origin of the name will not have any effect on the reasons for the visit, but is interesting to know. One of the reasons for a visit might be Terrace Hill. This National Historic Landmark is also the residence for the Iowa Governor. Tours are conducted daily, excluding Sundays and Mondays.
Something that is a must see if someone is in the area, is the Science Centre of Iowa and the Blank IMAX Dome Theater. It covers a total of 110,000 square feet including fantastic interactive experiences for everyone, no matter what age.
Some of the other attractions in Des Moines are the West Capitol Terrace, State Capitol Building, Des Moines Botanical Garden, Blank Park Zoo, Great Ape Trust of Iowa, East Village and neighboring Des Moines is Adventure Land Park.
According to The Chicago Tribune, Des Moines has ‘walker friendly downtown streets’ and if a visitor feels more adventurous then they also have the option to use the free D-Line shuttle or make use of the normal bus system. Visitors will also find all the major car rental agencies here as well as the familiar Yellow Cab and Capitol taxi systems. You can choose between Thrifty, Budget, Avis, Hertz, and National car rental as your choice for a car rental and they range from sub compacts to luxury sedans. Cheap car rental in Des Moines is available here.