Gym Mom Favorites in Ames

This summer when I wasn’t on the road I spent a pretty significant amount of time being a gym mom. One of the highlights of my summer, I thought I’d create a list of what made it so awesome. I came up with six things that made my gym mom time pretty epic, and that I think you would enjoy if you had some time to kill in Ames

1.   West Towne Pub. There aren’t a ton of places to eat in west Ames, but West Towne Pub is conveniently located and has delicious appetizers. I enjoyed more than one Bloody Mary there this summer, which I would definitely recommend. If you’re hungry, I recommend the jalapeno poppers or the sweet corn bites as favorites. You really can’t go wrong with cheese balls, and they have some excellent burgers! Make sure you ask for extra straws. 
2.   Sun Tan City. My lovely friends were giving me a hard time at the beginning of June for being so pale, and I while I know that it’s not the healthiest choice in the world for my skin, the 12 minutes that I spend alone and warm in the tanning bed are often a highlight of my day. Since it’s a national chain, I was able to tan while I was in Lincoln, NE for camp, and I regularly go to Ames, Mason City, and Fort Dodge because of my travel and work schedule.
3.   TJ Maxx. Shopping. I love shopping. I also love a good deal. I spent more time than my husband really would have liked stocking up on new clothes for work and working out this year. Fortunately, since it’s TJ Maxx, I was able to do this without spending a ton of money. So see, honey? It was really a smart decision to take advantage of the savings…
4.   Café Milo. Another local favorite on the west side of Ames, the large chai latte became my best friend this summer. When I was traveling I was able to start my morning with Starbucks almost every day. When I came back home my body went into shock without my morning drink. Luckily, Café Milo was there to step in. They have some good lunches, too. I had a great grilled cheese with spinach and tomato one day that I would eat again, and their breakfast sandwiches were often a staple for our mornings.
5.   Ada Hayden Park. It wouldn’t be much of a gym mom summer without putting on the miles! Walking, jogging, intervals, handstands, hiking… We find ways to make it interesting. Unfortunately we didn’t get in the kayaking that we’d hoped, so if anyone has any info on kayak rentals, you should let me know. And of course you put in the hard work of doing loops at Ada Hayden so that you can eat cheeseburgers. See #6.
6.   Odd Fellows. Several months ago, upon hearing about my obsession with “weird” cheeseburgers, one of my co-workers suggested I try Odd Fellows Burger Kitchen in north Ames (just north of the mall). I finally made it in with a fellow gym mom. I should never have waited so long. Their spicy mac and cheese cakes? Ah-may-zing. But their bacon/jalapeno/pepper jack cheese bites? I could eat them every day. And then I would ask for more. Can you tell I love appetizers? On the burger side, my favorite so far has been the Thai peanut burger, but it’s not actually on the menu. The guacamole burger is good, and I enjoyed the Elvis Presley peanut butter burger as well. I haven’t gotten up the courage to try the donut burger yet (the donut is the bun). Not because it’s scary or even weird, but because I’m not a huge donut person. Usually we'll order two different burgers that sound good, cut them in half, and share! 

Now that it’s fall and we’re back on a regular schedule, my life has to be much more focused on balancing kids and home and work, so there’s less time to “play” – but you can bet I’ll be visiting these places when I can, and I’ll definitely be back next summer! Husband would probably say I still find plenty of time to visit most of these places...