I've been to a lot of movie theaters in my life... Big, sprawling, stadium seating theaters with…read morechandeliers and surround sound. I've been to the El Capitan on a premiere night. The theatre I grew up with had 20 screens, and it was surrounded by a plaza of food and activities. Gladbrook theater is still the coolest movie theater I've ever been to. Ever. Yeah, I suppose you could say it's because it was novel to me. It was cute and quaint, and the fact that it only shows one movie at a time is funny... but that's not what was so cool. What's cool is that the little town in the middle of corn fields and air decided they wanted a theater, and they did it. It's run by volunteers, and it's probably only frequented by the people who live near the town, but it's awesome. The place was clean, the snacks were cheap, and the movie selection for the night I was in town was perfect. I saw Wreck It Ralph in a little theater on a cold snowy night in Gladbrook, Iowa, with my boyfriend and two other awesome guys, one of whom was wearing a Teemo hat. Pretty great memory, I should think. I do think, in fact. If you live near here and you haven't stopped by, you really should. This place is great and definitely needs to be supported.

Center Grove Orchard was such a fun place to be this past fall, and in years past. There is so much…read moreto do, you really can make a full day visit. Lost of farm animals to check out, tons of kids activities, a huge pumpkin patch, an apple grove where you can pick your own apples, a train to ride, a corn maze, and a market where there are farm made jams, jellies, peanut butter, honey, baked goods and more. There were also signs up saying there will be strawberry picking in the summer, and they also have fields of flowers in the appropriate seasons. They are striving to make their farm a year-round destination.

My biggest gripe was that this is a family centered destination and there is nowhere for nursing…read moremothers to feed their babies? A worker suggested I feed my baby in a port a potty. I had to go all the way back to the car to feed her. :( A lot of the food stops are closed at the end if the season. The funnel cake place wasn't taking orders because they set the oil too low or something and couldn't give a clear time they would be ready. However! There were some cute photo stops and my kid had a blast in the big corn pool I have never seen anything like it. They also have the BEST applesauce I have ever had.

What a cool little museum tucked away in Gladbrook. It would be easy to overlook, but is certainly…read moreworth a stop. The variety of sculptures made of matchsticks in the museum is cool, and from reading the materials and pictures there, it also makes me want to check out some of the artists other works that are held at Ripley's locations. The detail of the work and sheer volume of pieces in each of these is stunning.

Let me just say from the get-go, I was not looking forward to visiting this place. We went to…read moreappease a relative the day after Thanksgiving. It was a 45 minute drive. I wanted to veg. But, it was a cool spot. I'm not sure there's anything else to see in town (but we were told that the little grocery store was giving away free ice cream). Amazing stuff here. I have no idea how he does the carvings (like on the capitol complex cornices). I would recommend and I did have to eat my words.

This is such a fun place with a wide variety of entertainment. Larry is so thoughtful of the…read morecommunity and the people especially during the Covid19 crisis. Twice now they have offered free popcorn for family movie nights offering curb side pick up and delivery. He and Amber Olson have also found a way to honor the 2020 NHS graduates since school has gone online for the rest of the year. Kudos to Larry and friends at the Talent Factory!

I took my 6 year old granddaughter as a birthday gift. They picked the perfect horse for her to…read moreride. They were extremely patient explaining everything to her and making sure she was comfortable. From start to finish it was a fantastic experience for her.Said her favorite part was Everything! And she can't wait to go again. Thank you Ladies for giving us a great experience and the best day ever

Buyer Beware - Disappointing & Unprofessional Experience We…read morehad a very frustrating experience with this trail ride service and want to share so others can make an informed decision. My husband, my 4-year-old, and I booked a trail ride. On the intake paperwork, we clearly noted that it would be my husband's first time riding. The plan was for me to ride with my child on a horse named Tilly, and my husband to ride Millie. When we arrived, both horses were visibly agitated and not cooperating. Tilly, the horse I was supposed to ride with my child, was acting skittish and did not seem comfortable being ridden that day. For safety reasons, the owner canceled the ride--which we completely understood and supported. However, there were several concerns leading up to that point: My husband (a first-time rider) was assigned a horse we were later told had never been used on a trail ride before Both horses appeared unsettled, which made the situation feel unsafe from the start The owner seemed visibly stressed, was raising her voice, and spoke sharply to her employees, who appeared uncomfortable and intimidated Instructions were unclear and inconsistent, and we were not properly guided through how to handle the horses The business advertises a 15-20 minute riding lesson prior to the trail ride, but the instruction provided was minimal and not clearly explained When I struggled to direct the horse, it felt like the blame was placed on me rather than providing proper guidance Helmets provided were extremely dirty, with caked-on dirt and no indication they had been cleaned or sanitized, raising concerns about basic hygiene and safety After canceling, the owner verbally told me twice that I would receive a full refund via Venmo by the end of the day. Unfortunately, that refund was never sent. Instead, after we left, I received a message offering riding lessons (minus a cancellation fee). To be clear: We did not cancel--the business did We did not agree to lessons as a substitute We did not agree to any partial refund or cancellation fee A full refund had already been clearly promised This experience left us disappointed, uncomfortable, and out money for a service that was never provided. It also felt like the situation was unfairly shifted onto us, despite the cancellation being initiated by the business. I recommend asking detailed questions about horse experience, safety protocols, instruction quality, sanitation practices, and refund policies before booking.

Sun warmed fresh berries. Yes, Please!…read more We checked the website before hand. Blueberries, Cherries, gooseberries, currents and more were all ready for our choosing. You don't need a container cause they will supply you with a bucket. Keep in mind you are picking your own berries in bulk. We took the drive out from Ames and south of Nevada to check it out. They normally bring their berries to the Saturday morning Farmers Market but we were on an adventure. We stopped at the main little station and got the skinny on what to expect. The gentleman was blunt and straight up. We got a map, told where to go and what to do. This place is huge. Lots and lots of berries to be picked, but we were most excited about the blueberries. We had arrived in the perfect time as there were many to be had. It was a very warm early July day and the sun was high and berries ripped to be picked. My Mom and I parked and walked far out into the patch. We found some really decent sized berries and enjoyed the peace as we collected our bounty. I love that I know exactly where my food is coming from and I can even taste the product before committing to the plant. We made our way back to have our selection weighed and paid. There is also a little shop you can stop in and have a treat made from the berries on the property. I couldn't keep my hands out of my blueberries on the way home. I thought they tasted delicious. I would recommend this to anyone who is out for something a little different. The kids would really enjoy helping pick whatever you could desire. I thought it was interesting cause I will be honest and did not realize how a blueberry bush grew and learned something by visiting and taking on this new experience. Now I am just imaging all the different ways to eat my berries!

I purchased apples and one jam. I realized on the way home, I was charged for 2. I have called…read moretwice to get either a refund on my credit card or a check mailed to me. The first phone call, the guy said aren't you coming back? Then he said you can drive here and we will give you the cash. I said it will cost more to drive than the $8.00 dispute. He was going to try to figure out how to credit my card because he saw the transaction and if he couldn't he would call me back. Never received a credit or a phone call. I called again and he will send the check someday. What kind of business is this??? The apples were rotted even though I looked carefully at what I was picking. Stay away from this bad business.

Another off the beaten path garden center. Beautiful view and a charming setting on the farm…read more Plants are well taken care of and you will surely find something you want to add to your garden.

While attending ArtsLab, with the Iowa Arts Council and Midwest Arts, I briefly became with this…read morevenue and was excited to finally get an opportunity to visit this last Saturday night. One of my favorite musical groups, The Kay Brothers, were putting on a concert. The concert itself was terrific...especially because The Burney Sisters were with them. The venue is impressive. I know they experienced severe tornado damage and have rebuilt. For a small town theater/event center, the Orpheum is really lovely and they have done an incredible job restoring it. My party's only concerns were minor. The ladies room seemed to only have cold water for hand washing and the venue seemed a little confusing with two events going on at once. That was address by Bob when he introduced the act. Goodness, who wouldn't expect hiccups with the obstacles they have faced to rebuild? We will be back for more.