Fun at the Iowa Speedway Corn Indy 250!

I had so many fun adventures this past summer. Now that the kids are back in school, it is fun to reminisce and write about them. Back in June, my daughter and I were whisked off to Iowa to spend the weekend in Des Moines and attend the Iowa Speedway Corn Indy 250. We had never been to an Indy car race so this was an experience to remember. This trip was arranged by the Iowa Corn Grower’s Association who paid for our travel, meals and provided us with tickets to the race. Throughout the weekend, we were able to visit the Des Moines Farmers Market, attend pre- race events and interact with over 2500 Iowa farmers and their families. One highlight of the weekend was meeting the farmers personally and seeing how dedicated they were.

Besides playing a big role in the food industry, corn is used to produce ethanol. I don't know a lot about the politics that surround ethanol but I love the enthusiasm of these farmers and their efforts to rid our country of dependence on foreign oil. The whole weekend raised my awareness and really made me want to know more about the politics and issues. I did find out that one bushel of corn produces 3 gallons of ethanol. The fields and fields of corn in Iowa could really give us some energy independence. All the cars in this Indy 250 race run on ethanol and that has to say something about this energy! If you would like to learn more on ethanol, click HERE. It is is a good place to start.

Even though it was a rainy Saturday, we trudged through the weather to see the Des Moines Farmers market. It was worth every rain drop that fell on my sloshy sneakers. This market was one of the biggest I've ever seen and the variety of product was amazing. They had so many farm vendors to see and I wish I could have stuffed some of the produce in my suitcase to take home with me. Besides the endless selections of fresh produce,they had baked goods, delicious cheese and meats, fresh eggs, sweet and salty nuts, buttery popcorn, pottery and many other hand made items. Here is some of the vendors we browsed by.

After shopping at the market, it was race time. Luckily the weather cleared up for us to enjoy the day. We loved getting a close up of the race car drivers and being allowed in the pit areas.   It was great to get a behind the scenes look at a race track.

It was interesting to learn about the safety of the cars at the event. A lot of time, work and effort go into making sure both the cars and drivers are safe. 

It was great to spend quality time with my daughter. She loved being at the racetrack.

I also was able to see some of my blogging friends and spend some great time with them. Here is Susan from Doughmesstic and her husband John.

All in all, we had a fabulous weekend and thank the Iowa Corn Growers Association for this trip. We loved the Iowa hospitality!