Last weekend’s mission sounded simple enough — take my daughter her new phone up at Iowa State University. Her camera had quit working, and between all the research, QR codes, and random college adventures, she swore she couldn’t live without it.
At first, I thought, how big of a deal is a camera? But it turns out she was right. Everything on campus is a QR code now — menus, schedules, even class info. Without a camera, you’re basically invisible in college.
Of course, in true college-town fashion, every store in Ames was sold out of the brand-new iPhone 17.
(And seriously, can Apple just drop the “fastest phone ever with a better battery” line? No kidding, Sherlock — no one’s out there asking for a slower phone with worse battery life.)
So, I ordered the phone myself, waited a week, and planned a trip up to Ames.
🎓 The Great Hotel Hunt
Game weekend in Ames meant hotel prices were higher than my blood pressure during tax season. Everything decent was booked or priced like Super Bowl tickets.
So I widened the search and found a room at TRU by Hilton in Ankeny — about $100 cheaper. I wasn’t expecting much, but I’ll say this: pleasant surprise doesn’t even cover it.
Clean, modern, friendly staff, pool table, outdoor grills — the kind of place that makes you rethink “budget hotel.” Big win.
🍽️ Fish Instead of Pizza
I texted my daughter asking what she wanted for dinner, fully expecting the answer “pizza.” Nope. She said “fish.”
So there went my pizza dreams, and into Google I went. Before she was done with her game, my wife and I hung out at the hotel bar and met Riley, the bartender/manager — super nice guy. He highly recommended District 36 for fish.
Before heading there, though, we hit up a local Goodwill (because yes, we flip items — it’s a hobby and an adventure) and the biggest Target I’ve ever seen to grab a phone case and screen protector.
Dinner did not disappoint. I ordered the sea bass with avocado salsa, and it was absolutely amazing.
Perfectly cooked, fresh, flavorful — one of those meals that sticks with you. We laughed, talked, and caught up with my daughter before heading back to the hotel to get her new phone set up.
☕ Breakfast Club & Back to Ames
Riley mentioned he also worked at a breakfast spot called The Breakfast Club, so we decided to check it out the next morning. Great call.
The place had this fun, retro-tech vibe — almost like an MTV Max Headroom throwback mixed with modern brunch energy. Fantastic food, awesome service, and just the right amount of weird to make it memorable.
🌍 Ghana, Giving Back, and Going Home
After breakfast, we headed back to Ames for a Ghana speaking event my daughter was involved in through her civil engineering program. It’s part of a mission-style project helping bring sustainable infrastructure solutions to communities in Ghana. Seeing her passion and purpose in that work made the whole trip even more worth it.
We wrapped up the weekend with some great Mexican food, a lot of laughs, and a full heart.
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