What a great small ski hill. Excellent instructors and learning environment. Not crowded. Priced…read moreright.

Only slope in Iowa pretty much. Snow is ice and runs are not long at all. They have done work to it…read morein the past year or 2. Just not enough snow in the area to make it a desirable place to board or ski.

What a great park! There are several playgrounds, gazebos, and leisure areas so you never feel…read morecrowded. It's kept very clean and well maintained. The local flower beds throughout the park are a nice touch too. Fishing in the Ioway Creek is quite fun as well. Even the wildlife says hello every now and then

Lovely park! I like to drive to this place when I feel down or have had a long day. Love to walk…read morearound, absorb in the park's beauty and have some quiet time to myself. Sometimes, I don't even get down from my car, just sit inside and look at the sunset in an amber sky and the park getting dark all of a sudden. I'll come back during summer and post better pics :)

Inis Grove Park is an all-inclusive, sprawling, castle and nature-themed playground in Ames, Iowa…read more It is vast and covers a wide age group. There is a space for infant, toddlers, and preschoolers with a rubbery ground, bridge, dome, and playhouse. Nearby is a play area with spinners, rotating climbers, see-saw, swings, and musical instruments. Furthermore to the side is a larger space for children aged 5 and beyond. There are climbing apparatus, slides of varying lengths and heights, ropes, and a scavenger hunt game that encourages children to seek out the various animals, insects, and foot tracks painted throughout the playground. On the other side of the playground is a baseball field and several tennis courts. We were visiting from out of town but otherwise, we could've easily spent two hours here so that our girls could spend time in the playground and the tennis courts.

This is mainly a review of the Miracle Park playground:…read more What is the Miracle? Well, let me tell you. Every time I come here with my toddler he cries and yells at me every time we have to leave. It is the playground equivalent of a womb, I suppose. The real Miracle, though, is what it does to his digestive system. I don't know how this works, but every. single. time. we're here he goes #2 and needs a new diaper. I know that's not where you were expecting this review to go, but parents: if you're little one is maybe Not as Productive as he/she/they should be, then this is the spot (apparently). Oh and it's also a really beautiful playground! The music play equipment is sounds wonderful. The big multi-level play area is awesome. We have tons of fun here every time. Also: DID YOU KNOW there is a "secret" playground just around the bushes? This was a bizarre discovery, especially since that other playground is a little wild and kinda unfinished and maybe a bit dangerous but It's Also OK because with supervision you can have a lot of fun over there, too.

My daughter started coming to the Y Camp when she was in single digits with Camp Hertko Hollow (for…read morekids with T1D)... A few years ago she started signing up for their LDP program. First VIP then LA and finally CIT. Now at 17 she is employed as a Leader. She's leading younger kids through their overnight, day, and family camp programs. Along with things coming full circle and helping the kids coming in for Camp Hertko Hollow. I'm pretty proud of her. As a parent I've worked with the staff here for over a decade watching my daughter grow up partly under their care... I've watched her build friendships that don't just last a summer... They get together at each other's homes during the school year too...and if that's not possible thanks to technology they still keep in touch one way or another. We live close enough she still comes home now and then after camp breaks on Saturday and returns before it resumes on Sunday. She came home last weekend for a day and brought two car loads of kids with her. I believe they participate in the IENA program... Kind of an exchange program with international and North American camp leaders. I only got to meet a few of them. Two of her friends were from Ireland and one was from the UK. That was different...and fun! All great kids! The facilities are modern and kept up to date with periodic remodels. It's sure not the tent camping I was used to with Scouts. Now don't get me wrong... It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows. Things happen with kids... Kids get homesick and some minor accidents etc. come with the territory. The staff here always deals with it well and involves the parents when needed. As a parent it can be kind of hard to let go and start to give your child that freedom... But I trust the staff and I know she's always been in a good place here.

Stayed at the Y Camp for Pollinate Women's Wellness Weekend on Oct. 9-13 and it was lovely. Aside…read morefrom the outstanding programming of the Pollinate organizers, the facilities were amazing. The cabins were cozy and warm, almost all indoor spaces had a fireplace, the bathrooms were clean, the showers had hot water and the staff were friendly and helpful. Although the cold eliminated some water activities, there was still a ton to do. They offered archery, zip lining, guided hikes, climbing walls, horse back riding, sling shotting, arts and crafts, and a hammock farm! The meals were tasty and the dining hall was comfortable. The grounds felt safe and offered views of a creek and the Boone railway. There were plenty of spaces to just relax in nature and while the campgrounds are huge, most of the facilities are easily within a 5 minute walk of each other. I would love to return for family camp, or to send the kids for one of their many summer camp options. If you are looking for a place to host a family reunion, wedding, or event, I recommend checking them out. They have a space for almost any kind of event and their prices are very reasonable.

Great place to go. I come here for hockey a lot and sometimes for stating. Its a great place to…read morelearn and practice

This is a relatively small ice arena with one sheet of ice. The rink is managed by the university,…read moreand is in really nice condition. They have plenty of locker rooms and the ice is beautiful to skate on. If you are here to watch a hockey game, there is plenty of seating and it is basically all bleachers. They have a small snack bar and clean restrooms. If you are here for skating, they have skate rental, learn to skate programs, open skate, drop-in hockey, youth hockey and of course the ISU club team. Parking can get crowded, and it can be chilly inside, so plan accordingly. They do take credit and debit cards, and you can find their schedule here: https://www.cityofames.org/home/showdocument?id=50982

We had our college retreats here and it was great!! Very accommodating and the staff was very…read morehelpful! Perfect for any size group and has different kinds of housing for all of your people. I believe most of the camp is wheelchair accessible as well.

I grew up at this camp. Spending a week as a camper there from as long as I could remember till I…read morewas a teenager. Then I started to work for the camp and worked there through high school and college years. It was such a blessing on my life and forever shaped my life. I don't think I ever made any better friends than I did at Hidden Acres. I will never forget my time spent there, nor the friends I made.

What a wonderful find! We were in town for parents weekend and looking for an activity to do. Love,…read morelove, love this place! The owner was incredibly welcoming and nice, the puzzles were creative, intriguing, and several were even homemade. Very creative and fun, we will definitely be back!

This is just the beginning for this company, I believe. The gentleman who runs this was super…read morefriendly! The price seemed a little high, but I'm sure it's normal for this type of night out. This was our first time (group of 4) doing an Escape Room, and it was overall a very good experience! We will be going back to try out the other option soon. Family friendly and totally PG! Fun night out. We did the Teacher's Pet experience.

It's a large and open space, separate spaces for large dogs and small dogs, but wow there's no…read morepolicing of the 'pick up your dog's crap' rule. For an expensive town and a park that requires a membership fee.....whew....

This regularly-tended dog park offers a place for Ames residents to let their dogs run and play…read moreoff-leash. There is a 2-acre fenced area for small dogs and an 8-acre fenced area for large dogs, so if you have a puppy or a small breed, you don't have to worry about your little guy getting trampled or roughed up by rambunctious big dogs (and if you have a big dog, you don't have to follow her around and constantly stop her from pinning that beagle/shih tzu/etc). There are multiple water fountains (near the entrance, further out into the large dog area) and always a fresh supply of mutt mitts. There are disposal units for full mutt mitts at various spots in the park, though the ones further from the entrance tend to fill up pretty quickly. There is a paved loop in the larger section for walking around the park while your dog plays, with multiple benches along the route. If you don't bring a toy with you, you'll probably be able to find old tennis balls or a frisbee lying around. This place has a friendly community vibe, complete with regulars (both dog and human), like the man and his developmentally-disabled son who come out on hot afternoons with big buckets that they fill with fresh water for the dogs. We've met lots of nice dog-people during our time at this park, though to be honest we usually know their dogs' names long before we learn the humans' names!