What a fun place! One of the last open air skating rinks in the country .. in the world? Really…read morenice campsites and grounds. But, the skating rink! It is so cool!

A beautiful campground, just the right distance away from home…read more Lots of electric sites with easy access. There is a Lake, there is two sides to said Lake. No matter which side you pick to camp on you are going to be close enough to walk to the middle. Or somewhere where there is water to fish in. In the middle is beach area. You can swim at the beach. You can get snacks at the snack house or you can get a paddle boat, kayak, or canoe and rent from the snack house. (They have ice cream too) There is a is even a wood floor skating rink! This was my favorite thing. I am a grown woman and I still love to skate. They pull up the window shutters and play music you can hear all the way out to your camper if you are on the waters edge. We took advantage of their Frisbee course. Its a smaller one, but it was set up nice and a perfect size to teach my parents how to play Frisbee golf. There is a golf cart that comes around in the evenings selling firewood and ice. What a fantastic idea. We only wished there was a little better signage or maybe another dump station. We only located one to fill up and dump for this big campground. I will be back. FYI- this was new. The local golf course was offering free golfing to campers. So it was purchase 9 holes get 9 free for the campers here. They don't have rental clubs yet, so you'll want to bring your own.

Moore Memorial Park is a short walking distance from my parent's home in northern Ames. The park is…read morenamed for Fern and Bertha Moore who operated a dairy farm here and donated their 90 acres of land to the City of Ames. It is said that Bertha Moore would enjoy negotiating with developers who tried to buy her valuable land that was (and is) located next to the golf course. She would hear them out, bargain, and then decline. In her will, she was always clear that she wanted the future use of her land as a place where children could play. During our recent family trip back to Ames, my son enjoyed wandering off to this Park and I'm sure would thank Bertha Moore if he could. He admires the pond, walks the paths that loop around, sits in the grass playing his Nintendo DS, sits and talks with his Dad and Grandparents on a park bench, and climbs up the observation tower with his cousins. In his younger days, he would enjoy himself for hours at the play structure. As I walk the loop myself, I particular enjoy the old farm buildings (silo and a machine shed), the trees, the Big Bluestem Shelter, and the acres of prairie grasses and wildflowers. This place is not as big as Ada Hayden, but it is my neighbourhood park and I'm sure that I will continue to enjoy the handsome layout and its many relaxing features.

Short on time but need to get back to nature? The Skunk River Green Belt is one of the best hidden…read moresecrets in the Ames area. Located just south of Story City this trail is a great place to take your dogs for a brisk hike. Although you can hear the traffic of the Interstate located less than a mile away you will see a lot of amazing wildlife and immerse yourself in dense, old growth forest that follows the Skunk River. There's an active beaver pond on one of the trail loops. There are large patches of native prairie that have a small maintained grass trail that meanders through it. I can personally verify that I have seen turkeys, coyotes and deer along with a great variety of winged creatures. This trail is best in the spring and fall, as the mosquitoes can get downright nasty in the summer months. The trail is a public-private partnership with easements. You'll walk through gated areas and may encounter a gregarious herd of cattle. It is possible to take a fortified 10-mile hike all the way to the Story County Conservation center if you're willing to walk considerable distances on rural gravel roads. The middle section of the trail "Bear Creek" is accessible from the southbound I-35 rest stop and has a scenic suspended bridge that crosses the namesake creek. Take a wonderful hike, then take a short drive north to Story City to grab a bite at the wonderful local restaurants.

Great service! Our group of 5 agree. Our hamburgers, fish, pizza burgers, cheese balls and cheese…read moresticks were delicious!

We love this carousel. Unfortunately we didn't see the signs on Hwy 35 that used to advertise the…read morecarousel. We thought it had closed. It is happily still open and only $1. Stop by and help save the carousel. Only a few minutes off the freeway.

Gayle and I recently took a spin on the historical 1913 antique carousel. It was spinning during…read morethese summer months and for a $1 per ride, it's a heck-of-a deal. The merry-go-round is run by friendly volunteers and it's a time warp of the best kind.

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.

Pretty pretty park! Has ample parking spots and the long trail. I keep visiting this park at least…read moreonce in 2 weeks. Easy to locate and located in the perfect neighborhood.

Charles and June Calhoun park is our newest park. It features a small shelter, paved parking lot…read moreand access to the south side of Ada Hayden Heritage Park. In fact, this is where Gayle and I parked when we recently took a long "Figure 8" walk around Ada Hayden. The new park is definitely a work in progress and the nearby vehicle-based business somewhat detracts from its potential full beauty.

This park is awesome! Most use it as alternative trail head to walk the loop around Ada Hayden…read morePark. The figure 8 is 3.2 miles. Its easy to find my walking buddies because its a small lot. There is a very nice looking gazebo, so it would be great for small gathering. There is only 1 drawback, the parking lot was designed by someone that thought water runs uphill so the NW corner of the parking lot floods when it rains or snow melts. Also, watch out for cars traveling fast along Dawes drive as you cross over to the walking path.