Nook & Nest is a cute little gift store on Main Street in Ames. Compared to other downtowns in Iowa, Ames is in pretty good shape with this store, Dog Eared Books, Cafe Diem (coffee), Oak Lane Candle, a couple decent restaurants and bars, and other businesses lining the boulevard. There's free parking in the lot next to the railroad tracks, so wandering around is a pretty easy and pleasant proposition.
Although Nook & Nest features an interesting selection of home goods, I was drawn to the paper, including notebooks and cards from Moglea of Des Moines, and various other brands that would fill anyone's greeting card, writing, listing, habit tracking, and/or planning needs. I'm now stocked up for awhile (and with more than I really need), but when I return to Ames in a few months, who knows? read more