I came in to pick up a firearms purchase permit and it was so simple. The form was online, then…read morethey did the background check and after a few weeks you received an email that your permit was ready for pick up as well as a text if your opted in. The staff was super friendly and it only took just a few minutes for them to look up my information and snap a quick picture and I was out the door. The office is easy to find with plenty of parking. Way easier than my home town's processes.

Friendliest front office staff in all 99 counties. Quick stop to renew permit- staff is helpful! I…read morecould have done it online- which I did not know, but no complaint here.

Don't bother making an appointment, you'll still wait at least an hour. Staff is extremely slow and…read moreunhelpful.

It always feels like a chore to go renew your license, but since covid, they started implementing…read morean appointment system which makes the process so much better! No frustratingly long lines and unpredictable wait times. It does require quite a bit of preplanning though, as they are booked several weeks in advance.

When I first moved to the Des Moines metro I lived in the Sherman Hill area and then pretty much…read moremoved to the West side of town. But Des Moines is a pretty small city so I've spent my share of time on the North, South, and East sides too... I had a friend who needed notary services and we were trying to figure out a good place to meet up along with another party. The East Side Library came up as a possible spot. We agreed on a time. I grabbed my ledger, stamp, and a couple of pens and headed in that direction. I'd never been here before. The parking area is pretty good. It's a decent sized lot right off of Hubbell. Not near as big as West Des Moines or Urbandale... But suitable for this facility. The library itself didn't seem near as busy as some of the others in the metro. We quietly grabbed a table. I had a few minutes to look around and check things out as we were waiting for the last of our group to arrive. The East Side Library has that typical library feel to it. It reaks of organization which is unusual to me... I normally live my life in a slightly organized chaos... Lol It looked like they had a pretty good selection of books. Rosie's Ocean...their themed children's area. A fireplace nook for quiet casual reading. Computers and wifi. They appeared to have several meeting rooms available for use. After a few minutes with everyone at the table... Our business was conducted. Notarizations were completed etc. And we were on our way home. While not exactly the biggest libary in the metro... I was impressed by what I saw here! If you live in this area or are just passing through... Stop in and check the East Side Library out!

Ok yea I did a second chance entry on the vip club…read more Well I hit the small prize In the million dollar Christmas give away Second chance drawing Cool setup inside the building Bathroom on the right side The guy at the front welcome desk is the guy to help on the forms and cut the check. Super easy to claim the small prize Less than 20 min! And they have a deal with wells Fargo to cash the small checks. Well worth the drive up just to see the place! If I had more time I would to have asked for the grand tour.

Watching news..., Individuals say they are going to represent themselves. I've found, dumbest thing…read morea person can choose. I did the same one time in DSM/Polk. The judge was a total attacking Clown. Told me; You're No lawyer..., You're No lawyer. You don't know what you're doing! Etc. Just a HUGE, BIASED MOUTH. Terrible. Suffice to say, even with all my evidence..., judge yelled, No no, I choose the other side, cuz they Are a lawyer! Huh... ! So, careful going to court around here. They'll Steamroll yuh. Have a Good attorney & money !!! In my opinion, don't go to court. Tomi, Iowa.

Being a native of Iowa. Yet moving away 12 yrs ago. I have to say…read more The Midwest has many pockets where you would least expect. The high level of customer service & genuine level of kindness. The building is honestly still absolutely beautiful In it's design. People were very helpful & friendly. Now the- Clerk of Court employees. Debbie, Marsha & Albert. These 3 are God sent Angel's. I have been dealing with a matter over the phone. Via from Las Vegas, NV. From day one. I believe starting July. I have had the pleasure speaking & working with all 3 of these lovely individuals. They all listened to me. Went above and beyond their required job duties. I couldn't thank them enough. So if you are ever needing assistance from the Clerk of Court. Make sure you get one of the mentioned 3 individuals. You are definitely in good hands. I highly recommend this court house. Even if it's just to stop by & check out nothing more then all of its beauty. From the people. To its wondrous Architectural design.

We went to Iowa to get married. I did the application through the mail, as there is a three day…read morewaiting period. I called the recorders office several times before I left Austin to make sure I had everything together. The big day arrives. We show up, and, are greeted by a very friendly clerk who goes over the license with us, then sends us on our way to get married. After the Judge did his thing, we went back and got the official copy of the license on the spot. No waiting! The lady who took care of us was super friendly and knowledgeable. Thanks guys. BTW the fee for the license is only $35.

Well the only times I came here was for vehicle registration changes, property tax information, or…read moremarriage license application. I had no idea they had a section of the building known as the Heritage Gallery! This Gallery showcases art works for different occasions from different artists. They update the works every couple months I believe. When we visited, they had local high school art work showcased and it was cool checking them out! The Gallery is not that big, all you need is 15 minutes max to take a look at everything closely and read their descriptions. Of course, this is free admission! There is a staff member at the desk to the Gallery for you to ask any questions about regarding the artwork!

I wandered over hills and dale to find the mall in this suburb. But it's a built up area so it…read morewasn't like, countryside dale. It was more like Urban dale. Urbandale is a pretty typical American suburb. It's a prototype. Proto-typical, even. But in its southern area, it has some interesting neighborhoods with some older original local stuff. Also I'm a big fan of the food court in the mall, which is full of locally-owned eateries including a tamale place, and a local traditional Maid-Rite, and a gyro place, as well as a bunch of others. The Kohl's is one of the better stocked stores. The mall seems really quiet which is a shame because it's very futuristic. They were a few cute girls in here but it was largely deserted on a Thursday evening. I don't understand how most businesses in malls really make enough money to pay the rent. Nearby: I highly recommend you try the Hiland Bakery, with it's yum goodies. And Classic Custard too, for, well, Classic Custard. And the Bubble Tea at Bubbly Tea House is authentic, which is shocking for this state. Think about it. There are some good food options here as well as some bland but original and unusual local specialty foods. Such as the tenderloin, best served at B & B. Anyway if you think I'm gonna make this review any longer, you must have been smoking the Urb.

Gayle and I recently took my Dad out on a road trip from Ames to Winterset. He'd been here before,…read morebut we took him along anyway as he enjoys the ride. Our first stop along the Covered Bridges Scenic Byway was the Hogback Covered Bridge. You can't drive though this bridge, but you can get a good look from convenient parking on either side. The architecturally distinct Hogback spans about 100 feet over North River, four miles northwest of Winterset. While most of the covered bridges were named for nearby landowners, Hogback was named for the hogback ridge at the west end of the valley. It was designed with a Town lattice truss system and was enjoyable to walk through both inside and out. The 2 Covered Bridges featured in the Bridges of Madison County movie were Roseman and Holliwell.

I enjoyed stopping at Hogback Covered Bridge during a recent visit in Madison County. It's one of…read morethe bridges that is. It open to drive on, so it makes for a nice short walk to see the serene countryside. We took a gravel road there, I'm not sure that there is any other option.