My GPS is a Bitch and Its Sandwich Saturday

I’m pretty sure the British woman who speaks to me through my GPS has no idea where she is going in Des Moines. She keeps getting me lost and then I have to turn around. We aren’t on very good terms and I bet the fact that I’ve told her to STFU* and called her a bitch a few times doesn’t help matters. She is probably retaliating against me and telling me to “Turn Left” at the very last minute on purpose so I will be forced to take a detour. I have started to catch on to the downtown area quite a bit though and with a little bit of guidance from the Brit Bitch and my own general knowledge I managed to find the following spots today:

• Downtown Des Moines Farmer’s Market: I already wrote about it. Click here to read that post.
• My hotel: That is always a good thing when you can find your way back to your hotel!
• Gray’s Lake Park: What a super cool spot to go for a jog! I saw people jogging, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, sail boating, and doing yoga all around this lake. I always try to squeeze in a run when I travel so I can say “Oh yeah I’ve jogged in name-your-city-or-state-here. Its a short list, but its growing.)
• A Grocery Store (I wanted to buy a pack of bottled water to rehydrate and have extra at the hotel room. So much cheaper than hotel bottled water. And I’m in a suite so I have the luxury of a mini fridge to keep things cool.
• Palmer’s Deli & Market: Its Sandwich Saturday y’all! You didn’t think I forgot, did you?!?!? Of course not and I’m going to tell you all about it after I finish my list of places I’ve found with our without the GPS.
• Pappajohn Sculpture Park: Right smack in downtown Des Moines, it takes up an entire city block and had a variety of sculptures. There is no pizza at this park. Just an FYI in case you were slightly curious, as I was.
• My hotel: Again. You are a sure winner when you can find your hotel.

So after the farmer’s market, I went for a jog. After the jog, I bought some water. After the water, I went to the deli. After the deli I headed to the sculpture park with lunch in tote.

Palmer’s Deli makes a mean sandwich!! And pasta salad! I got the Cowboy specialty sandwich: roast beef, red onion, cheddar and pepper jack cheese, with western dressing on marble rye. I asked the guy making my sandwich about the “western dressing” and he said “I think its French dressing.” Hmm. French dressing. On a sandwich. That sounded weird but I figured if it sucked no one would ever order the Cowboy and it wouldn’t be on the menu. So I went for it. I think it really was French dressing. And I was surprised at how good it combined with the other flavors on the sandwich. Plus I was pleased that it was French dressing … in Des Moines. Since I’ve been saying Des Moines in French all weekend. It was meant to be.

Joyeux Tartine Samedi from Des Moines! (Happy Sandwich Saturday from Des Moines!)

* For those who are not aware, STFU stands for Shut The Fuck Up. Its just a nicer way of saying it and I hope my British Bitch inside the GPS understands that I’m trying to be nice to her.