It’s Totes Summer

And with the sunshine comes shopping in Valley Junction

It’s been said that you could visit the Louvre Museum in Paris every day of your life to see one piece of art each time and over the course of an entire lifetime
have never seen it all. Historic Valley Junction, that darling little neighborhood that looks like a picturesque postcard of Main Street USA centered between what we consider downtown Des Moines and West Des Moines, feels a little bit like that.

The comparison may seem a bit outlandish but bear with me.

The first time I decided to “spend the morning” in this district, it turned into an entire day of amazing food, delightful shops and hours full of belly laugh conversations with shop owners.

By the time I got home, I had eaten three meals and a snack. If you’re a fan of brunch, you’ve got to order the Benedict George at G. Mig’s, the eatery owned by former Wakonda Club veteran chef George Migliero. I would also suggest Heavenly Asian Cuisine & Lounge for a little Shanghai steam bun action. And you should definitely love yourself enough to eat the healthy Acai sorbet at Acai Bowl
to prep for a dinnertime splurge, because you’re absolutely going to want to drop into Cooper’s on 5th to dig into a big, juicy burger. The Cielo, pronounced chey-lo, costs a buck more than a meal at Burger King and has roasted red peppers with grilled onions atop an enormous Parmesan herb cheese crisp that grips the patty and a layer of herbed whipped mayo so good you won’t be able to talk to
your date. You’ll also not want to share your fries. I know I didn’t.

I had also shopped until I dropped. My feet hurt from walking and my fingers felt numb from holding all of my shopping bags, but I didn’t care because I was too busy gnawing on a homemade caramel pretzel stick I had picked up at Nan’s
Nummies and trying to distract myself from thinking about the beautiful painting I had seen at Kavanaugh Art Gallery or the insanely gorgeous, one-of-a-kind and unique jewelry at 2AU Limited.

I laid out my treasures from a day’s worth of shopping and smiled. My purchases were so varied and different that every one of my multiple personalities was satisfied. The vintage glassware from Bungalow will be fantastic for my next dinner party, and my mother will love the scarf I found at Atomic Garage. I giggle to know my sister will probably fight me for the cameo pin I picked up at A Okay Antiques.

While I have an appreciation for the old, I do crave the new, like the on-trend clothing in the shops. Some of my fave boutiques include Metro Market, The Vinyl Studio, Cindy’s Boutique and Sassy’s. But I can’t leave Sisters in the Junction off the list because the gals in that shop had me laughing so hard I cried a little.

The clothes I found beg to be worn to a lawn party or maybe the Valley Junction Farmers Market and Music in the Junction next Thursday, when more than 100 vendors will take over the streets to sell produce, baked goods, crafts and flowers, while music pumps through the speakers in the beer garden. The event happens each week all summer long, so I know I’ll get some wear out of my new
threads.

I’ll be back to this area. I spent 9 hours on that 2-block radius and feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface. Visit www.valleyjunction.com to learn more and plan your day in the VJ. ♦