This past weekend was full of music, laughter, food, drink, and laughter! A while back, I discovered that Ramona Falls (one of my favorites!) would be playing in Iowa City. It also happened to be the perfect excuse for my guy friend D and I to venture east to visit a couple friends G and M who live there. So Friday afternoon we packed up and hit the road toward Iowa City. We picked up G in his town, checked into the hotel, and went out for some pre-concert pizza and beers. M joined us at supper and we all took the bus to downtown Iowa City. The concert was amazing! Everything I hoped it would be and more! (I'll do a separate post on Ramona Falls soonly.) They opened with "I Say Fever," which began my night perfectly! The concert venue was pretty intimate so M and I got real close to the stage. And afterward (as you can see above) we snapped some pics with the band.
We also got a pic with Brent Knopf, the creative, musical talent behind the Ramona Falls project. His voice is even more amazing in person. And when he performs, you can just see in his eyes how immersed he is in the music and how much he is enjoying making the music. Gahhh! I still can't believe I saw them in concert. I was on cloud nine the entire time.
Oh! Earlier this week I sought your fashion advice regarding what to wear to the concert. I ended up going with my faux leather leggings, an oversized white tee, and short brown boots. I accessorized with a gold locket, lots of rings, and some gold chandelier earrings. I also wore my red leather jacket and diy handwritten scarf to keep warm when walking from place to place. After the concert, M showed G, D, and me around Iowa City and her favorite couple of bars. We caught a taxi back to the hotel and proceeded to snack and watch tv.
This is where it got really funny! At the end of the night as we got ready for bed, I asked the guys to take the art off the walls that was hanging over the beds. (I have this weird fear of a picture falling on my head during my sleep.) They obliged and D took the first painting down and then the other. What we found was shocking, hilarious, and a little creepy! Behind one picture someone had scribed "Massacre macbre or die." And behind the other was written "Rainbow fires!" Haha. We had a good laugh and then fell asleep.
Saturday we got up, got around, ate breakfast, then lounged around in the hotel for a bit. Then we drove back downtown so M could take us around to the daytime attractions. First we hit up a fabulous store called Ragstock, which was full of new and vintage clothing and accessories for dirt-cheap prices. Seriously. That store and me are a match made in shopping heaven. I didn't buy anything on the visit, but I'll definitely be going back. Other highlights include browsing a record store, grabbing Chinese for lunch, and hanging out a bit in the Ped Mall.
When we were done downtown, the guys and I headed back to G's place in a nearby town. We chilled out for a bit and then loaded up in G's truck to head to the Amana Colonies... taking the back gravel roads so that G could teach me and D to drive a stick shift. I'm happy to say that I didn't kill it once... and I'm confident that I could drive it again. :) We met some friendly dogs going down the road that ran alongside the truck until we stopped and tried to shoo them away to be safe they wouldn't get under the tires. The pooches were soo cute! When we got to the Amanas, we sampled some rhubarb and peach wine at Ackerman Winery. Then we headed to Millstream Brewery to try some beers. I went with Back Road Stout (the dark one up above) and it was so smooth, rich, and delicious. G drank Schild Brau Amber and D had Windmill Wheat. Our short visit to the Amanas just wasn't enough... I want to go back and spend an entire day moseying around the historic villages.
After the brewery, we headed back to G's place. We relaxed and watched movies for a while until M came over. Then G whipped out his amazing chef skills to make guacamole and enchiladas while we all sipped on margaritas. More movies and lots of goofing around followed.
D and I left yesterday afternoon---slightly delayed by an ice storm---and returned to good ol' Ames. (Although I must say that Iowa City left such an impression on me that I'm sorta bummed to be back and already missing M and G.)
It was such a great weekend spent with friends!
