Off Hours: How to spend a perfect day in Des Moines with your boyfriend

Nic Garcia, Des Moines Register
·7 min read

Hi everyone, this is Nic Garcia, the Des Moines Register’s politics editor. When I'm not working with Register reporters to help tell the story of Iowa politics, I’m selling reporter’s notebooks from my side hustle FirstDraftNotebooks.com. I started First Draft last year after the company I ordered notebooks from since I was in the sixth grade closed in 2020. I want to make sure every writer has high-quality and affordable notebooks.  

Welcome to Off Hours, your free weekly newsletter from the Des Moines Register that highlights all things fun you can do in central Iowa. If you sign up for our newsletter, you get to see this early Thursday morning in your in box.

I launched First Draft Notebooks in 2021 with two sizes of notebooks. The Reporter's Notebook is 4 inches wide by 8 inches and The Stringer Notebook is 4 inches wide by 5.5 inches.
I launched First Draft Notebooks in 2021 with two sizes of notebooks. The Reporter's Notebook is 4 inches wide by 8 inches and The Stringer Notebook is 4 inches wide by 5.5 inches.

The Deal

Here’s the deal: My boyfriend Jacob and I work — a lot. And our schedules are very different. As the Des Moines Register’s politics editor, I work Monday through Friday with the occasional weekend shift. As an independent hairstylist (follow him on Instagram) he can work almost every day of the week.

That usually only leaves Sunday and some evenings — if the Iowa Legislature isn’t going all night — for us to see each other.

That's me, Nic Garcia, and my boyfriend Jacob Zauche at Hobnob Coffee and Wine Bar in downtown Des Moines. Hobnob, in the Fort Des Moines Hotel, just opened and will soon feature a speakeasy.
That's me, Nic Garcia, and my boyfriend Jacob Zauche at Hobnob Coffee and Wine Bar in downtown Des Moines. Hobnob, in the Fort Des Moines Hotel, just opened and will soon feature a speakeasy.

We make the most of it. But occasionally, you just need to take a day to play hooky. On a recent Wednesday, we decided to do just that. As a relative newcomer to Des Moines, I wanted to hit some spots on the “essential” list, as well as new businesses. Jacob, an Iowa native who has lived in Des Moines for several years, made the perfect tour guide.

We’ll use this edition of Off Hours to highlight all the things we did — and then some.

To get things started, let’s talk about self-care.

Jacob, as a hairstylist, champions self-care to all his clients. And he lives what he preaches. On our day off, he introduced me to his new favorite self-care routine, a Himalayan salt room at Inner Space, a 6,000-square-foot “playground of tools, experiences & support for human continuing education.”

The Salt Lounge at Inner Space in Des Moines.
The Salt Lounge at Inner Space in Des Moines.

Think of a trip to the salt room part therapeutic, part nap. As you lay on a chaise lounge under a weighted blanket in the Salt Lounge, you drift off to sleep with spiritual music in background. The dark room glows thanks to a wall of soft lights that change colors.

You breathe in air lightly spiked with pharmaceutical grade salt. You wouldn’t know there was anything different about the air until the finely grained salt touches your lips.

According to the Inner Space website link: the “aerosol is able to travel to the deepest part of the lungs in addition to other parts of the respiratory tract. As salt enters the lungs and respiratory tract it dissolves bacteria and pollutants and works to expel mucus and open constricted airways. It is also a natural distress-er and a relaxer.”

I have no idea if any of that is true. But I felt more relaxed after our 40-minute session. If you want to check out the lounge, feel free to bring a friend or two. The room seats up to six people at a time. Hours vary. And you can book online. Sessions start at $35 for 40 minutes.

Before and after the Salt Lounge at Inner Space, Jacob and I hit up some of his favorite restaurants and shops. We also revisited the spot of one of our first dates. There’s more about what we did below!

Our Top Three Ways to Relax on a Day Off

Here are three other things we did on our day off.

1. Breakfast at Waveland Cafe: On most Wednesdays, Jacob makes me eggs and bacon. And he was supposed to make me eggs and bacon on this day too. Instead, we decided to head over to the Waveland Café, a Des Moines breakfast institution. It was my first time there. I got Waveland's Best Skillet, which includes ham, mushrooms, green peppers and two hot peppers topped with melted cheese. Jacob got the Breakfast Special: two eggs, toast and bacon. Sadly, "Aquaman" star Jason Momoa — who Jacob has vowed to leave me for — was not there. You can head to 4708 University Ave. in Des Moines every Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Waveland's Best Skillet at Waveland Cafe.
The Waveland's Best Skillet at Waveland Cafe.

2. Shopping at Kin: After breakfast, we stopped by Kin in the East Village to do a little shopping and gossiping with owner Heather Ann Parker Roe. Jacob has shopped at Kin, a “modern mystical shop,” for at least five years. He has developed a friendship with Heather and has occasionally cut and styled her hair. At Kin, you can pick up gems, tarot cards, and books on the great unknown. Jacob loves to fill his house with stones and candles, so Kin is a regular haunt for him. Stop by the shop at 333 E. Grand Ave., #106 starting at 11 a.m. daily.

There's a scented candle for every nose at Kin in the East Village.
There's a scented candle for every nose at Kin in the East Village.

3. Take in some art at the Des Moines Art Center. After the salt room we went to the Des Moines Art Center. The museum was one of the first places Jacob took me when we started dating — and he became my unofficial tour guide of Des Moines. You must check out the immersive exhibit, especially the installation “7even Stories High” by Oyoram. It’s an elevator trip you won’t forget. The exhibit is open until June 5.

An installation at the Des Moines Art Center.
An installation at the Des Moines Art Center.

The Art Center is free to enter, seriously, the best deal in Des Moines! The center is open Tuesday through Sunday and hours vary. Find it at 4700 Grand Ave.

How do you like to relax on a day off? Tell me about some of your favorite places at ngarcia@registermedia.com. 

Eat This, Drink That

The Working Class Hero pizza from Parlor in Beaverdale even comes in a gluten-free crust option.
The Working Class Hero pizza from Parlor in Beaverdale even comes in a gluten-free crust option.

Gluten-free pizza, Detroit style, $17.99: Jacob is sensitive to gluten and tries to avoid it. He also loves pizza. He can have it both ways when we go to Parlor. The gluten-free pizza is among the best we’ve ever had — with or without the wheat proteins. Their pizza is Detroit-style, which is akin to a deep dish. Parlor has several specialty pizzas you can choose from or you can build your own. I love pepperoni and jalapeños on my pie!

Get it: Parlor is open for lunch and dinner daily at 4041 Urbandale Ave. in Des Moines. Order ahead at 515-274-1293.

Thai milk yea with boba, $5.25: I love coffee. Like, it runs through my veins. But I’ve been cheating recently with milk tea.

Get it: 8 Degrees Ice Cream & Boba on the Drake campus at 1315 31st St. is open Tuesday through Sunday. Hours vary.

Thai tea at 8 Degrees Cafe on the Drake Campus. It's my guilty pleasure.
Thai tea at 8 Degrees Cafe on the Drake Campus. It's my guilty pleasure.

Where do you like to go for gluten-free options? Send me your best picks at Des Moines-area restaurants so I can introduce Jacob to some new places at ngarcia@gannett.com.  

48 Hours Off

Friday night: "RuPaul’s Drag Race," the Emmy award-winning reality TV competition, returns this weekend with a new All-Stars season. And for the first time “herstory,” the show will feature all winners. Eight drag queens who have previously won a season will compete to be named “Queen of Queens.” "RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars" streams exclusively on Paramount+ with new episodes landing Friday.

Saturday night: If it’s Saturday night, there’s a good chance you can find Jacob and his cousin singing karaoke at Buddy’s Corral in the East Village. The dive bar hosts your classic karaoke setup most nights. Jacob and his cousin love belting out show tunes from "Hairspray" and "Cabaret." I sang a duet with Jacob once. He politely told me I was tone-deaf. Buddy’s is open noon to 2 a.m. daily at 418 E. Fifth St., Des Moines, 515-244-7140.

Sunday morning: Need to break up your Sunday errands? Swing by Clive City Hall — 1900 NW 114th St., Clive — to feed some goats! Seriously. That’s something you can do. Be sure to take quarters to get city-approved feed. Do not feed them human food! Click here to find out more.

A Clive goat is angry at me for not having a quarter to purchase feed to give to him.
A Clive goat is angry at me for not having a quarter to purchase feed to give to him.

Pet Parent

One year ago, I adopted my dog, Hanna Marie. Hanna is a nearly 2-year-old dachshund chihuahua mix. Chances are, if you drive downtown in the morning or night, you can see Hanna dragging me up and down Locust Street. As part of our anniversary celebration, Hanna went to Stylin Paws Salon & Boutique at 1905 Ingersoll Ave. Make your dog an appointment today. Hours vary, 515-720-4874 for appointments.

Hanna loves to snuggle under the covers.
Hanna loves to snuggle under the covers.

Around Town

My Day Job

Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!

Thanks for reading during this lull in the legislative session. We’re expecting lawmakers to return to Des Moines next week to finish up their business — hopefully before Memorial Day. That means I’ll be glued to my chair helping our ace political team deliver up-to-the-minute breaking news and analysis on legislation. After the long weekend, we’ll be in full-on campaign mode with the primary election on June 7. Be sure to check out the Des Moines Register’s website and newspaper for the latest. You can also sign up for our daily politics newsletter here. 

Next week, the Des Moines Register entertainment team does all things “Hamilton” as the Broadway musical returns to the stage in Des Moines.  

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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Off Hours: How to spend the day with your boyfriend in Des Moines