Iowa State Capitol
(Des Moines, Iowa)
Excerpts from Roadchick B:
 The State Capitols have become required stops on all Roadchix tours. It's interesting to compare and contrast the architecture and grounds as well as the displays inside. However, the basics are very similar from state to state: tours last about an hour, you get some basic history on the state, get to see the house and the senate rooms, and occasionally the governors office.
The unique highlights on this tour were the library and the dome. The library was absolutely beautiful with it's two-stories of books and ornate spiral staircases. Roadchick K has started working in a library since our last tour and was in wide-eyed awe. I almost wished we could sit down and read a book for a while in the peaceful, beautiful, well-lit room.
The dome in the Iowa Capitol is very impressive. Many of the domes we see are finished in gold leaf. This one, however is an oxidized green with braids of gold leaf streaming down the sides with a gold lantern on top. . . There are also smaller sub-domes surrounding the main dome. The whole effect gives it a very European look. There are 298 steps from the second floor to the top of the dome, and we were given the opportunity to climb to the top, a long climb, but definitely worth it. The views down on the building as well as across Des Moines were lovely. The close-up of the dome and the artwork itself was amazing (but not for the faint of heart). It was however, quite dusty up there. Our tour guide kept apologizing saying that one of the next items on the agenda and budget was a good dome-cleaning. It was a great tour and a great start for our first full-day our Roadchicking.
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/Pubinfo/Tour/
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