One Day Trip: Pella, IA

A quaint, Dutch-inspired town in the middle of Iowa.

I have so many good things to say about Pella, IA. This has been a bucket list item for a long time. This little town holds Tulip Festival every Spring but I’ve heard through the grapevine (the grapevine is my brother’s family) that the festival is very crowded. My visit happened the weekend after Tulip Time Fest (which is the first Thursday-Saturday in May) so that I could still see some tulips1.

Note: Pella, IA follows a very traditional Dutch town heritage and almost everywhere is shut down on Sundays. Best days of the week to visit are Monday-Saturday.

Coffee Time

Almost all of my trips include stopping for coffee – it’s definitely a crutch of mine. This trip I stopped at two coffee shops in Pella: Smokey Row and Iris Coffee Company.

Smokey Row is a central Iowa/Des Moines Metro mini-chain and Iris Coffee is specific to Pella. I have no complaints on either and the vibes are both very different.

Smokey Row is definitely more of an old-timey feel with ice cream, soda pops, all mixed in with fantastic lattes and food. I had the Butterfinger Latte (yum!) and the BLT for lunch. In the Des Moines Smokey Row I enjoyed the Nutty Irishman and Early Riser breakfast sandwich. All-in-all, a great place to grab a bite to eat and feel nostalgic.

Iris Coffee Company is the complete opposite atmosphere from Smokey Row going for more of a sleek and modern take on a coffee shop. I had a simple cold brew here and it was so good. I honestly forgot to take a picture of this cute little coffee shop because I was in and out and downed that cold brew. Iris Coffee also has some really neat seasonal coffees, so next time I visit I will definitely have to try one.

Central Park and Main Street

Coffee in hand (the entire time, might I add), I walked around the Central Park/downtown area for hours. There are so many cute little shops and things to see. So much of the town stays true to their Dutch heritage and founders.

A few of my favorite little shops to stop at were:

  • Vander Ploeg Bakery. Are you dreaming of baked goods? The smells coming out of this shop were ah-mazing. I bought a few Dutch letters, mixed berry hand pies, and apple pie twists. 10 out of 10 for recommending this place. There is no place to sit inside, but there are plenty of park benches or you can take a blanket and have a picnic in Central Park. It is important to note that nothing is gluten-free (I had to ask for a friend of mine).
  • Simple Treasures. This was just a cute shop in general. So many different home goods and since I’m a book nerd, they had some beautiful copies of multiple Jane Austen classics. Any shop that decorates with books is a shop I want to have my money. There are several candles, different stationary, and kitchen and dining items for purchase here. It was a fun place to peruse. This is a two-story shop, with stairs only.
  • Pella Books. This was my favorite place to stop in Pella. I love coffee and I love baked goods, but books will always steal the show. I was here for a long time chatting with the owner. They have used and new books, but my favorite section were the vintage books. He also had a refurbished grandfather clock that stored vintage books (definitely need to do something like that for myself!). This little book store is in a historic church from 1860. De J (the owner) was so fun to talk to and after sharing our love for vintage items even showed me the back room with even MORE vintage, rare, and collectible books. To me, this is a must-see on your Pella trip.
  • Van Veen Chocolates. I am not a chocolate person. However, I had to stop in this store because “When in Rome” and all that. I ended up purchasing Speculaas Cookie Butter and Mini Stroopwafels. Both were fantastic. They had a wide variety of chocolates and if that’s your thing (and even if it’s not) definitely stop into this store. I have the website linked, but not everything that they sell is online, so definitely stop in!

And now onto the scenery and best part of all: tulips. Tulips are my favorite flower, and unfortunately, I missed the cafe noir tulip bloom (these are deep purple tulips). I did however get to see several other varieties which I was happy about.

Among the tulips are beautiful sites, both architectural and natural. A picnic with some Smokey Row goodies or Vander Ploeg baked items is the perfect way to spend time at Central Park.

There is a klokkenspel, man-made canal, murals, fountains, an old windmill, and a few museums! There are easy to read signs along the pathways and roadways to get where you want to go, but quite honestly, I just meandered around on my own to find some fun spots!

After the City

Still have some time to kill after exploring Central Park? Here are a few extra itinerary ideas for you, including eating spots and recreational areas:

What’s your favorite place to eat or visit in Pella? Let me know!

1. Tulips only bloom at specific times of spring. You can always check the Pella, IA website for information on blooms here. I’ve heard that the weeks before and after Tulip Time Fest are the best times to go if you don’t like crowds but still want to see tulips.

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About Me

I’m Anna, the author behind this blog. I’m a normal person with a normal 8-5 job who likes to travel and explore when she can.