Mike Wellman

Special to the Register

I’m not exactly a suburban type. When I grew up around here, the west side of town didn’t extend much beyond Valley Junction.

But time passes and horizons expand. I remember once when I was watching one of the local TV news programs and the weatherman said he’d be right back with the forecast for the “metroplex.” Wow, I thought, when did we become a metroplex?

Ankeny, Waukee, West Des Moines, Urbandale – 'burbs started capitalizing on proximity to the capital city like spinoffs of a long-running TV series and lending new meaning to the term Greater Des Moines.

Here are but 10 examples of local suburban oases. They’re arbitrarily chosen and alphabetically listed by jurisdiction. And there are more where these came from:

Ankeny

The Plot Twist Bookstore (502 N Ankeny Blvd) that opened this past year in Ankeny was the perfect gift for a hustling, bustling town that seemingly already had everything. After all, Ankeny is the third-fastest growing city in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But until Mary Rork-Watson opened for business in April, it didn’t have a locally owned, independent bookstore. Now it does and I can tell you from personal experience that Mary is a pleasure to do business with. Her business model follows in the odds-beating footsteps of Alice Meyer at Beaverdale Books and includes an emphasis on support for local authors and providing a home for small groups like book clubs. Don’t judge by its strip mall cover. Inside, it stands alone in Ankeny. Check it out.

Clive

The Greenbelt Trail is no yellow brick road and it doesn’t connect Clive to Oz. But it’s witch-free and worth following. This winding road along Walnut Creek is neither particularly long at 11 miles nor is it the one less traveled. The word has gotten around that Greater Des Moines is this close to being away from it all. The Greenbelt is a popular link in the lush labyrinth of the Central Iowa Trails Network. There are lots of jumping on and off points and it’s free to use, even in the autumn when the leaves do their kaleidoscopic thing.

Granger

Jester Park (11407 NW Jester Park Dr.) is no joke. It combines many of the activities offered at other sites on this list in one multi-faceted facility that’s operated and maintained under the auspices of the Polk County Conservation Board. You can play golf or go horseback riding (although you can’t play golf on horseback). You can camp, hike, boat, swim, picnic or even get married and celebrate there. The 1,675 acres adjacent to Saylorville Lake are a playground for all seasons and most reasons.

Johnston

Have you been to the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum (7105 Northwest 70th Avenue) at Camp Dodge yet? Especially for non-veterans like me, it is a chance at a glimpse, from a safe distance, of what so many soldiers have offered in service to our state and country. I was a year shy of eligibility for the Vietnam-era draft lottery, which I was glad about at the time. Now at my current age it’s easy to say, but still I will that I envy and appreciate the camaraderie that exists between veterans from all branches and all eras whenever I see it displayed. There used to be an enormous swimming pool that drew crowds to Camp Dodge in the summertime. Now the museum does year round. Consider a visit there a salute to all of our soldiers; past, present and future. Hours of operation are: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Closed Sundays, holidays and holiday weekends).

Norwalk

The Legacy Golf Club (400 Legacy Pkwy) is just starting to come into its own. Opened for play in 2002, it’s a family-owned operation that includes practice facilities, instructional programs and an assortment of league opportunities. As the season winds down, a series of free-wheeling tournaments are planned on Oct. 8, 16 and 22 that will feature a four-player, best shot, 8-inch cup format when even hackers can post a low number. And with the bent-grass fairways you’ll be taking those pelt-like divots, just like the pros do. The public club also hosts an annual holiday open house event in December that helps shorten the looongest hole on our course: winter.

Pleasant Hill/Prairie City

The Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (9981 Pacific St) is the largest re-creation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem in the country, which trumps the fact that technically it’s not located in a Des Moines suburb. But Prairie City isn’t far and on the short drive there, you can stop in Pleasant Hill for an early matinee at the Copper Creek 9 Cineplex (1325 Copper Creek Dr).

The refuge is run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is home to herds of bison and elk. It’s also notable for its location in a state with one of the nation’s lowest percentages of landscape maintained as it was during settlement.

As for the movie house in Pleasant Hill, it’s part of the chain of small-town theaters owned and operated by the Fridley family that holds patrons to a Courtesy Code of Conduct complete with 10 commandments that are spelled out on the company website.

Urbandale

The Iowa Orchard (9875 Meredith Dr) was established in 1975 and the city of Urbandale has grown up around it quite a bit since then. The orchard has grown a lot, too. It’s not just a stand of apple trees anymore. Pies and other goodies pour from the bakery and the grounds are a popular spot in the fall for school tours, hayrides and romps in the pumpkin patch. Another notable feature is IO’s cross-cultural pollination policy of hiring foreign-born horticulture students for its workforce. As the business grows, the world shrinks.

Waukee

Timberline Campground (31635 Ashworth Rd) has been the best park in Iowa for five years running, according to Trailer Life, and autumn is prime time for camping around here. And thanks to Timberline’s proximity to downtown Des Moines, a best-of-both-worlds weekend is within easy reach. Pitch camp on Friday night, cook out and hit the sack after watching the sunset light the leaves on fire. Then get up in time to watch it rise again, enjoy a brisk cup of outdoor coffee and listen to the Hawkeyes/Cyclones/Panthers game of the week before riding into town for a fancy dinner and a show. If you don’t want to get away from it ALL, no worries; the grounds are equipped with Wi-Fi.

West Des Moines

The public library (4000 Mills Civic Pkwy) is just down the street from the Valley High football stadium, which draws much bigger crowds in the fall than libraries do. But … there’s a bank of windows on the second floor of the library that overlook a pond where geese like to browse. If you’re there for serious research and faced with a deadline, beware. The geese and the rest of the view will put you to sleep if you let them. And then you’d risk the embarrassment of being awakened by someone shushing your snoring.

Windsor Heights

Cowles Montessori (6401 College Ave) is the only public Montessori school in Iowa. Seldom is a discouraging word heard there and they even have a pet dog (Millie the laid-back lab) on staff. Though it’s part of the Des Moines Public Schools, Cowles is located in Windsor Heights, aka Where the Sidewalk Ends (Shel Silverstein didn’t teach there but he would’ve liked Cowles) and the 25 mph speed limit begins. All schools generate their share of school spirit but there is an especially peaceful and palatable one at this unique pre-K through 8th grade building where customer satisfaction is off the charts.