What makes Ames and Iowa unique, are the people. Assuming you are from California, Iowa may feel “different”. We are definitely rural, not big city by any stretch. The unfortunate thing, as someone already mentioned, without tailgating, you aren’t seeing us at our best.
The campus is quite beautiful. Lots of green space and quite representative of a land grant university (as a legacy grad, I took that for granted while in school, and have become more appreciative of campus as I have aged). Spend some time on central campus and just take it in. The leaves are starting to turn and you will get a flavor what a full Fall could look like.
Try to take in as much of the game day atmosphere as possible while keeping in mind it is maybe 1/10 th of a “normal” game day.
Talk to as many folks as possible and see if you can get a good flavor for the university. People are friendly, especially if you tell them you are in a visit with your son. Recommendations will be plentiful.
As for food, opinions will vary. Overall, pork and beef reign supreme. Asking about BBQ will get you into a hotly contested debate (for not having a distinctive “style“, there sure is a lot of passion around it).
Above all else, enjoy your trip and the game, cheer on the Cyclones, and welcome to Iowa!