Tips for visiting fan to Ames

[KeithJackson]

Hey All,
My buddies and I are big college football fans, and we love traveling to new places for games. We’re working on a blog that gives tips to other football fans when they travel to away stadiums for games. I’m trying to hit all the BIG 12 schools, and I was hoping you’d indulge me on some questions about Iowa State football games. Basically, what I am asking is that if you and I met randomly on an airplane and I told you all about my trip to Ames for a football game, you wouldn’t have to say, “You did it all wrong, next time you should …â€
Since you guys are the experts on a perfect trip to Ames, I wanted to see if you would answer a few questions. Feel free to answer any or all of them that you’d like, and if you can think of any other info I’ve overlooked feel free to throw that in there too!
TRAVEL
1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly on?
2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?
3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in Ames?
HOTEL
4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc. in Ames? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a day?
FOOD
5. What are your favorite places to eat around Ames during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?
TICKETS
6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds?
TAILGATING
7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at an Iowa State game? Specific areas for visiting fans?
TRADITIONS
8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, are there any local sites/attractions that they would need to make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?
SAFETY
10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?
OTHER BIG 12 SCHOOLS
11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the BIG 12, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite BIG 12 school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?
As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!

 

[Dr.bannedman]

google.com

 

[Farnsworth]

Lots of questions, but I'll start off by just saying all you need to do is show up. As a visitor you will be well fed and well hydrated (dehydrated actually). You won't find tailgating like this at many other places.

 

[Gonzo]

The water's fantastic.

 

[Farnsworth]

As far as the travel question goes, I'd say come into Des Moines via Southwest or Allegiant if your on a budget. The drive into Ames isn't great from any other major airport to make it worth your time. Hotels in Ames can get booked up for bigger games so you might need to book early or plan on staying a little farther out.

 

[CyArob]

We don't have an airport close by. Which is why we can't recruit.

 

[ianoconnor]

First 3:

1. Des Moines
2. Minneapolis, Omaha, & Kansas City are all within 4 hours of Ames. As far as cool drive goes - nope.
3. It's 45ish minutes from Des Moines to Ames. I'd probably lean towards a rental car, yes.

 

[jsb]

Stay at the gateway. Nice hotel (my parents probably average 20 nights per year). The football team stays there night before the games, so you can see them if you are early.

 

[isufbcurt]

Whoaaaaaaaaa Nelly!

I just had to get that in a thread started by the Great Keith Jackson.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Generally more friendly to opposing fans at tailgates and the game then games between Texas rivals. Before A&M bailed on the league I had a few A&M guys I work with attend games between A&M and ISU in Ames. One was with a group and another with his son. Both commented that it was pretty opponent fan friendly by comparison.

 

[JP4CY]

OTHER BIG 12 SCHOOLS
11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the BIG 12, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite BIG 12 school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?

I've been to 8 out of the all time B12 schools and am most likely going to Okie State this fall. Worst stadium was Kansas, worst time was at Mizzou, year before they went to SEC. We could easily hear racist comments.
Best time was Texas. Tailgating was minimal and corporate there but the stadium and 6th St was a blast. For a school that can be perceived as arrogant, I had a great time there.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

I won't get into a lot of detail but give you a good starting point. Very cool project, by the way.

TRAVEL
1. What’s the most convenient/cheapest airport to fly into? Is there a specific airline that is best/cheapest to fly on?
2. Suppose some travelers are a little more adventurous and don’t mind flying into an airport that’s a 3-4 hour drive away from the game if it would make for a cool drive or takes them by some cool sites/attractions – anything like that people should know about when they’re booking flights?
3. Is a rental car necessary? How is the public transportation system/Uber in Ames?

DSM airport. There are no other airports worth flying into because all you'll see is corn from the highway. DSM is a 45 minute drive away form the stadium.

You will need a car if you plan to go anywhere other than the games. The local bus service, called CyRide, goes from main area to main area so on gamedays you'll be fine. Any other time you'll need a car. can't tell you much about Uber as I graduated before it existed.


HOTEL
4. What’s the hotel situation like over the weekend of a game? How good is airbnb, vrbo, etc. in Ames? Are there any great resort towns nearby to stay at for a day?

As a college town the hotels book fast on gamedays. There are no neat resort towns within an hour of the stadium. I would stay at a hotel over anything online for game days as they have perfected the CyRide system for game day visitors.

FOOD
5. What are your favorite places to eat around Ames during the college football season? How is the food in the stadium (anything a one-time visitor can’t leave the stadium without eating)?

Hickory Park BBQ. Not the best but certainly the most famous. Lots of food for a little price. The Cafe is good if you want to relax. There is a brewery called Old Main downtown if you want to explore the town a bit. Ames has a lot of "chain/suburban" restaurants and very few eclectic eateries you might find in larger college towns. Being so close to Des Moines means a lot of the really neat places are down there. I'll let someone else list those for you - otherwise google "des moines best restaurants".


TICKETS
6. What is the best option for visiting fans to buy game tickets? School Ticket office? StubHub? Local Classifieds?

When we play Iowa or Northern Iowa you won't find a ticket through anywhere but stubhub as those games are sold immediately. Any other game (if it's early in the year) will have tickets for sale on this site (through season ticket holders who can't make the games) or from the ISU ticket office. Later in the year (it's cold!) there will be plenty of tickets available from the ticket office but you can get them cheaper on stubhub. Usually the school offers some discount for the end of year home games.

TAILGATING
7. Any general tailgating advice for a first-timer at an Iowa State game? Specific areas for visiting fans?

Tailgating is where we shine. The stadium is surrounded by a flood plain which means nothing else can be built there except parking. We have a very liberal alcohol policy. This all means our set-up is unique among P5 schools. Except for the best-of-the-best, Iowa Stats will out tailgate any other campus - no joke.

Our stadium holds 65k and last year for the Iowa game we have another 40k outside just tailgating. People in Ames don't go to house parties or bars to tailgate - although there will be a few around if you're interested. Everyone packs the parking lots and the town shuts down. The student section is across University Ave to the south while the high donors are just north of the stadium. For full affect you'll need to walk around the entire area to take it all in. People are extremely friendly and will LOVE to talk to you about your team if you are nice. Any sense of boastfulness and they won't be as friendly. Tailgating is a point of pride at ISU and we go out of our way to make sure visitors enjoy themselves. Ask for food and you'll get it.

TRADITIONS
8. Some schools have unique game day traditions – do you guys do anything that’d be worth a visitor planning their schedule around? Are there any buildings or sites near campus or the stadium that visitors should check out?

Our campus is absolutely beautiful in the fall. It has been named one of the best campuses in the country by landscape architect authorities and it is obvious. We have built around a central courtyard so everything ISU-related is in one area unlike other schools with multiple campuses in the same town. It is worth an hour walking around (no alcohol while walking around, though) if you've never been there before. The Memorial Union is pretty inside and out and you need a picture by the campanile. There are swans that live at the adjacent pond names Lancelot and Elaine - say hello to them if you can.

Other than that there are no unique football traditions that a visitor can partake in other than tailgating.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS
9. If fans decide to make this more of a family vacation, are there any local sites/attractions that they would need to make room for on their schedule? Any can’t-miss Historical/Educational or Fun/Entertainment sites?

Blank Park zoo is near the airport in Des Moines. Boone, IA ( 15 miles west) has a scenic railroad that is worth the trip. Check online for hours. There are many parks around that are good for hiking and relaxing with your family. Our topography isn't very diverse so any hilly areas have been made into parks.

If you cast a wider net the Amana Colonies are a look back into German settlements 150 years ago. Newton has a NASCAR speedway, and most small towns have some sort of historic downtown program. If you really want to explore Iowa (it's not ALL corn once you go east), northeast Iowa and Dubuque are worth a day trip (~2 hours away). There are better sources for that information but it is worth it if you have the time/desire to drive more.

SAFETY
10. Are there any general safety issues fans should be aware of? Any areas visitors should avoid for parking, walking, etc? I know every fan base has its share of bad apples, but would you classify your general fan base as hospitable/neutral/in-hospitable?

Iowa State fans are very nice and you'll be fine tailgating although someone might steal an unattended beer or two. Iowa culture is not 'macho" and we are not violent.

The problems in Ames are related to college parties and alcohol. There is nowhere in town unsafe to walk at night, nowhere in town with violent crime, and nowhere a football visitor would ever go that wouldn't be safe. Ames is an ideal town to raise a family in and we take price in that. A single woman walking alone at 2 AM will get hit on near the bars but that's about it.


OTHER BIG 12 SCHOOLS
11. Lastly, since I'm trying to do this for all the teams in the BIG 12, I thought I'd ask if you have any experience traveling to other schools in the conference? Favorite/Least Favorite BIG 12 school to visit for games? Any horror or success stories or general advice you'd give from your experiences?
As mentioned, feel free to answer any/all/none of the questions, and throw on any extra info that I may have overlooked. I’ll be sure to report back when our blog is posted so that you can see the finished product!

Kansas has a neat setup with their stadium but their tailgating is awful. Considering we are historically worse than them our fan support is incredible.

Lastly, our weather is unpredictable. Two years are we had the hottest game and the coldest game ever recorded int he same season. Early September games can get hot while late November games can be unbearably cold. Unless you want to see a particular opponent I would recommend a late September or early October home game for the best weather.

 

[kcyclone]

Whoaaaaaaaaa Nelly!

I just had to get that in a thread started by the Great Keith Jackson.

My thoughts exactly. You figured Keith Jackson would know his way around by now...

 

[BoxsterCy]

BTW, we are assuming you are not a Hawkeye troll looking for a way to diss ISU and Ames, one of their favorite pastimes even though most have never set foot on the ISU campus.

 

[jcyclonee]

What's special about ISU fball games is the tailgating and the friendliness of the fans. It's pretty unique to have as much space for tailgating around the stadium as ISU has.

The closest large airport is Minneapolis which is about a 3-3.5 hour drive. Unless you want to see the sights of the Twin Cities or are a Buddy Holly fan there isn't much to see between Ames and Minneapolis. The drive is pretty simple though.

You could stay in or visit Des Moines. It is only about a 1/2 hour away, has a really cool mix of old and new buildings and is home to, maybe, the nicest population in the country for a city of it's size or larger.

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

1. Des Moines
2. No
3. Maybe and decent (in town)
4. Most hotels are off the highway but the town is small enough to cab anywhere for cheap. Away team stays at the gateway near the stadium
5. You opened a can of worms bit there are good food options spread out around town.
6. Best option is to scalp, Craigslist or this site. Plenty of people, many busy farmers, can't make it to all games.
thats all I got for now.

 

[cyclonedave25]

All you need to know is that ISU is second to none when it comes to tailgating. Don't judge the tailgating on the football program's success.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

All you need to know is that ISU is second to none when it comes to tailgating. Don't judge the tailgating on the football program's success.

If you tailgate right you don't know the score. I think it was designed that way on purpose.

 

[chuckd4735]

Whoaaaaaaaaa Nelly!

I just had to get that in a thread started by the Great Keith Jackson.

Im surprised it took 9 posts...

 

[DeereClone]

Nothing overly unique about our tailgating or game day experience - it's just simply the best tailgate atmosphere around. Bring a cooler with some frosty beverages, some meat for the grill, and find a place to hang out for the day at the biggest backyard party you will find.