REVIEW: Good Guys Auto Show

Submitted by Jody

Let me start by saying that every man in our family is a car buff, so it would have been considered an act of treason if we didn't make it to the Goodguys Heartland National car show held in Des Moines a couple weekends ago. My dad had been nagging me about bringing our 1-year-old out there for weeks. Some of our extended family would be there, and he wanted to show off his granddaughter. He also wanted my husband to see a real car show.

That said, we went. It was hot, hot, hot outside, and we just knew we wouldn't be able to make it very long. Yet we forked over the $15 admission (per adult) anyway. Thankfully, toddlers were free.

Once inside the fairgrounds, there were cars everywhere - some gorgeous beyond belief. These aren't the Fords and Chevrolets you see on the road today. No way. These are high dollar custom street rods. People treat these cars better than their pets and kids, so it's definitely something to see.

We strolled around taking in all the eye candy. Even our daughter got in the act throwing out a couple "ooohs" at the really pretty ones. The only problem we had was the noise level. When some of those cars rev up, the engine is so loud, it can cause even the calmest adult to jump. Our daughter was startled more than a couple times.

The food at the fairgrounds was typical fair fare. Good stuff but usually expensive. We had a couple corn dogs and two waters, and it cost just a hair under $20.

All in all, the day was fun. We got to see family and some really nice cars. I don't know that we would do it again next year. Maybe, if family is in town, but otherwise, we can't afford too many days like that, especially when you consider how much we shelled out for a two-hour outing.