River Oaks was a beautiful park, yet strangely unorganized. The “office” was a living room, no desk or evidence of an office. “Oh which site are you in? Here’s a map of the park.”
On our way to find our site, a woman sitting on a golf cart said, “Let me guide you to your site.” She then changed her mind and left us to fend for ourselves.
There was Wi-Fi, but we were never told the password. There was also a laundry room that we didn’t know about. The trash area was in a strange location down the road and out of sight. Still, we were left alone, which suited us.
They had a band one night, along with a food truck and an inflatable play area for the children. However, only the inflatable play area seemed to get much use.
We were nestled among the trees, which was nice.It rained. We saw fireflies in the grass next to our site. I also saw a small frog in the grass, attesting to the moisture this area receives. We didn’t go into Des Moines.
From an AI search:
What’s up with the name Des Moines?
The name Des Moines is surprisingly controversial among historians.
The traditional explanation is that it comes from the French phrase “des moines,” meaning “of the monks” or “the monks.” French explorers and traders named the Des Moines River Rivière des Moines (“River of the Monks”), and the city later took its name from the river.
However, many modern scholars believe the French name was actually a misunderstanding or adaptation of a Native American tribal name, Moingona, a group related to the Illinois peoples. Research published in 2015 argues that “Moines” evolved from this Indigenous name rather than referring to actual monks.
So the short version is:
- French explorers recorded a name related to the local Moingona people.
- Over time it became Des Moines.
- People later interpreted the French words literally as “the monks”, which became the popular explanation.
Interestingly, if you ask most Iowans, you’ll often hear the simple answer that “Des Moines” means “the monks” in French. That’s the traditional translation, but the deeper historical origin is probably tied to the Native American Moingona name.
And just in case you’ve ever wondered: locals pronounce it “duh-MOYN” (one syllable at the end), not the French-style “day MWAHN.”
carolymarkrv 