Rusty Stars Alpacas — Attraction in Winterset

A friend of mine suggested this place to me after visiting during the Covered Bride Festival. She said she thought I'd love it. So, I planned a much needed surprise day trip with my hubby and adult children. Our first stop was here. As soon as we pulled up, I couldn't wait to get my seatbelt off and get close with these amazing animals. As we walked up to the entrance we were greeted by 2 young girls who asked if we've been there before. They were so knowledgeable and gave us the low down about Alpaca etiquette. We got our cup of Alpaca nibbles and headed in. Wow, just wow! We were instantly in love. Feeding, petting, loving, and cuddling these curious, soft as a cloud, opinionated, stubborn at times animals was just what we needed. Then the owner came by, we were rapid firing questions at him. Like how? Why? Care? Feeding? Winter? Birthing? Temperaments? Answered them with the passion of someone who truly loves what they're doing. This place is a gem! A side note, this place is free, yes, free! Please make sure you visit the gift shop to help support this amazing place. We would be there everyday for Alpaca therapy if we didn't live so far away. To finish our surprise day trip adventure, we stopped by Clark Tower and the Hitchin Post for lunch and cocktails. A day we won't...

WHOA! This awesome farm is based in Winterset, Iowa and it was the perfect cute and rural setting to get to know these absolutely ADORABLE alpacas!! I loved getting to know and feed and hug the alpacas!! The owners and their friends are super passionate and knowledgeable and caring towards the alpacas and gave us so much awesome info on them, including how to feed them, how to hug them, and fun facts about them! The gift shop is super cool too, my favorite was the Alpaca Fluff Cotton Candy! Best cotton candy I’ve ever had in my life. It didn’t immediately disintegrate in my mouth like regular cotton candy does, and it was S’mores flavored which was super unique and cool! One of the owners and I talked about our shared experiences in Miami, FL and she was so nice and personable and friendly!! This was definitely a core memory for me, thank you...

Three adults and three kids took the scenic drive from Des Moines to Winterset today. The alpacas had been sheared this morning. It was a cool sunny afternoon and there were 20 or so visitors at the farm while we were there. We were greeted right away by the owners and their helpers. They asked if we had been there before and gave each of us small cups of alpaca chow. After a brief introduction to the farm we were sent through the gate to visit with and feed several dozen alpacas. There were a few places to sit and a cute little gift shop. The owners and staff were so nice and happy to answer our questions. Admission is free but there is a donation box at the gate. Please put something in the box before you leave. The experience is well worth contributing to the cost of the alpaca food. The kids had a great time and so did we. We will go...