The Home Depot — Ankeny

How would I describe this massive parking lot? Like a piranha feeding frenzy in the middle of a retail shopping mecca that has Black Friday busyness on every day of the week and especially on the weekends. But the problem was, it was the middle of October when I was there and it was a Tuesday and there shouldn’t have been this much shopping frenzy. But there was. 

So that’s the stage. If you can breathe in and out with deep breaths and slow exhales, you’ll probably be alright. But that said, I just don’t know why anyone would subjugate themselves to such hectic traffic conditions, especially considering that they’re likely hauling a trailer, 5th wheeler behind them or perhaps even worse, driving an RV. I mean, you’re out looking for a respite from the concrete jungle, right? Well, stopping in this place will just reconfirm that you haven’t gotten away from any of it! 

That said, for whatever reason, if you find yourself here at the Home Depot in Ankeney in central Iowa and are simply looking for a place to ‘drop anchor’ for the night, then there’s worst places (trust me) that you could have pulled over to find and locate yourself. But if you do stop here, please ensure that you are as far away from the storefront as possible (that would be far westerly) near the Culver’s & B-Bop’s restaurants as possible. 

Given all of the retail outlets over in these parts, like restaurants, big box stores, business offices, etc., I would say that from a security standpoint, you’re sitting pretty. The huge upside here is (obviously) that it places you within the mix to literally find any single thing you might be looking for. If you need to stock up on groceries and supplies, then take comfort in the fact that you’ll be able to access places like CVS, Target, Best Buy and Kohl’s. 

Looking for a spot to eat? Yeah, you’ll have lots of options here like Mongolian Grill, B-Bop’s, Five Guys, Tasty Tacos, Starbuck’s and Chili’s. But if you want a great meal, check out The Other Place as well as Tacos & Tequila La Cava Mexicana. 

Should you actually want to grab a slice of nature while you are here in Ankeney, then check out nearby Saylorville Lake, which is a great place to dip your kayak or canoe into. 

While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot: 

Convenience: 3 

Safety & Security: 3 

Quality: 3

Peace& Quiet: 2 

Amenities: 4 

Overall, I scored this location a 3.

Happy Overnighting!