Weather was pretty icky all day. |
In low visibility, T consults the 496 gps for weather information. |
Headwinds added HOURS to our trip. Nothing like being held at the whim of mother nature. Ugh. |
Still, lots of funky farmland to look at. I still want to know why farmers make those patterns! |
Despite haze all day, by the time we reached Iowa, the sun and clouds became spectacular. |
See what I mean? |
So peaceful above the clouds. |
Looked like we were flying over cotton. |
Pretty cool view. |
If we had to face headwinds, at least the view was fab. |
Shawna and clouds. |
Ohhh yeahhh. |
Too bad I can't make a living on cloud pictures. |
I've taken hundreds of sunset pictures and they never fail to awe me. |
Sunset over Iowa somewhere. |
Descending over the Mississippi. |
Landing in Keokuk, IA. |
The Grand Anne. |
We enjoyed the 22-bedroom mansion although it was weird to be the only guests! The house was incredibly quiet. |
When we arrived, the innkeepers were caring for their grandkids upstairs. They left the front door open and provided a note with instructions. Kind of spooky to wander a strange house unaccompanied. |
Kept waiting for people to jump out at us although I enjoyed taking pictures everywhere. |
Elegant seating areas and furniture. |
The house was built in 1897 and maintained as a private residence until the 60s, I think. |
Not that I need a wildly ornate mirror, but I totally love this. |
The wood paneling featured six or seven different types of wood throughout the house. The rich colors were absolutely gorgeous. |
Designer George Barber created the house. |
Too muggy and hot to sit outside, but the hammock looked comfy. |
Our short stops typically include touring by car in search of food. |
Keokuk, Iowa! |
I l-o-v-e-d our room. If I could have fit that bedroom set into the 182, I may have tried to abscond with it. |
Breakfast was a weird affair. Although we were the only people dining, they sat us at opposite ends of a long dining table. |
I had to shout to speak with my goofball sweetie. |
I almost screamed at another egg dish but this puff thing turned out to be quite tasty. Diced green chilis added a tasty twist to the egg and cheese concoction. T liked the maple syrup bacon. |
Wood paneling? Yum. |
Thanks to my B&B adventures, I'm going to start putting walnuts in my yogurt. Hello tasty! |
Funky fixtures like this make me want to ditch our boring door knobs and drawer pulls. |
Cool chandelier. |
Despite my lamenting of the cute-but-loud grandchildren, this mansion must be a super fun place to visit as a munchkin. |
The innkeepers told us that at Christmas, there are trees in every parlor! |
See what I mean about details? |
A bird cage, I think. |
Stained glass added to the ambiance. |
Push button light switch and rad wallpaper. |
Check that register! |
So cool! |
In the morning, we bid farewell to the Grand Anne and headed back to the airport. |
The inn faced the Mississippi and from our window, you could see the river. |
Love all of the textures here. |
The round spire was our room. :) |
Neighbors. |
Of course, off the high street are residences of less grandeur. |
And cool old churches. |
I noticed a lot of long, skinny houses. Reminded me of rail car homes. Similar mix of styles in Hannibal, MO. |
Labels: airplanes, flying, Hopscotch Honeymoon