Monroe County Courthouse

St. Louis Trip, Day 8, Friday, July 31, 2015

Another stop on our trip home from St. Louis was the Monroe County Courthouse in Albia, Iowa.

The first session of the court in Madison County was held in a log house without a floor.  During the session, Judge Charles Mason, the lawyers, and the clerks slept on the ground.  Since there was no barn, their horses were tied to trees outside  One night there was a severe storm, so they brought the horses in and stabled them in the courtroom where they slept until morning. 

First Methodist Church in Centerville, IA

St. Louis Trip, Day 8, Friday, July 31, 2015

It's not everywhere you go that traffic will slow down and wait for some random blogger standing on the sidewalk across the street to get a photo of the local church.  But...that's just what one car did for me in Centerville, Iowa!

Centerville was one of our last stops on our way home from St. Louis last year.  We noticed this Methodist church down the street from the courthouse, and knocked on the door of the parsonage.

Super 8...and Illegal Fireworks!

St. Louis Trip, Days 2 & 8, July 25+31, 2015

On our trip, we spent two nights at Super 8 motels, one in Bowling Green, Missouri, and the other in Macon (below).

Of all the hotels I have stayed at, I would rate Super 8 as the most economical.  The rooms were not particularly fancy or spacious, but when one is is travelling, arrives late and leaves early, all that is needed is a bed!  

National Balloon Museum - Part 2

The National Balloon Museum has a basket available for visitors to take photos in.  The gentleman who was acting as museum curator kindly consented to have a picture taken with me.  He told us about ballooning in the area and the yearly festival, and gave us information on how to get a balloon ride. 

Besides the rooms filled with displays, the museum also has a small theater and a library.  The oldest book I noticed was The Aeronautical Annual from 1895.