Faith in the Journey

This afternoon I visited my blog looking for a photo from a couple years back, and I realized how much I missed the chance to reflect that this platform provides. Life gets busy. Work can be demanding. Stress can be overwhelming. But there's beauty in the simplicity of taking a moment to relax, contemplate and have faith in the God who holds our every tomorrow.

Today I'll share a few photos from the trip I took to Juneau, Alaska with my mama and sister this July, along with some of my favorite encouraging quotes. Those who are connected with me on social media may have already seen the photos–but since I may be the only one still visiting this corner of the blogosphere, who cares?

Grundy County Heritage Museum

In July 2016, Yai and I visited the Grundy County Museum. There are several buildings on the museum grounds. Perhaps most impressive is the old public school. But tours start in the newer museum building, so we had to walk around the grounds to the other side of the block to find it.

On the way, we had the pleasure of seeing an old caboose, farm equipment and a little log cabin.

Hardin County Farm Museum

The Hardin County Farm Museum is a little different than most museums I have visited because it holds a lot of good memories. My family and I have attended pancake breakfasts and political events there, and often went to their annual Threshing Day. The photos in this post are from August 2016, when Charity, Yai and I attended Threshing Day.

Back in the good old days, Papa would often play chess with a local man, Gary. We children enjoyed a coin scramble, and plenty of good, old-fashioned games like corn hole, a canning ring toss, and trying to drop clothespins in an apple juice jar.

The Wells Hotel

In the little town of Wellsburg stands the Wells Hotel. If I recall correctly, it is a house that once was owned by George Wells and served as a residence for farmhands. The house was purchased by the city to serve as a historical museum in the 1990s.

Although I live nearby, I had never visited the museum until August 2016, when I decided to make the trip with Yai. The museum was pretty much what one would expect to see in a historic home in a small town.

Autumnal Adventures - Part 2

On our way back from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Kathleen and I visited the Old Capitol in Iowa City. There were several beautiful churches between the Capitol and where we finally found a parking spot, and I tried the door at each, to see if we could get a closer look. Someone was in the office at the First United Methodist Church, and we were afforded a close-up view of the beautiful sanctuary.

Construction of the church was completed in 1908 at a cost of $75,000.

Autumnal Adventures - Part 1

This fall I have taken a little time for some fun. My siblings and I took a road trip to Prairie du Chien, and my friend Kathleen and I took a road trip to West Branch. While covering a Pheasants Forever Youth Hunt for the paper, I also got to learn how to use a shot gun for the first time--which was a different and interesting experience! Let's start this with a recap of our adventures near the banks of the Mississippi.

On our way to Prairie du Chien, we stopped at Pike's Peak to enjoy some fresh air and beautiful scenery. The trees seemed a little past their peak, as some were on the bare side; but that just meant we had plenty of leaves crackling under our feet as we hiked. I thought the view was gorgeous.

Dubuque & Final Answers

Here are the rest of my answers, interspersed with photos from a recent trip to Dubuque and other adventures. I had the pleasure of visiting Eagle Point Park, St. Raphael's Cathedral, the Dubuque Botanical Gardens & Arboretum and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. 

The botanical gardens were beautiful. The Johnson Strings filmed one of their music videos here, so visiting was a bit of a pilgrimage for me...

Ashley asked: What do you plan on doing in the future? 

In the somewhat immediate future I'd like to:

Mines of Spain

Last October while we were in the Dubuque area, we stopped at the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E.B. Lyons Nature Center.  The nature center was a sort of small museum with a gift shop and a conference room.   A field trip for an elementary school class seemed to be in progress; there were a lot of children.

We started our hike on the very short Pine Chapel Trail.  The roof of the chapel was being fixed, and a local historian happened to be there.  She told us about the chapel, built in the 1860s by Otto Junkermann to resemble a church he remembered in Germany.  It seems this chapel, though, was never really used as a church.  

Dubuque County Courthouse

After visiting the Delaware County Courthouse this fall, I headed over to the Dubuque County Courthouse.  Its exterior one of the most impressive in the state, this building (built 1891-93) features Beaux Arts architecture, and was designed by Fridolin Heer and Son.  A 14-foot bronze statue of Justice adorns the pinnacle of the courthouse tower.  Originally, 12 statues were on the roof.  Today, there are six pewter statues.  Four of the statues--large winged angels with trumpets--are said to have been taken down during World War I, and melted for the war effort.

The courthouse is constructed of Indiana limestone, brick, and molded terracotta.  One man, a bricklayer named John Kuntz, died during the construction when a wall gave way and he fell.  Many renovations have been done over the years.  Notably, the dome was plated with gold leaf.  

Benton County Courthouse

December 4th, I found myself in Vinton, Iowa with my family for the annual Tour de Lights 5K.  The course started at the fire station, and continued right past the Benton County Courthouse!  Before the run, I walked over to get a few photos.  It was a Sunday, so I wasn't able to venture inside.

I do, however, love the Beaux Arts style architecture of the exterior.  This Courthouse was built 1905-1906 of Buckeye gray sandstone, and cost $150,000.  Inside, reportedly there are three murals painted by an unknown artist.  The 1,500-lb. bell (donated by Paul Correll) and the clock were recently completely restored and re-installed.

Cedar Valley Botanical Gardens

Another place Yai and I visited in August is the Cedar Valley Botanical Gardens in Waterloo.  Admission was only $3 per person.  There were all sorts of gardens, goldfish ponds, and little waterfalls, and there was even a section for children. Everything seemed well-maintained.  

“My prayer for today is that we will feel God’s loving arms wrapped around us,
and we will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us as we trust in Him.” --Billy Graham

St. Luke's Methodist Church in Dubuque

In Dubuque, we visited St. Luke's Methodist Church, known for its Tiffany windows. This building was built 1895-1897, and with the windows and altar furniture included, cost over $100,000 to construct.

The church features Richardsonian Romanesque architecture and is built from Indiana Bedford limestone.  Each stone is hand-cut, and some have embedded fossils.

Franklin County Courthouse

In late July, Yai and I visited the Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton, Iowa before meeting with my friend and fellow-blogger Nela at Plaza Veracruz.  Franklin County was formed in 1851, organized in 1855, and named for Benjamin Franklin.  The city of Hampton was originally called Benjamin, but was renamed since there was, apparently, another city named Benjamin in the state at the time.

The Hampton courthouse features Romanesque Revival architecture, and is one of the most beautiful courthouses I've visited so far.  Completed in 1891, it cost $60,000 to construct.  

Parkersburg Historical Home

One of the places I had the most fun visiting with Yai this August is the historical home in Parkersburg, Iowa, built in 1895.  The home is open Memorial Day through Labor Day on Sundays 1:00-3:00 p.m. and once a year serves as a haunted house for the Rotary Club.  Admission for a guided tour is only about $3 per person, if I recall correctly.

 Upon entering, we were greeted by a couple very nice ladies, Kate Durbin and Chelsea.  Kate, who gave us our tour, was full of interesting information.  Her love for history was obvious, and her ebullient personality was contagious.

Black Hawk County Courthouse

On August 1st, Yai and I visited the Black Hawk County Courthouse in Waterloo, Iowa.  Just over the Cedar River and a couple blocks down in East Waterloo, the current courthouse, built in 1964, features International Style architecture.

Coming in to the building, we had to go through security and have our bags checked.  Unlike most of the courthouses I've visited in smaller towns, this one was very busy.  Waterloo, with a population of 68,406, is the sixth-largest city in the state.

Cerro Gordo County Courthouse

We were in Mason City, Iowa for a political event today, and just had enough time to find the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse ten minutes before it closed.  We walked inside and up the stairs to see a courtroom...and barely managed to leave before the building was locked.

The court administrator, a lady named Deb, kindly unlocked the main courtroom for us to see.  And she told us a little about the courthouse's history.

Butler County Courthouse

Would you like to visit a county without any stoplights or fast food restaurants?  Head to Butler County, Iowa! This July, Yai and I visited the Butler County Courthouse in Allison, Iowa.  Butler County was formed in 1851 and, like Hardin County, was named for a Mexican-American war hero.

General William Orlando Butler first served as a private in the War of 1812.  During the Battle of the River Raisin, he and his comrades were under such intense fire that afterward he found his clothing was riddled with bullets.  He was captured by the Indians and held as a prisoner of war by the British till he was released on parole.

Hardin County Courthouse

The Hardin County Courthouse in Eldora, Iowa is a particularly special courthouse to me because William Lockard and his wife Elizabeth Steinbarger Lockard, my great great great great grandparents, moved to Hardin County in 1852.  They came from Ohio in a covered wagon, bought land from Greenberry Haggin (the first white man to settle in Hardin County, in 1849), and broke up the virgin soil.  

They lived in a log cabin, where, as Mrs. Lockard reported, they could not stand up straight, and where she did her cooking for eight to ten years in an old-fashioned fireplace.

Pho 515 in Des Moines

My mom's favorite food is pho, a Vietnamese rice noodle soup.  With my grandmother's visit ending, my mom decided to take us out to a pho restaurant for a farewell dinner before seeing Yai off at the airport.

My mom is a pho expert, and she wanted to make sure she got good authentic pho.  We went through the reviews of several of the Des Moines pho restaurants on Trip Advisor and Yelp, and she decided Pho 515 would be our best bet.

Bremer County Courthouse

On our way to visit the Little Brown Church, we stopped at the Bremer County Courthouse in Waverly, Iowa.  Built 1936-37, the building features Depression Modern architecture, and was funded in part by the Public Works Administration.  

Bremer County was established in 1853, and its first courthouse was a small frame building, which cost $147.50 to build.  This was replaced in 1858 by a two-story 43x63-foot brick building, which cost $23,000.  All of the material used in its construction--brick, stone, and lumber--was produced in the county.  The current structure cost $139,000; over $60,000 of this was supplied by the PWA grant.