Iowa City--Hotel Choices

Another "college" coffee house visit. The construction outside was a win for Neil. The pour over coffee was a win for me.

Staying in hotel's can be challenging.  We have stayed in some real questionable places and some great ones.  Between Priceline and Hotel Tonight we manage to usually stay on budget--but there are compromises. We have learned that we are not selecting hotels that allow smoking at all after a horrible experience in NC and pet friendly hotels are usually ones that are not that concerned about cleanliness. 

This morning at the Sheraton, found after the kids had been playing on the floor all morning--someones' rx medication on the floor--missed by the housekeeping staff.  So annoying and even though you complain it is a whole process to file a complaint and talk to the Manager...

Travel--moving each day or couple of days and staying in new locations is exciting but also is tiring. 

Looking forward to settling in for a bit for the holidays.

Appalacian Arts

On our way back to SD. Saw a sign along the highway that said the center of Appalachian Arts and Crafts and decided to stop. The town of Berea, KY, was our inspiration for the day. It was not because of the incredible art and crafts but because of the history of the community. Also we may have crashed the homecoming party of Berea College in the park which included jumping castles for kids and free kettle corn!  It was especially relevant after having visited Harpers Ferry last month and realizing the far reaching implication of John Brown's raid on communities across the nation as many community member were expelled from the community for their abolitionist beliefs.  They returned and founded Berea College which was the only interracial and coeducation college in the south for 40 years.

Communities can and have made a difference by standing up against the cultural norms.