Milwaukee Art Museum: A Peek at Its Renovation

The Milwaukee Art Museum, one of the oldest art museums in the nation, reopened its Collection Galleries last week following a renovation six years in the making. The $34 million renovation added 16,000 square feet of space and completely transformed placement of artwork and wayfinding. The new east end addition opens the museum once again to the beauty of Lake Michigan, right outside its doorstep, and the remodel of the oldest museum sections creates an easy flow from one area to another with surprises around every corner. Read more

Exploring the Bentonsport Historic District

Connie Attractions & Events, Food & Drink, Iowa, Shopping November 28, 2015November 28, 2015Bentnsport Bridge, Bentonsport, Bentonsport Artisan Co-op, bentonsport ia, Bentonsport Iowa, Forever Sweet Creations, Greef General Store, Iron & lace, Mason House Inn, villages folk school, Villages of Van Buren 1 Comment

The last stop on our tour of the Villages of Van Buren was the Bentonsport historic district, first developed by Mormon craftsmen as they migrated west along the Mormon trail in the mid-1800s. Steamboats no longer ply the nearby Des Moines River, but the historic district is still bustling. Refurbished buildings are now home to galleries, a candy shop, and a haunted bed and breakfast. Read more

Villages Folk School: Art Class Getaways

Connie Attractions & Events, Iowa November 25, 2015November 28, 2015Southeast Iowa, the folk school, travel iowa, villages folk school, Villages of Van Buren, villages of van buren county 3 Comments

Continuing our tour of southeast Iowa’s Villages of Van Buren, our next stop was an 1800s restored stone building. This is where we would learn about the Villages Folk School and try our hands at a printing press. Read more

Bonaparte Retreat: Dining in an Old Grist Mill

Connie Food & Drink, Iowa November 23, 2015November 23, 2015Bonaparte Retreat, Bonapartes Retreat, Iowa tourism, restaurants in southeast iowa, Villages of Van Buren, villages of van buren restaruants 2 Comments

I knew we were in for a great lunch at the Bonaparte Retreat based on our morning visits to the Milton Creamery and Dutchman’s Store. I couldn’t have been more right. Read more

Dutchman’s Store: Old-Fashioned Shop in Amish Community

Connie Attractions & Events, Iowa, Shopping November 21, 2015November 22, 2015dutchman shop, dutchman store in cantril iowa, dutchman's store, Iowa tourism, old fashion stores, Southeast Iowa, the dutchman store, the iowa store, travel iowa, Villages of Van Buren 0 Comment

In 1985 Clair Zimmerman and his wife, Virginia, opened a small general store in Cantril, Iowa, a town that serves the surrounding Amish community. They expanded…and expanded…and expanded. Today Dutchman’s Store occupies an entire block on Cantril’s main street, and it’s as much a tourist attraction as it is a grocery store…or a fabric shop…or a gift shop. Read more

Milton Creamery: Award-Winning Artisan Cheese

Connie Agritourism, Iowa November 19, 2015November 21, 2015aged cheddar, aged cheeses, aged white cheddar, artisan cheeses, cheese creamery, cheese maker, cheese makers, dairy creamery, garman quark, maytag cheese, milton cheese, milton cramery prairie breeze, milton creamery, Milton Iowa, prairie breeze cheddar, prairie breeze cheese, prairie breze, quark dairy, Southeast Iowa, the cheese maker, Villages of Van Buren 0 Comment

At only 17-years-old, Galen Musser received his first U.S. Cheese Championship award for his Prairie Breeze^TM cheddar. That’s just one year after he started his cheese making career. Milton Creamery cheeses have won many awards since then, including one in England.

Midwest Wanderer explores history, nature, and culture through road trips along scenic and historic U.S. highways, byways and trails

Author: Connie