Castlerock Museum Exhibits Midwest’s Largest Armor Collection

Connie Attractions & Events, Road Trips, Wisconsin , , 0 Comment
Castlerock Museum Exhibits Midwest’s Largest Armor Collection

In 1938 at ten years old, Gary Schlosstein discovered a Civil War musket in a used goods shop. He saved up his allowance until he had the three dollars he needed to buy the musket. Once he got the musket home, he loaded it with gunpowder, put a marble in it, and aimed it at his sandbox. He never did find the marble again. Fortunately, the musket didn’t explode, either. But that musket started a lifelong passion of collecting historical memorabilia. Over seventy years later, Gary founded the Castlerock Museum in Alma, Wisconsin, which specializes in arms and armor. Read more

Weather Ready Nation – April 3 is #SafePlaceSelfie Day!

Vernon Road Trips, Travel Tips , , , , , 0 Comment
Weather Ready Nation – April 3 is #SafePlaceSelfie Day!

Where’s your safe place? No matter what the hazard is, the #1 preparedness action everyone should take is to know where your safe location is. April 3 is #SafePlaceSelfie Day. At 11:11 a.m. in whatever time zone you’re in, take a selfie of your safe place and post it on social media with the hashtag #SafePlaceSelfie. Encourage others to participate, too, by asking them over social media, “Where is your safe place when extreme weather threatens?” Read more

Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, Fort Wayne, IN: Savings, Reunions and Organized Chaos

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Vera Bradley Outlet Sale, Fort Wayne, IN: Savings, Reunions and Organized Chaos

Over 60,000 shoppers swarm to Fort Wayne, Indiana, over five days each April for the annual Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. Shoppers are almost all women, from every state in the union and about a dozen countries. Women come by the busload. Groups of friends or generations of families hold reunions. They often dress in matching t-shirts for the big event. It’s one of the biggest events held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum each year.  Some shoppers even sleep in tents in front of the door the night before to be first inside.  They often come with lists in hand, lists from families and friends.   Read more

Hotel Julien Dubuque Combines Historic Grandeur with Modern Amenities

Connie Accommodations, Food & Drink, Iowa , , 0 Comment
Hotel Julien Dubuque Combines Historic Grandeur with Modern Amenities

Notorious gangster Al Capone owned the historic Hotel Julien Dubuque in the 1920s—maybe. He did stay there a lot, and although some believe he owned it at one time, it could never be confirmed. Earlier in history, Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain both stayed at the hotel. However, the building that they stayed in was the original building, which burned down in 1913.

Today, the hotel, located along the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, is a boutique hotel that combines its original grandeur with modern amenities. Read more

Cathedral of Saint Paul – Fascinating Stories of Its History and Architecture

Connie Attractions & Events, Minnesota , , , , , 5 Comments
Cathedral of Saint Paul – Fascinating Stories of Its History and Architecture

During the Cathedral of Saint Paul construction, the local Saint Paul newspaper referred to it as the bishop’s folly. It’s too expensive, too grandiose, too big and will never fill to capacity, the newspaper claimed. However, the cathedral opened on Palm Sunday, 1915, to standing room only at all four masses.

This is one just one of the fascinating stories that kept us engaged during our tour of the Cathedral of Saint Paul, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Read more