I thought I had written a review of Brucemore but hadn't so this is a little late. I took my mom…read more(who had always wanted to go) there in early June. I honestly wasn't excited about going but definitely was wowed. It's worth the price of admission. We had a great tour guide and it was just two of us. Tours are every hour. They definitely have a script but once our guide got warmed up, he shared a lot of information and stories with us. Gardens and property are nice to walk through as well. We were told they didn't have a gardener at the moment but the gardens still looked good. There's a pet cemetery on the property. (The last property owners had lions and monkeys and German Shepherds and other animals throughout their tenure.) Go see it after the tour so you know what you're looking at. Also know that there are some private homes now in in the carriage house and servants' houses so don't explore too much. Very interesting history. Don't miss the basement. (Also know that there are four flights of stairs and no elevator so plan accordingly if needed.)

Wow! What a cool place. The outdoor part of the property is huge and beautiful for walks or taking…read morein nature but the tour of the mansion is something you don't want to miss. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and the house was so well restored with so much of the original furniture and character from the three eras of Brucemore. So impressed and very grateful to have had the experience.

I haven't been to the theatre in years, and was so happy when my boyfriend surprised me with…read moretickets to see Carrie. The show was ABSOLUTELY amazing! We loved the dancing, acting, singing, props, ALL of it! TCR also has fun cups you can purchase with themed beverages to bring in while you watch the show which was a really nice touch. Can't wait to come back for more performances!

Comfy and known to invite talent in the area, I'm no easy critic but I felt at ease coming here for…read morea friends concert, it was amazing!!

The Lincoln Highway was America's first coast-to-coast highway. "Founded" by the Lincoln Highway…read moreAssociation in 1913, it was comprised of extant roads that were marked to show automobilists the way. In the early years, when the Lincoln Highway was being built, if any part of the road was paved at all, it was paved with gravel or macadam. The Portland Cement Association members and Lincoln Highway Association provided states with enough paving material to build one mile of concrete demonstration highway, out in the country, to demonstrate to motorists what a good road could be like. Called "Seedling Miles," the demonstration sections were built out in the country, so if anyone wanted to see what the paved highway of the future would be like, they were forced to drive across lousy roads in order to experience the concrete Seedling Mile. Iowa had only one Seedling Mile, this one on Mount Vernon Road between Mount Vernon (home of Cornell College) and Cedar Rapids. Iowa has now signed the historic highway. You can follow the historic route from the Mississippi River at Clinton to the Missouri River at Council Bluffs by following the signs. As much as this section of highway is historic in nature, I only gave it four stars because you aren't driving on the original concrete from 100 years ago. Linn County tore it up and replaced it a few years ago, but they did put up a monument. Originally, they placed a monument about 4-1/2 miles of east of here but after loud protest from Lincoln Highway enthusiasts, a duplicate marker was placed at the western portal of the Seedling Mile. (The original, misplaced tombstone marker, is located with a kiosk and reproduction bridge in Cedar Rapids, at Lincoln Heights Drive SE. It's a street that was the original route of the Lincoln Highway. It's a loop that avoided a steep hill that has since been cut down that Mount Vernon Road follows.) When you're on this stretch of Mount Vernon Road, you are traveling a section of the most historic highway in the United States, celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Very understated piece of historical Americana. It's hard to find but once you do pull off the road…read moreand take a few minutes to read the tourism sign. The area could use some weed removal but it's essentially a piece of concrete road.

Cousin got married in the Whipple auditorium of the library yesterday, and the reception was at one…read moreof the conference rooms close by. Initial plans were to hold the ceremony up on the roof, but outdoor temperature and humidity, coupled with daily forecasts of thunderstorms, necessitated the change in plans. No worries, as they were all still able to get photos of the wedding party up on the roof and at other library locations. Since we were all here for rehearsal and wedding the two days I visited the library, I was not able to explore much, except for the Greyhound Deli & Cafe on the first floor, which was right underneath the conference room where the reception took place and the nearby Whipple auditorium, which were on the second floor. The space outside the conference room had tables, chairs, and couches and was designed so that you may look into the cafe's "courtyard" below. Oh, and I really enjoyed checking out the "green" roof and the porcelain patio furniture! Nice views of Pepsi's delivery areas... Hehe! All three levels are easily accessed by stairs and elevators. Would like to explore more on a return visit sometime in the future.

What a great place is the CR library - I stopped in when I had a few unexpected hours to study and…read moreafter spending a few hours here, all I can say is "Wow"! The parking situation is a bit cramped as the lot only houses ~ 30ish cars, but if you find a spot, you're gold. Upon walking in, I was impressed with how modern and open the place is. There are tons of windows letting plenty of light in and lot of fun lighting throughout. Whilst walking up the stairs, I noted the random illumination of the wall next to me- it's the little things! I didn't explore tons of different areas, but did find the computers upstairs as I'd left mine at home. The computer section had around 50 machines and with a photo ID, I was able to log on for a couple hours. Tons of study space as well, including a bunch of private study rooms upstairs. The children's area was quite extensive and something our little dudes would enjoy. The furniture in the kids area had a healthy dose of modern art mixed in and made me want to sit/play on it. Café downstairs had plenty to drink/eat and made for some good caffeinating. Cool factor - They have a video game check out section for multiple different systems. Take home message - Great place to work, study, read or learn. If we lived up here, we'd be here A LOT!

I went on a date with my boyfriend to visit the National Czech and Slovak Museum. Staff at the…read morefront desk was very friendly and helpful about the exhibit. It turned out to be a really neat exhibit, with lots of interesting information provided everywhere you turned. I liked seeing the rotating mannequins displaying the different outfits worn by the Czech and Slovak people. I also liked reading about their different foods associated with their culture. We both enjoyed our time there very much! The gift shop at the end of the exhibit was filled with all sorts of neat traditional items of the Czech and Slovak culture. All Very Cool! I definitely recommend for everyone to visit this museum at least once in your life!

I'm definitely glad I had the chance to visit the National Czech and Slovak Museum. However, it…read morewas a lot smaller exhibit-wise than it appeared on the outside which might be worth noting. Underground parking garage kind of seemed to be closed when we pulled up, but it is not - just don't be shy about pulling your vehicle right up to the door! The nearby Czech Village is a fun artsy neighborhood worth your time as well.