Lovely video before the tour of the studio. This man did a lot of things!…read moreThe studio tour was informative and descriptive of the transition/creativeness of making the loft into a livable space.

Definitely wanted to share my positive experience at this amazing place. The free tour starts with…read morea well-produced video that immerses you into the world of Grant Wood: personal history, career history, accolades and awards, and great backstories to many of his iconic creations. I highly recommend you see this video before attending the art museum, because it is great reference to prime you for what you will see in person. The studio tour is great, and as you are shown all of the features of the studio and are told about its background, what truly amazes is that Wood crafted it all out of a simple, primitive hayloft -- Everything. Keep that in mind, because your respect for him will multiply exponentially. My hosts, Dan and Kevin, were both friendly, accommodating and very knowledgeable -- the passion they both have for the space is authentic and contagious. Extremely pleased I went!

5 star just because it the only Cedar Rapids pool with a high dive! They also have one slide and a…read moresmall waiting pool for the little kids, it may not be the newest pool or have all the updates the other pools have but they do have the high dive!

Wow. What a fantastic library. We took a family roadtrip down to Cedar No Rapids, and the Marion…read morePublic Library was recommended to us as great for kids. Turns out it was great for adults as well. It's an oasis. They're doing sooooooo much more than typical. As much community center as library. Check out more at www.tundrabites.com

I liked the library in Marion before, but the new o e is awesome. The staff makes a library. I went…read morewith my grandsons and they were quickly signed up for the summer reading program. They were very helpful at finding some books the older boy wanted (inter library loan), and connecting the younger boy with books that fit his interests. The summer reading program has activities for kids - younger and tween/teen. They got a calendar positing them. The new (well a couple of years now) space is lovely as well. Lots of displays with enticing covers or titles in both adult and kid's sections. We all left with books to keep us busy.

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.

World Class library in a mid-size Iowa city. Was it really necessary to spend so much dough on such…read morea lavish repository of books? Time will tell. However, it is a very nice welcoming facility. Very technological in nature, but don't let that scare you off. The staff is very friendly and professional. Your library card can be used at both Cedar Rapids libraries as well as Hiawatha and Marion. The parking lot is very small in size, but with helpful tutoring from library staff you can park on the street and in the adjoining parking ramp for two hours with no charge. Just ask how to do it. I'm looking forward to nice weather so I can sit up on the expansive, expensive 'green' roof. That should be delightful.

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.

20 people in lobby. 1 person staffed at lunch in a Monday…read more Really??? Planning would be good. So much time and money wasted here. I'd go somewhere else but I have to use this one

Excellent window staff at this post office. They are completely professional, ask all the right…read morequestions, and are very helpful in the suggestions. The lines are very reasonable considering that many customers are unprepared when they get to the front of the line. The area is always maintained in a neat and mannerly order by the office custodian.

Fun little town 30 miles NE of Iowa City with a solid little downtown and a GREAT restaurant in…read moreLincoln Cafe - one of the best we've been to in years. The wine/beer bar up the street from Lincoln cafe is solid and Cornell college supports a number of small little local spots from a Russian diner to a tea shop. Additionally, driving about town reveals some really interesting homes that ranged from very modern looking to very rustic. The festivals in the area are fantastic including Chalk the Walk (Sidewalk chalk paintings) and the Chocolate walk that features chocolate merchants from the state showcasing their products. Great town to go for a weekend afternoon to hang out and enjoy a small town that's more eclectic than a lot of the surrounding area.

Population: 3,000ish…read more You know, for being "small town" in Iowa, Mt. Vernon is pretty darn nice. Close enough to the "big cities" (and by big I mean populations under 300,000) Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, there's plenty to do within short driving distance. I always thought stereotypical small towns had very little to offer, but between the nearby Cities, College town atmosphere, and great mom 'n pop shops (and bars) that line the downtown streetscape, there's enough to keep you entertained most of the time. Really though, the most striking feature of downtown has nothing to do with the physical environment, which is complete with something like 12 churches. The churches are a good counter to the 4 or so bars...so it all works out in the end. It's the people. When I worked in town I met some great townsfolk, who were some of the kindest souls I've ever encountered. It's like nothing I've ever experienced before, or may experience again, and is alluring enough to keep Iowa as a potential home-state sometime later in life.

5/5 stars for being your quintessential small town public library…read more This little library is chock full of lots of great things--books, audiobooks, magazines, DVDs, Blu-Rays, puzzles, games, and even cake pans. It's been a long time since I've seen puzzles and board games available for loan. For a library that's on the smaller side I'd say they have a lot to offer. I went ahead and got myself a library card on this visit because I know I'll become a regular. I left with a few non-fiction titles (I love a good self-help book), but will definitely be back to throughly browse all of their DVDs and Blu-rays--they must have thousands. Be prepared to really search the library for what you want, as they don't have computers available to patrons who may want to look up the name of an author, book title, or particular subject matter. If you have an exact title in mind, I'm sure the staff would happily locate it for you. Otherwise, everything is categorized by fiction, non-fiction, YA, picture books, magazines, etc, then alphabetically. They do have a printed inventory list of DVDs and Blu-rays that you might find helpful. Fairfax Public Library does have a website and an online catalog you can access from home. I'm not sure how you access this database at the library itself. Complementary Keurig machine with K-Cups near the fiction audiobooks. Free parking on the street in front of the library, or in the parking lot near the back of the building. Highly recommend visiting the library if you're a Fairfax/Walford resident.