It was farewell to Council Bluffs and a long haul across Iowa. Our first destination was the Muscatine Art Center in Muscatine, Iowa (“The Pearl Button Capitol of the World”). It occupies the lovely Edwardian Musser family mansion built in 1908.

There is a new wing in the back allowing items in their extensive collection to be displayed in either a modern gallery or in carefully restored and furnished rooms well suited to their American regionalist and other late 19th/early 20th century midwestern art.

Why this little known museum/gallery in a relatively obscure place? Some of you may recognize the picture behind us as one we also have hanging above our fireplace

The director of the Art Center, Virginia Cooper, helped me research why there were two visturally identical paintings by the artist, William Bunn (a student of Grant Wood), dated a few years apart. The hunt took us through his archives at the Smithsonian and contact with descendants who still possess unpublished notebooks from the artist. He indeed repainted it after the original was damaged, but he ended up repairing that painting as well. The Muscatine Art Center has the original; we have the later version.

Little else to report for this day of travel. We just had to get ourselves to the Cedar Valley Resort where gathered the Klemm, Feeney, MacDonald and McCurdy families, all part of John’s immediate family tree — a pre-wedding few days to relax and play together. Internet access is very spotty (hence the delayed posting), and mobile phone service non-existent for AT&T at least. The cabin has flat access from parking into the main floor where our room is (off the great room), and the bathroom, never advertised as accessible, can still fit a wheelchair and give serviceable if awkward access to sink and toilet.

Add to the wonderful company the lovely weather and a perfect sitting porch, and you have an ideal pause in our cross-country tour.