VACATION - PART THREE

Following all of the stops I talked about in the previous posts, we arrived in Dubuque for the celebration of Ben's parents' 50th anniversary. Here's Mom, Dad, Ben, and his siblings at the party. Ben got both looks and brains. The rest of them are a wonderful bunch and I fit right in. There is another picture of the family with their spouses/partners and I am right there in it with the rest. Hooray.
On Monday, we went to the Mississippi River Museum. Here's a picture of Ben checking out a hut on the property. Here is one of the several stained glass windows at St. Lukes UMC in Dubuque. This is the ONE that is NOT Tiffany. What an awesome display of art and faith.
After seeing the Cavalier (found in Ben's parents' living room) I know where he gets his taste in tacky art. This is perhaps the ugliest thing I've seen in a very long time.

Here's a shot of the Lock and Dam on the Mississippi at Dubuque. It is taken from atop Eagle Point (no steps here -- we drove up)Here's Ben at Pikes Peak. No, it's not the one in Colorado, although it is named for the same guy. Ben has a weird sense of humor -- Paris in Michigan, Pikes Peak in Iowa. Ah well, that's one the things I love about him.These two pictures are a bit odd. The first is a beer can permanently implanted in the side of a tree. At least in Michigan, we return them for the deposit.This one looks pretty normal but in reality the table is about twenty feet down the side of the bluff at Eagle Point. Throwing it over the rail to where it became litter must have been some idiot's idea of fun.There's more photos and memories from this trip, but I won't drive you all nuts with all of them. As you can see from what I have posted, we had a good time and saw a lot of suff. Now we are home and the trials and troubles of life picked right up where we left them a week ago. Ah well, that's life. And that's a wrap. Hug someone you love.