Welcome to Iowa, the land of corn and silos.
The Iowa Capitol was undergoing some outside rehab. It is still an impressive building, even with the scaffolding blocking part of the view. The details in the artwork on the outside were different because the figures were separated from the wall making them look more realistic.
The dome is very impressive. It has multiple levels of windows which give it a much brighter look than many domes. The clouds on the dome are painted on the surface of the dome. The flag, the seal , the eagle, and the year banners are all suspended from the ceiling of the dome.
Taking the tour granted us access to the Senate chamber (red carpet) and the House chamber (green carpet). They are both very nice chambers with a nice gallery.
The Supreme Court no longer meets in the Capitol building. It is a shame because the room is amazing. The wood was all hand carved. Including when the court was expanded from five to nine members. The gentleman who did the original work was still on the job some 50 years later so the State hired him again to do the upgrade. We took a picture of the hinges on the door because they were the fanciest we had ever seen. (Be ready for a surprise when you see where we stayed tonight.)
The rest of the interior of the capitol looked more like a grand hotel than a capitol. It was all very nice, but it seemed like a clash of styles at times.
The detailed artwork was very diverse as well. The tilework was outstanding. The artisan was able to make the tilework appear to be 3D.
We were surprised to see a statue of Abraham Lincoln reading to his son Tad at the Iowa Capitol. It seems Lincoln was so popular that many states have a statue of him on the capitol grounds. We took a selfie from the back of the capitol as we prepared to leave.
We stayed at a very nice B&B called The Richards’s House. The hosts were very nice. The food was amazing. Every room took you back to the past. The entry way and the parlor had very detailed stained glass in the windows. The decorations were a great match for the time period of a 140 year old building. The canopy bed in our room was the fanciest we have seen. We had a fireplace and a wonderful reading spot. The hinges on the front door were even more ornate than the ones we saw in the capitol earlier in the day. The outside was being renovated. Since this building is a historic landmark, it must be an expensive project to do the outside renovation.
We had a great dinner at a Mexican Restaurant.
It was another good day on the road. We have had great weather every day so far. Any rain or fog has not impacted our travels yet.