Ioway

I went to Iowa last weekend with my mother-in-law to see Brandi Carlile in concert. I'm not sure I would drive six hours just for a concert, regardless of the performer, but my mother-in-law is sort of a Brandi groupie.

And the concert was pretty great. If you don't know Brandi Carlile's music, check it out. Start here. She's a talented gal. Her voice is so rich and gritty, and I love the way classic country has influenced her sound.

Here I am looking like a dork while she signs my T-shirt. I couldn't think of anything to say to her, so she just starting singing "Jackson" while she signed.


If it looks like we were in an art gallery, it's because we were. The concert was at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines, a giant Victorian mansion that's been converted into a stunning theater space and art gallery. It was really neat.


On the way home from Des Moines we drove through Madison County, so we decided to veer off the interstate and see the covered bridges. I have not read the book or seen the movie, so the only appeal of the bridges was to see something historic that we don't have in Kansas.


But honestly, they're not much to look at. There are only five of the original bridges left, and they're really only famous because of the movie, which looked pretty cheesy to me. But regardless, now I can say I've seen them. And I must admit, they are kind of cute and rustic and Amish-looking and all delightfully painted red.