Coffeehouse Discovery

 I'm always on the lookout for new coffee shops, and I love to travel. Therefore, I combine these two interests and revel when I succeed. On a drive to son Brian's place I spied a food option listing sign on I-70 that mentioned a Casey Coffee Company. Casey, IL is JUST off of I-70. Always room for coffee, so I stopped. It's a little town of  2376 but one that is big into self promotion in a neat way without being overbearing. They have a whole list of "worlds largest" features to see. This just calls out for sketching. 

I fell in love with the world's largest mailbox. They built this thing so you can walk up the stairs and look down at Main Street from the front edge! And this thing was in view of a window seat at Casey Coffee. So I ordered a coffee and sketched. I sketched it too large just because I was too engaged with it. That happens to me.

The coffee shop is great! On my return trip I stopped for breakfast (oatmeal, choose your toppings). I'll be back.

Fountain pen, watercolor pencil with waterbrush. 

LBL Homeplace, Revisit

 I camp at Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky a couple times a year. I always visit The Homeplace where staff interpret the history of the area. I've sketched the main house a couple times already and posted them. This is the second house. It's a "single pen" and is smaller. It was an overcast and misty day but I found a dry spot under the eves of the woodshop. Talked to a couple history interpreters and had a relaxing time sketching.

Fountain pen, watercolor pencils and waterbrush. I'm still exploring use of a wash I mix in an empty half pan. I'm touching my toe into the world of watercolor painting.

The Nicest Restaurant I Never Ate At

 Sometimes travel doesn't go as planned. I had a trip to a small town in Missouri. In my spare time I could see a plan develop. A neat coffee shop close by that I can sketch in! Got there at closing time. But a neat mostly restored old mill was close! Tour closed. Restaurant open but I just ate elsewhere. Oh well. I had time to sketch nearby with a view of the mill and water rushing close by. It was a sunny day with perfect temperature and I had the time. Who needs a plan?

The steel truss bridges remind me of some bridges we have on our rail-to-trails back home in Kansas. Love the design and feel.

Fountain pen, watercolor pencils and waterbrush. I used a spare empty half pan to create a wash from pencil pigments to use for the sky (a new trick I'm trying).