Centerville (Appanoose County) Freedom Rock®

Bubba & Independence in Centerville, Iowa.

I was lucky enough to spend a little extra time in this particular county on the Tour, due to the fact my mom has family from Centerville, Iowa. Family that I do not often get to see...so this trip was pretty special to me. Usually there is not enough time to really relax and enjoy ourselves, but we made an exception this time and it was so worth it!

I took a few extra pictures and like I said took a few personal days to visit with family and enjoy what Centerville has to offer...which by the way is a lot. It was so cute and full of life. It felt like small town Iowa but with big city charm!

My mom and my aunt (pictured below) accompanied us on this trip. Here they are out to eat with us. 

Aunt Sheri & Mom at A & G's in Centerville, Iowa.

We all stayed at the Continental Hotel and it was also as interesting as the town. This place had so much history and was so unique. We really enjoyed our stay there. Here are a few pictures of it.

The Continental Hotel | Centerville, Iowa.

The Continental Hotel | Centerville, Iowa.

The Continental Hotel | Centerville, Iowa.

I kept making the comment that I felt like I was sitting in a little restaurant somewhere in the middle of Europe, but nope-we've got it all right here in small town Iowa people. At night the top of every building is lit with white lights. What beautiful scenery!

Also, this hotel features its own restaurant which is just delish! Here is a funny picture of my mother and daughter being goofy at dinner:

Mom & Indie at the Continental Restaurant in Centerville, Iowa.

Here is a picture of us enjoying a little family down time and pestering our favorite artist... :)

If you're in the area you should definitely check out The Gypsy Quarter. There are so many amazing things to look at in there from home decor, jewelry and much more. I'm so disappointed I didn't have more time to do so!

And of course, being the coffee addict that I am, I immediately scouted out a little cafe...and it did not disappoint! I got an iced caramel latte from Tangleberries. I had to take a picture of it because I love how cute the cup is and also this gives you an idea of how unique the town square is. 

And finally, here is the finished Centerville (Appanoose County) Freedom Rock®. Outstanding as always:

Centerville (Appanoose County) Freedom Rock®

"The Freedom Rock for Appanoose County is complete. I stayed at very nice hotel called the Continental Hotel on the beautiful Centerville, Iowa square. This was convenient because the rock sits just across the street on the courthouse lawn. The road facing side of the rock features Francis Drake (Drake University/Governor of Iowa and from Centerville) as a Union Army brigadier general. Behind him is the first USS Iowa which was the first ship commissioned in honor of Iowa and saw substantial action in the Spanish–American War. On the back side of the rock I featured a father hugging his daughter after returning from service. In the background is the Centerville square. Over the top of the rock is the American Flag as if it was laid over the top twisted by the breeze. At the end of the flag is a gold star in honor of those we've lost and around the star are the seals of each branch. Hope the residents of Appanoose County enjoy their Freedom Rock."  -Ray "Bubba" Sorensen II.

Thanks for having us, Centerville, Iowa. We truly enjoyed ourselves. Looking forward to coming back in the future for sure!