Portage County Historical Society Synagogue Museum

You know how sometimes you forget to visit the attractions that are near you just because, well, "they are near you?" Well, in our case, this is true of the Portage County Historical Society Synagogue Museum which is only a block away from our home--the Dreams of Yesteryear Bed and Breakfast in Stevens Point.
Yesterday was a rainy day and my sister Sunnie and her husband Jeff were in town visiting my parents. We had lunch at one of our favorite Sunday spots--I HOP, and then were wondering what to do with the rest of the afternoon. My husband Bill was driving so he decided to take us on a little tour of our own town.
The tour started at our Dreams of Yesteryear to see my new Jesus and the Children statue which I recently purchased and landscaped in my informal garden.
The tour then commenced to somewhere we hardly ever go simply because it's so close. We visited the Portage County Historical Society Museum on Water Street. The sign "Museum Open" beckoned to us. We were pleasantly surprised to find the display this season was on local businesses and places in Stevens Point. We had a wonderful time looking at the displays and remembering stores and businesses that were here when we were growing up. We even discovered a photo of the J.L. Jensen Store (the original owners of our B&B). What a great display. We could have spent hours in this little museum.
After the museum we took a driving tour to show off the new murals and windows to the past that have been appearing in our historic downtown area. Besides beautiful art, the murals are a great way to put you in a nostalgic mood as you remember some of the buildings that once graced this fine town.
The tour ended with dessert at Belt's Soft Serve. We stood in line in the rain to get our ice cream and then drove back to my parent's home to chat. What a great way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.
You know showing your town to someone else is fun. You feel like you're looking at your town for the first time--through the eyes of a visitor. I'd like to think Stevens Point has come to cherish its history. Or, is it, that I've grown up and can appreciate the history of the town in a way you can only appreciate it after you've gotten older? Either way, I discovered being a visitor in my own town made me proud of the city I grew up in.
I hope you'll want to come and look at Stevens Point through the eyes of a visitor. I'd like to hear your comments about my town. And while visiting, come stay at Dreams of Yesteryear. Our bed and breakfast truly is, "the kind of place Victorian dreams are made of." We have lots of momentos of Stevens Point and lots of memories to share.