The Land of Lincoln

Saturday we packed an overnight bag (a Thirty One tote to be exact, it was given to us as a wedding present) and took off towards Springfield. It was a spur of the moment decision (thought of on Thursday definitely decided on Saturday morning) something that I don't do often because I am a planner! We didn't have a hotel or any true plan. When we got in the car we decided pretty quickly that we were going to go to the Lincoln Presidential Museum.


We stopped in Litchfield to get gas and grab some lunch at Jack in the Box aka Jack in the Crack per Kyle...he's such a comedian :)

It took us about an hour or so to get to Springfield...our trusty Garmin lead us in the right direction (no pun intended)...we found a spot to park in the parking garage and walked to the museum. Kyle used his military ID and we got in for $14 rather than $24. For those of you who don't know he served in USMC for 5 1/2 years!!! I love his big strong muscles :)

We decided to be our own tour guide so we started wandering (we later realized we went backwards...oh well history is history )...

We saw old documents, letter, life like statues, pictures, dresses, the list goes on and on...

At 2:45 we watched "The Ghost in the Library" an awesome mini production done with Holavision...I had never seen anything like this and I must say I was impressed!!!

At 3:00 we watched another production "Through the Eyes of Lincoln" it was in 3D...We learned a lot of interesting info but I found this to be most interesting...Lincoln had a lazy left eye just like me!!! They split a picture of him in half and it looks as if the left side of his face is sad and the right side is happy...it amazes me what historians come up with!!!

After we came out of the theater we realized we had gone through the museum backwards...we were supposed to start in the cabin where he had grown up and walk through the years of his life IN ORDER...

Here is a picture of me in the "White House" kitchen
(I took this picture before I found out I wasn't allowed to)

What the White House kitchen looked like during Lincoln's term

Across the street at the Library there is an exhibit called "The Boy's in Blue" it was just maps, documents, and pictures of Civil War "stuff"...nothing to spectacular but we wandered around looking at it and then found our way across the street to..

Pease's Candy Store...they have lots of their own homemade truffles and such but they also have Rasberries and Blueberries something I can't find just anywhere...My brother-in-laws introduced this yummy candy to me on a trip to Branson (my first trip with the McAfee's actually)...we got some of those and few other things and then went back to the car...

We stopped in to visit Aunt Judy and Uncle Mike...they gave me a belated Christmas gift!!! Uncle Mike is a wood worker (is that what you call it?) he makes amazing things from every kind of wood you can imagine...he's made canoes, desks, shaker boxes, quilt racks..etc etc...but he made me a sewing box!!! I love it!!!...I don't sew but I want to learn!!! Aunt Judy sews...she makes lovely quilts...she made us a beautiful blue and yellow wedding quilt!!!
They were packed and ready to leave the next morning to go to California to see their first grandchild Simon Elan :) We get to meet him in June!!! I can't wait :)

After our visit we decided it was time to find a hotel...so we decided on a room at the Fairfield Inn...I got a discount because because I'm a Wal-Green's employee...I'm really loving our discounts!!!

We checked in got spruced up and went to dinner at Longhorn nothing new and exciting like I usually would pick but it was close to the hotel and we were tiiiired...as we ate we contemplated going to see the Conspirator that new movie about Lincoln but it didn't start until 10:30...so we decided to get in the hotel hot tub and call it a night.

Sunday morning we ate our continental breakfast, showered, and went to see Lincoln's tomb...unfortunately it was closed but we walked around for a bit and read some literature around the site oh and rubbed his nose for good luck!!! :) (I should have taken a pic of it dang it!)

I'm sorry this is sooooooooo long...

We set out to cousin Gene's house in Petersburg for his bday party...he is a bit older than us..not that that matters...anywho...their house is ammmmmazing...they are huge antique collectors and every nook and cranny is filled with something...there house is an antique Honest Abe himself surveyed it when he was a lawyer!!!

Well, I hope you enjoyed my looooooooong story about my short weekend trip to Springfield!!!