This week we have been making our way back toward North Carolina, and while we planned to “make tracks” while stopping to see a few things, we’ve found that the “few things” were worth seeing for more than an hour or two. To make up the time, we’ve had to stay in a Wal-Mart parking lot twice (due to traveling so late), which is always a bit comical. In the last post, I mentioned the weedeaters… well, at our stop in Indianapolis, we were serenaded by the sound of 18-wheel truck idling nearby in the parking lot only to be replaced by the city buses that evidently begin their daily runs in this parking lot, too.
The two stops that have extended our trip a bit were Hannibal, Missouri; Springfield, Illinois; and Cincinnati, Ohio. In Hannibal, we visited Mark Twain’s boyhood home, which was very well presented. The museum, along with his actual home, the homes of Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn, his dad’s place of work, and a few other noteworthy sites were full of relicts, photos, and, of course, Twain’s famous sayings. The kids realized how good they have it when they saw pictures of Tom being whipped by his school
teacher. We took a riverboat ride that everyone enjoyed, too. Hannibal had a lot of fantastic shops and antique stores that we would have loved to visited had it not been for the kids.
Next, we headed to Springfield, Missouri, to see the Lincoln Presidential Museum, which far outpaced our expectations. New in 2002, this was a state-of-the-art museum that did a beautiful job of telling the story of Abraham, Mary, their children, and the politics of the time. Unfortunately we did not budget enough time to see the entire museum along with his home (which has been preserved) and
the inside of his tomb, which was equally impressive. We did see his law office and the state capitol building of his time. Springfield also is worth another visit… I’m hoping to find a super saver fair to Springfield to come back and see everything, and maybe without the kids! They are so funny in museums – they get so tired of us stopping to read the displays. I guess I would, too, if I were six!
The two stops that have extended our trip a bit were Hannibal, Missouri; Springfield, Illinois; and Cincinnati, Ohio. In Hannibal, we visited Mark Twain’s boyhood home, which was very well presented. The museum, along with his actual home, the homes of Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn, his dad’s place of work, and a few other noteworthy sites were full of relicts, photos, and, of course, Twain’s famous sayings. The kids realized how good they have it when they saw pictures of Tom being whipped by his school
teacher. We took a riverboat ride that everyone enjoyed, too. Hannibal had a lot of fantastic shops and antique stores that we would have loved to visited had it not been for the kids.Next, we headed to Springfield, Missouri, to see the Lincoln Presidential Museum, which far outpaced our expectations. New in 2002, this was a state-of-the-art museum that did a beautiful job of telling the story of Abraham, Mary, their children, and the politics of the time. Unfortunately we did not budget enough time to see the entire museum along with his home (which has been preserved) and
the inside of his tomb, which was equally impressive. We did see his law office and the state capitol building of his time. Springfield also is worth another visit… I’m hoping to find a super saver fair to Springfield to come back and see everything, and maybe without the kids! They are so funny in museums – they get so tired of us stopping to read the displays. I guess I would, too, if I were six!The kids were able to dress up like Abe and his family, which I would have liked to do. Cameron indicated that he was NOT going to smile for the picture; I think he has picked up on the fact that no one is smiling in "old-fashion
ed" pictures. My grandmother once said it was because they didn't have much to smile about back then. After this picture, he asked Hannah to sit down next to him, like Mary Todd sat next to Lincoln in the Ford Theatre. Then he instructed me to shoot him, but only when he gave the cue. The two of them sat down, and after a few quiet moments, he said, "Ok, you can shoot me now." I'm not sure that it happened that way in real life... but I followed his orders, firing a pointer finger into his head and uttering pow, at which time he proceeded to fall on the floor dead. I think the kids are learning some history!
ed" pictures. My grandmother once said it was because they didn't have much to smile about back then. After this picture, he asked Hannah to sit down next to him, like Mary Todd sat next to Lincoln in the Ford Theatre. Then he instructed me to shoot him, but only when he gave the cue. The two of them sat down, and after a few quiet moments, he said, "Ok, you can shoot me now." I'm not sure that it happened that way in real life... but I followed his orders, firing a pointer finger into his head and uttering pow, at which time he proceeded to fall on the floor dead. I think the kids are learning some history!
Yesterday we went to Cincinnati, Ohio, to see the new Creation Museum, which opened in May. It was interesting, to say the least. For once during this trip I find myself at a loss for words as not to offend the believers or the non-believers. For those who tend to lean in the direction of the literal interpretation of the Bible, it’s worth the trip. The museum was packed with people.
Last night we spent the night in one of the nicest campgrounds we’ve encountered: The Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington. Wow, some of our previous stops could take a lesson. Today we will travel to Mount Airy, then continue home early Sunday to celebrate Ron’s 41st birthday. I know he will be glad to see us!
See everyone back in town. J
Last night we spent the night in one of the nicest campgrounds we’ve encountered: The Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington. Wow, some of our previous stops could take a lesson. Today we will travel to Mount Airy, then continue home early Sunday to celebrate Ron’s 41st birthday. I know he will be glad to see us!
See everyone back in town. J
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