Where do these “snow birds” go after the holidays to warm up? Where the Saguaro are abundant and the sunsets are breathtaking. I’m talking Tucson, AZ, but it could be anywhere in southern AZ. We like to stay in the Sonoran Desert at Desert Trails RV Park. This is a 40 plus community park with planned activities if your interested, or you can hike or bike from the park with over 120 miles of trails. The best part is that it is a quiet park with no noise pollution from planes, trains or freeways. It also has no light pollution, so you can survey the stars to your heart’s content. The park has 225 full hook-up sites and you truly can meet the friendliest people. The park started as a waterpark in the 1970’s and was converted to an RV park in 2007.
This photo is taken at the top of the hill overseeing the park. This is the best place to watch the sunsets as well.
The park is great for bird watchers as well. The park attracts well over 50 varieties of birds.
While in Tucson
Tucson is a large city with so much to do. From hiking, biking, wine tasting or just site seeing, there’s plenty to keep you busy.
We love to visit National Parks and there is a big one right in Tucson: Saguaro National Park. This park is the home to the nations largest cacti: the Saguaro. There are 2 sections, east and west of Tucson. There’s a quite a few hiking trails to see the park.
What’s the difference between a barrel and a saguaro? The barrel has fishhooks spikes.
The East side of Saguaro National Park
With most places, I like to begin at the visitor center to get the lay of the land. I’ve found that the rangers have a wealth of information and offer useful maps of the park as well. The visitor center also offers restrooms and a giftshop. If you have about 15 minutes, I would highly recommend the short film, “Voices of the Desert,” and walking around the small museum. This is also the beginning of the 8 mile Cactus Forest Loop Drive.
This was from our first year here, when we had our dog Jessie. We sure miss him on our adventures!
Inside the museum, you learn a lot about the different species of cactus.
This saguaro is only about 30 years old at roughly 5 feet.
I’m pretty sure this is the only way I am going to see a Javalina. We have been looking out for one for 4 years and have not spotted one in the wild yet.
This is as close as I want to get to a mountain lion.
Still waiting to see a black bear in the wild.
The is Javelina Rocks overlook along the Loop Drive. We climbed to the top to enjoyed the view.
The West side
Along the Bajada Loop Drive I did a short hike Signal Hill Trail because it was the best place to see petroglyphs and the view of the desert meeting the city.
So if you’re a hiker, the East side is better. I would say if you’re short on time, the west side is for you. If you’re a southwestern lover of a cactus, either park will work for you. If you’re interested in seeing the desert come to life with blooms, May is probably the best time to see that, but beware of the heat at that time of year.
History Lesson of Missions of Tucson
Everyone knows about the California mission trail, right? NO? Is that just taught in California 4th grade classes? Probably. But did you know that Arizona has missions also? I did not either. So here is the thing, from 1682-1821, the Spanish established more than two dozen missions and presidios in Southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. These were built BEFORE the California missions that were established between 1761-1823. When we were visiting, we were not able to go inside due to renovations going on but if you’re in the area, check out their website to organize a visit.https://sanxaviermission.org/
This is San Xavier in Tucson, Arizona’s oldest European structure, completed in 1797. The is still a functioning mission with church services every Saturday at 10 AM and noon as well as 5:15 on Sunday evenings. They have a school for children k-3rd grades with plans to extend up to 8th grade.
Behind the mission, you can take a short little hike around a hill and get a great view from the top of the hill.
Old Tucson
If you are interested in stepping back in time and interacting with the times of the past, Old Tucson is the place to visit. Its a historic 1939 movie studio and western- themed park. The park was built in 1939 for the 1940 film Arizona. It has been a movie studio for over 500 production including some famous one including Rio Bravo with John Wayne, Tombstone with Kurt Russel as well as the TV show, Little House on the Prairie with Michael Landon. It has gone through some challenging times over recent years. There was a major fire that destroyed 40% of the studio lot on April 24, 1995 destroying sound stages as well as memorabilia. The park was shut down in 2020 like everything else due to the COVID pandemic. The park reopened in October 2022 and has been slowly trying to get traction as a tourist destination. When we visited last year, we saw stunts shows and shootouts. Andrew even got to participate in a show. Tickets are a bit steep at $40 per person, but where else can you get such entertainment?
See the pretty blonde in the middle? That would be Andrew.
The Turquoise Trail
This was our introduction to Tucson, AZ. We first stopped at the visitor center in downtown and got a map of the city, restaurant suggestions, and a recommendation for a walking trail. We were told about the Turquoise Trail that is a 2.5 mile walking loop around the city. It is marked with a bright turquoise line on the sidewalk. You can download the trail on your phone to get more information for a small fee. It highlights several historical sites that start with the historical Presidio Museum. The museum is a recreated Spanish fort built in 1775. The highlight was the pit house for me because I read about them, but you have to see one to understand it; it is different.
This is a 2,000 year old pit house
Along our trail we ventured to the Historic Tucson courthouse that was built in 1929. It has remained an active courthouse. It has seen many prominent cases as well as been visited by Hollywood.
The turquoise dome is a prominent feature and one of the most recognized structures in the region including the official Pima County Logo.
The courthouse made headlines in 1934 when the Dillinger Gang was captured in Tucson. Actor Clark Gable was found quilty in this courthouse in 1954 for negligence and crashing his car into another. In 1991 Johnny Depp pleaded guilty to speeding in the courtroom.
This water feature was pretty cool!The A for University of Arizona The Earp boys by the train station.Check out this cactus!We found an authentic Mexican restaurant along our turquoise route at about the half way point called El Minuto Cafe. This has become a favorite restaurant of ours.
University of Arizona
If you have been following us for a bit, you know that we always find ourselves on college campuses. This time we came to the University of Arizona because my husband was a huge fan of Lute Olson and wanted to see where the legend coached.
Basketball stadiumWe saw this little guy trying to make a delivery on campus.
So whether you have a day, a week, or several months, Tucson has a lot to offer for everyone. There is so much history in this town and a lot of murals around town to see. I highly recommend a visit and each year we come back with the “snow birds” to stay for a bit. I hope you enjoyed our journey to Tucson, AZ. Please hit the like and subscribe button to travel around the country with us.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that we left off with crossing the mighty Mississippi and we went to Wisconsin.
The Second Oldest Town in Wisconsin
The city Prairie Du Chien dates back to 1785. Our last stop on this trip in Wisconsin was the historic Villa Louis. We visited the estate of Hercules Louis Dousman who is often called Wisconsin’s first millionaire. This estate is nestled along the banks of the Mississippi River. You feel like you’re walking onto the set of Downton Abby with its elegant Victorian country home. Imagine this without the British accents. The house was opened to the public as a museum in 1935. I am a sucker for anything old, so walking through this old house was definitely on my bucket list.
We began our tour of the office building. It originally started with one floor and later a second floor was added. The first floor was a man cave. It was complete with a billiard table used by both men and women. The second floor was used for guest bedrooms.
The estate has been restored to the 1890 glory days complete with period furniture and heirloom gardens. The beautiful lawns outside that once housed a horse racetrack now looks like it can host a polo match.
The wraparound porch caught my eye immediately. I could imagine sitting here with a cup of tea, reading a good book and enjoying the views outside.
Can you imagine receiving guests in the parlor? You could host a lot of guests in this room although the chairs don’t look very comfortable.
They had indoor plumbing which yells, I have a lot of money. Check out the size of the tub! I would drown in it!The grand dining room. Everything is original and changed out periodically.It was not uncommon for girls to share a room together. I think most girls today would be okay with it given the size of the room.
Check out the detail of the carpet design.
So much wall paper everywhere.
Servants
I can imagine Thomas Barrow and crew from Downton Abby spilling the tea here during their dinner time.
Many women felt fortunate to work in such a grand house. As the sign reads “It offered the ability to improve English language skills, learn American housekeeping and general absorb and master American cultural norms.”
Some servants made their home here while others came to work for a day, week or a season. Monthly wages depended on your skill. House maids made $10-$12 a month, and gardeners made $30. Estate management made even more. I can’t imagine making so little, but their room and board were covered as well as their meals. The servant’s quarters were a stark difference from the main house. There were thinner walls and lower ceilings. Multiple doors and locks separated these spaces.
Gardens
This Arteisan Well was completed in 1876. It is the largest of two wells located on site. Both of the wells had been plumbed into the estate buildings at one time. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=284831059236817This was the only battle of 1812 that was fought on Wisconsin soil. They do still have reenactments here as well.
If you have a couple of hours to spare, step back and tour the mansion. Touring the grounds is also recommended. Admission is only $15 and well worth the money. I wish we could have stayed longer, but we were on a time constraint. So, if you’re like me and like to pretend that you’re stepping back in time to live like royalty you have to visit. I really did feel like I walked onto the set of Downton Abby.
Madison
We love Wisconsin! More specifically, Madison. Why? The history, cheese, the dells, cheese. I’m kidding, but in all seriousness, Wisconsin was full of so many surprises that we left and came back! If it is not on your bucket list by the end of this blog, maybe it should be.
We stayed at Madison Campground in Deforrest, It looks like it is a former KOA. The campground was nice and the staff were great as well.
We didn’t spend a lot of time outside due to the humidity. Each site had a lot of space, so you were not on top of each other.The art was unique around the park.Two playgrounds designated for different ages. There was a pool here as well.This is a nice group picnic area if you have a large group.
Any cow lovers out there? I’m definitely a Holstein cow lover. That’s why we had to stop to take this picture. We did this before going in and getting some cheese at the Ehlenbach’s Cheese Chalet https://ehlenbachscheese.com/ .
Talking about cheese, Madisonians take their cheese seriously. I have never seen so much cheese in one place. I was overwhelmed by what I wanted to buy.
After careful consideration, I ended up buying cheeses that I knew I could be creative with.
Smoked Bacon Cheddar Cheese (This was great to make Mac and Cheese)
Rosemary Olive Oil Asiago (This was great to use with pasta)
Chocolate Cheese Fudge (This was just for fun because I couldn’t believe that cheese tasted like fudge)
Fun Facts about traveling with cheese:
Cheese can travel outside of refrigeration. It must be kept at room temperature. It should be kept out of direct sunlight.
If traveling by airplane, it is usually best if you can pack your cheese in your checked luggage.
I would definitely come back to buy more cheese. I really envy Wisconsinites who have access to all of these creative cheeses.
It’s Totally Free!
What is the tallest building in the city? If you said the state capital, you would be correct. It is located in the center of Madison. That area is actually on an isthmus. An isthmus is a strip of land between two lakes.
We joined a free guided tour which showed us the Supreme Court chambers and legislative rooms. We also found the governor’s office to see where everything gets signed.
As you can see, the capital was under renovations. The dome is the only state capital with a granite dome. It’s a gorgeous white granite from Vermont. The dome is huge and elegant. It is technically taller than the one in D.C. , standing at a tall 284 feet which is 3 feet taller than the U.S. Capital.
This building is the third capital building for the state and it was completed in 1917 for $7.2 million.
Inside you will find murals, mosaics, stained glass, and enough marble to make Italy jealous.
When you are in the capital, look up into the Rotunda. You’ll see four massive murals. They represent key themes of democracy: Government, Justice, Education, and Liberty.
In the center of the inner dome is the painting of “Resources of Wisconsin.” The painting depicts a female figure representing Wisconsin. She is surrounded by other figures holding symbolic items. These items include lead, copper, tobacco, fruit, and a freshwater pearl. This painting doesn’t look very big, but it is 34 feet in diameter.
Where are the laws upheld? Of course, the Supreme Court.
This mural of one of four and sits behind the bench. This mural should look familiar, since it is the signing of the Declaration Of Independence.
The three paintings in the senate chamber depict a significant event. “The Marriage of the Atlantic and the Pacific” commemorates the opening of the Panama Canal.
The people of Wisconsin are proud of their badgers. This sculpture sits above the door of the second floor chambers.
While in Madison, you will find the quirky as well. This pink elephent was shown on the Google map as a tourist attraction. Sometimes you don’t have to go look for it, it finds you when you least expect it.
Stayed tuned as we head east in Wisconsin and go to the circus.
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Thanks for joining us, and welcome to Ohio as we explore the area for a couple of weeks. We are a husband-and-wife team that travels the country in our Keystone Cougar 2100 RKS, and we love to explore new places. If you like to learn new things, this is the blog for you. Today we learn about Lewis and Clark, Annie Oakley, and The Treaty of Greenville. We last left off at the Keystone Cougar Rally in Shipshewana, Indiana. After the rally, we headed to Ohio and stayed at a Harvest Host called The Cedar Coffee in New Paris, Ohio. This isn’t like other coffee houses that you see around the country. This is better because it is a small company in a small town. While walking to the coffee shop, we walked along this beautiful stream.
While here, we had some drinks and snacks while waiting for some friends. We didn’t want to get coffee in the middle of the day. The drinks were just what we needed while waiting for our friends.
We caught up with some college friends that we hadn’t seen in 25 years. It was so good to catch up with them.
After a day, we headed to another Harvest Host called Today’s Harvest in New Paris, Ohio. We parked in their parking lot and enjoyed the farm life around us. The next day we traveled through the town of Greenville, Ohio and stopped at the Garst Museum. I love these little stops so Andrew can work, and I can learn new things. The Garst Museum is the National Annie Oakley Center. I was very excited to learn about this woman I had heard about but didn’t really know a lot about.
On November 16, 1977, this house was added to the National Registry of Historic Places.
There is so much history in this building that I spent a good couple of hours here. I felt like I was walking back in time absorbing as much information as I could. I love to learn history this way much more than reading it in a book.
Greenville, Ohio
Greenville is a city in Darke county and was incorporated in 1832. Greene Ville was the largest stockade fort ever built in North America and was named by Anthony Wayne. It was the scene of the most significant American Indian treaty ever negotiated. Darke county was name after William Darke who commanded a battalion of St. Clair’s Army. He was described as being “frank and fearless in disposition.” Drake county has 188 graves of War of 1812 veterans.
Cross Roads of Destiny
The Treaty of Greene Ville of 1795 opened the door to the settlement of the Midwest . The Treaty ended forty years of conflict over the upper Ohio Valley. The post was abandoned in 1797 and none of the original structures survived. In 1805-1808, a Shawnee chief Tecumseh who was against western expansion and his brother build a village near the ruins. https://www.garstmuseum.org/exhibits
On August 3, 1795, the Treaty of Greenville, formally titled “A treaty of peace between the United States of America, and the tribes of Indians,” was signed, ending the Northwest Indian War and establishing a boundary line between Native American lands and territory for United States settlement. Here is Tecumseh and his brother.The power hitters of the western expansion.
Lewis and Clark
You know, the two explorers of the Lewis and Clark expedition?
In 1795, Meriwether Lewis joined the US Army but not very much time had passed before Lewis was charged with” conduct unbecoming of an officer” based on charges by Lieutenant Joseph Elliot. Based on the transcripts of the court martial, Lt. Elliot claimed that Lewis was intoxicated and challenged him to a duel. Lewis defended himself successfully and was acquitted with honor. He was then transferred to William Clark’s unit probably because of the court martial and his superior marksmanship in the army.
Well, Willliam Clark was stationed in Greene Ville in 1794 and in 1795 Merriweather Lewis was sent there to witness the Treaty. While the two men were in Greene Ville, they became life long friends.
On April 1, 1801, Lewis was appointed as Secretary to the President by Thomas Jefferson. In 1803, Jefferson had commissioned the Corps of Discovery to explore a path west to the Pacific Ocean and to expand the territory. Jefferson chose US Army captain Lewis, and Lewis chose Clark as his partner after Jefferson purchase land from France for $15 million. So, on May 14, 1804, with a crew of 33 volunteers, Clark left by canoe at Camp Dubois, Illinois and followed the Missouri river to meet up with Lewis in St. Charles, Missouri. The expedition lasted 2 years.
Annie Oakley
She was born as Phoebe Anne Mosey.
Annie was not a very tall girl, just about 5 feet tall, which I can relate to.
Does the name sound familiar? It did for me, but the only thing I knew, was that she was good with a gun. Annie was born August 13, 1860 in Darke County, Ohio. When Annie was 6, her father died leaving the family of 8 in extreme poverty. The children were sent to families to live and work who could pay them. When she was 7 she tried her father’s muzzle-loading rifle with her brother’s help. She seems to have been born with special shooting skills. At 8, she was sent to the Edingtons, supervisors of the Darke County Infirmary, where she was treated well. Later she was sent to another family that didn’t treat her well, where she was abused, overworked and rarely paid. She called the family “wolves” and eventually ran away back to her mother only to learn her stepfather had also died. She returned to the Edingtons and considered that she had a happy childhood.
Annie met her husband Frank Butler when she went to the city to visit her sister when she was 15. She then won a shooting contest against him and a year later, in 1876 they married and never had any children.Frank adopted a dog and named him Dave. They did shows with him and she would shoot an apple off the top of Dave’s head. When the War started, both Frank and Annie were touring to raise money for the Red Cross. He became known as Red Cross Dave because he could sniff out money in handkerchiefs.
In 1885 the pair joined Buffalo Wild Bill and traveled around Europe performing for royalty.
While bird hunting in New Jersey, Frank felt a jolt and when he looked at his shotgun, he could see that a hunter had fired a high powered rifle in his direction. The bullet blasted a hole through his gunstock. He kept the stock and used it in lectures regarding gun safety.In 1887 Charles Lancaster crafted a shotgun specified for Annie with her shoulder and arm dimensions. From then on, she specified that all of her rifles and shotguns be constructed with the same dimensions.
In 1926 Annie and Frank came back to Greenville, Ohio to live quietly, writing to family and friends. They passed away 17 days apart with Annie passing first. They are buried together in the Brock cemetery near Greenville Ohio.
We ended our day in Bradford, Ohio at a Harvest Host.
Ansonia, Ohio where we stopped for dinner at the Whistle Stop. The food was delicious and the service was great.
These were potato skins. They were perfect!
The mini Bo burger
Beef Manhattan Dinner
While driving around at night, we got to see a sight that I’m not used to seeing. They glow at night and they blink. Do you know, what I’m talking about? Did you say Fire flies?
I hoped you learned something with us in Ohio. Please hit the subscribe and like button to stay in touch. Stay tuned for more as we get connected in Indiana.
Welcome back and welcome to Indiana! Thanks for joining us, as we explore the area for a couple of weeks. We are a husband-and-wife team that travels the country in our Keystone Cougar 2100 RKS, and we love to explore new places. This blog highlights the Crawford, Indiana area and we were introduced to a native noisy creature.
As we were traveling along our way to Crawford, we found the Nestle Bunny at the Nestle Plant.
We found our way to Crawford KOA for two nights. We did learn about a new creature called a Cicada.
These little creatures make sooooo much noise. Oh my goodness!
Lane Place
While we were in town, we visited Lane Place in Crawford, Indiana. The beautiful house belongs to the Montgomery County Historical Society. The house started with a 3 room cabin in 1830 and in 1845 the front part of the house was built in 1845 when Henry Smith and Joanna Elston Lane were married. The house went through many renovations over the years
The reconstructed Speed Cabin is also on the Lane grounds.
The house next door is being renovated by the local chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution.
Wabash College
While driving around this beautiful town, we stumbled upon another college.
This college was founded in 1832 and is a private men’s college. The campus is 65 beautifully wooded acres.
This is the local courthouse.
Stay tuned as we head to Illinoise and fly back to California. Please like and hit the subscribe button.
Hello, thank you for joining us. If you’re new to the blog, we are a husband and wife team that travels the country and wants to share our travels with you. So welcome to the blog! If you are returning, welcome back as we traveled north from Springfield, Illinois to Iowa. We stopped at Spoon River rest area for a few hours so Andrew could get some work done before we crossed over the Illinois river and into Iowa.
We stopped at our Boondockers Welcome in Muscatine, Iowa. This is a lovely farm that has ponds that are run by the fish and wildlife service. It was wonderful to listen to all the frogs chirping and making music with the crickets during the daylight hours. Over the trees is the mighty Mississippi River. It was a great stay for one night.
Shortly after getting on I80, we traveled by the World’s Largest Truckstop. We didn’t stop this time, but it definitely looks like someplace we should stop next time. It makes me think of a Buckee’s, if you’re familiar.
Herbert Hoover National Historic Site
We started off our day early due to storms coming in later in the day. We were able to spend about an hour at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. There was a lot to see, and we had to go briskly. It is definitely a stop along the way worth visiting; how could you not stop if you haven’t seen it! I would definitely plan for a bit longer than an hour next time.
As a former schoolteacher, I always want to see the school room and try to imagine teaching students of different age levels in one classroom. Times were definitely different back then. The only source of heat was from a potbellied wood burning stove at the back of the classroom.
This school room was also used as the town’s first Quaker meetinghouse and later a meeting house was built. The building was divided in half with the men sitting on the right of the partition, while the woman sat on the left. The Quakers didn’t have a paid minister and they didn’t use music either. They had a practice of “silent waiting” which was worshipping in silence. If the spirit moved them, they could share their insight or prayers. Herbert Hoover described this practice as a “strong training in patience.”
Inside the presidential museum, there was so much to see and not enough time. The highlights for me were:
His oval office looks about the same as every other president.
I can’t even imagine trying to get thread around these pins since the pins are so close together.
A little information about the Hoover Dam since we have been there a few times now. If you ever get the chance to take the tour of the dam and go inside of it, it is very worth the money.
We made the walk up the hill to see the resting place of our 31st. president. President Hoover passed away at the age of 90 in 1964 in New York City. Five days later his body was interred on this hillside overlooking his birthplace and presidential library. His wife Lou Henry Hoover died in 1944 in Palo Alto and was moved to rest beside her husband as this beautiful location.
We then landed in the northeast corner of Iowa just before the storms were due to hit. Luckily, we only had rain and some wind but thankfully no tornadoes. We were there visiting family in the area. As we were traveling to our destination, we came across a town named Winthop, Iowa. A little voice in my head told me I know that city. Do you know that voice that talks to you, no? Okay, maybe it’s just me. Well we couldn’t stop because of the storms so we drove there a few days later after the storm. I wanted to go the cemetery. We pulled into the small town cemetery that had maybe 100 plots. There was nowhere to park other than along side the plots. The first plot we saw turned out to be my great grandparents on my father’s side.
As I walked around the cemetery, I found my second great grandfather, a great aunt that died in infancy, a great grand uncle, and my 3rd great grandmother. This was such a huge find for me since my genealogy is like Swiss cheese. I have been on this journey for 50 years to learn who I am and where I came from.
When we were in Iowa about 15 years ago, we came across a grocery store called Piggly Wiggly. My daughter didn’t believe that was the name of the store, so we went inside and got groceries. As a souvenir, she got a bag with the name on it. Now, every time we are in the area, we have to stop.
We visited the small town of Garnavillo, Iowa which is where Andrew lived until he was 18. It’s always nice to go back and see where he came from.
We drove around the Guttenberg Historic Rivertown. It’s a nice place to walk around the Great Mississippi River.
A lot of history in this small river town. The town was originally named Prairie la Porte, in 1883. In 1844 the Western Settlement Society of Cincinnati was an organization that was founded to aid German immigration. The society purchased 300 acres, and a town was born. Later the name was changed to Guttenberg.
Dyersville was established in 1846-47. I would say there are 2 things that make it famous: the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier church and the Farm that became of movie site.
We have been to the movie site several times over the years and in case you want to visit: beware! The movie site does get snow.Major League Baseball built a new field for the Aug. 12, 2021 game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The ballpark is big enough to hold 8,000 spectators and the design of the park pays homage to Chicago’s Comiskey Park. If you’re in the area and a baseball fan or not, this is a must stop on your roundtrip.
Stayed tuned to our very fast trip home for a surprise. Please hit the subscribe button to be notified when a new blog is posted.
Our last day in Ohio was at a Boondockers Welcome. We came in during a rain storm but we had an absolutely wonderful stay.
I try to capture each state sign but it is not always there, I only get this from the GPS. We stopped at a rest stop in Green Forks, Indiana and spotted this really cool seal on the floor. It was a very clean stop.
We only stayed in Indiana one night. We stayed at the Crawfordsville KOA Journey https://koa.com/campgrounds/crawfordsville/. It was raining when we came in but we got out between storms to take some pictures.
It was a nice big park even with all the puddles.
Our site was nice but we didn’t even unhook in the rain.
A nice play area for the kids when the weather is nice.
A big dog run for your fur babies of all sizes.
They even had these small camping cabins if you are traveling and don’t have a tent or an RV. Neat way to “get out there” and significantly cheaper than a hotel.
I thought this was left out from Halloween, but I think they keep this up all year long. It was kind of funny and made me laugh.
Illinois
We headed to Springfield, Illinois and stayed at Double J Campground. This was a perfect location to see everything in the area.
This wagon is along historic Route 66 and it is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest covered wagon in the world. A statue of Abe Lincoln reading a law book sits in the huge wooden wagon, which stands 24 feet tall. Its a 5-10 min. stop and a great place to let the kids out to stretch their legs.
Double J Campground
This was a very big campground that had something for everyone. They have RV sites and tent sites.
Nice big showers!
So it was good to know where to go in the event of a Tornado.
The restroom was very clean and updated/
A great big playground for the kids to play.We had ladder ball and a big chest set in the grass.As well as a volleyball net.Inside the covered area high stakes ping-pong ensued. I won’t say who won, but the winner is NOT in this picture!Horseshoes anyone?Mini-golfThe campsite itself was nice and big with a picnic table and fire pit for those that like to smell like smoke. Don’t get me wrong, I love campfires but I don’t like smelling like one.
If your planning to visit Springfield, Ill. or just want to enjoy a vacation in the campground, this is definitely the place to stay. For just $62 a day we thought this was a great gem. If your interested in Lincoln stay with us as we explore all things Lincoln.
Lincoln Home National Historical Site
Our first day into Springfield, we went to the Lincoln Home National Historical Site. We started off with a self guided tour through the park walking in Lincoln’s steps. We got a sense of who his neighbors were and what life was like in 1860’s. We went back the next day to get a tour of the Lincoln home. Be advised that school groups fill up the tours during the school year.
The house sits on the corner of 8th and Jackson Street. The original house that you see from the front was built as a one and a half story house with 5 rooms in 1839. In 1844 the young Lincoln family moved in. In 1846 the first remodeling of the home occurred. The Lincolns added a bedroom and a pantry to the back of the home, and the kitchen was removed from the back of the house and shifted over several feet to its present location. Between 1849 and 1850 another remodel happened, stoves were installed in the parlor rooms, the brick retaining wall in front of the home was constructed, and the front walk was bricked over, replacing the wooden sidewalk. As the family grew another renovation was done between 1855 and 1856 the front of the home was raised from one-and-a-half stories to two full stories. The bedroom was moved to the upstairs portion of the home, allowing for the creation of the rear parlor. Wood folding doors were added to the parlor at this time and the front parlor windows were permanently closed. The rest of the home was raised to two full stories allowing for the present 12 room nearly 3,000 sq. ft. home. The Lincolns lived in this house until they left for the White House in 1861 and never returned due to the memories that they had created here.
The Lincoln’s entertained their guest in the parlor, it is considered the most formal room of the house. This is the same room that Lincoln was formally notified of his presidential nomination.
The living room where the family spent time together and the children played.The dining room was much smaller than I expected. I don’t know how they did it.Mary spent many hours managing the household and raising children. Mary oversaw the activities that made this a well-run and inviting home. First impression is that the kitchen was small and I don’t know how she cooked for 5 in such a small space.
Lincoln’s bed was very simple like the man himself.
His tiny little desk that he wrote many a documents from. I don’t know how he sat at this.
His closet.
Mary Todd Lincoln’s room. Her dresser she brought with her from her childhood home.The Lincoln boys bedroom where Tad and Willie shared a room.Mrs. Lincoln had 1 hired girl to help out around the house. Notice the walls do not have wall paper on them. And the floorboard were original to the house.
We traveled the 22 miles out of town to explore the reconstructed New Salem village where Lincoln lived and worked as a young man from 1831-1837. Lincoln came to New Salem by flatboat.
The village features twenty -three historically furnished buildings.
I was amazed that the fire places were made from wood and not rock. I would have thought this would have been a fire hazard.
This is the home of Isaac and Elizabeth Gulihur. They lived in this cabin after getting married in 1831.
This is the Johnston residence. Robert made and repaired spinning wheels, wagon wheels, and did a lot of cabinetry.
This is the First Berry-Lincoln store. James and Rowan Herndon arrived in the spring of 1831, built a store and opened it that fall. In the summer of 1832, James sold his interest in the store to William Berry. Rowan was not happy working with Berry and later sold his interest in the store to Lincoln. When a larger and better stocked store became available across the street, they moved their business there in Jan. 1833 on a promissory note which meant no money was exchanged because Lincoln and Berry and no money.
New Salem was a wonderful way to walk in Lincoln shoes. We took lunch with us and had a nice picnic before wondering around the grounds. If you like history, this will not disappoint at all .
The Lincoln Museum
Oh my goodness, let me just say that this is the best museum that I have ever been into. The cost of admission was a mere $15 and worth every penny. When you first enter, you see the Lincoln cabin on the left and the white house on the right with the Lincoln family in the middle.
Our first stop, curtesy of the museum docent was the holographic show “Ghosts of the Museum” and the special effects theatres will entertain, educate and mesmerize you with ghostly images, live actors and high action. It was amazing. You couldn’t tell what was holographic vs what was real. I couldn’t tell if it was a real person or a holograph. We then proceeded through Lincoln’s cabin.
The attention to detail, was amazing. There were forest noises as well as the dog snoring here sleeping at Lincoln’s feet.We then proceeded to the slave market exhibit.This exhibit depicts Lincoln during his time in New Salem while working in the store that you read about above. All of the figures looked so real!
The Lincoln’s were very lax with raising their children. They loved their children so much that they pretty much got away with anything. This next scene is a day that Mr. Lincoln took his boys to work with him and they are very rambunctious. When you enter this room, you can hear the boys yelling, screaming and laughing.
Lincoln’s law partner William Herndon said that Lincoln “worshipped his children and what they worshipped; he loved what they loved and hated what they hated.” Notice the ink on the wall!
The third oldest child was William Wallace Lincoln. The young Lincoln child died while living in the Whitehouse from typhoid fever. This next picture shows the Lincolns leaving a party downstairs as young William lays in his bed.
You can feel the turmoil that the parents were feeling. A happy occasion downstairs, and a somber room upstairs.The cabinet room that the Emancipation Proclamation was first shown to his cabinet.
The war room was an amazing depiction of the war room during the civil war. An interactive map shows where the war lines were, how they moved, and dates and amounts of casualties during any one battle. I wish I would have gotten a picture but was so enthralled with the whole 10 min. display. It truly is a teachers dream and wished this was made available to teachers. It brings the whole thing to life.
John Wilkes Booth sneaking into the Lincoln viewing box.
The depiction of Ford’s theatre with the Lincoln’s box seats
This picture was taken April 24, 1864, in New York City. Only 1 picture exists of this great president after he was assassinated. Mrs. Lincoln thought is was highly disrespectful to Lincoln’s memory. Secretary of State Edwin Stanton ordered all the plates and negatives to be confiscated and destroyed. Many years later after Mr. Stanton had passed, his son found the single picture and mailed it to Lincoln’s old secretary of state John Nicolay in 1887. It remained hidden until 1952 when it was found in the Illinois State Historical Library manuscript collection.
This somber room makes you feel as if you are viewing Mr. Lincoln during his funeral. The room is dark and quiet with somber music quietly playing. Nobody is speaking in this room. It is very eerie.
If you only have time for 1 main Lincoln things, the Museum is a MUST! You can spend several hours there with so much to read. Another must see is the Lincoln Tomb
As you have read in past blogs, I love cemeteries. I love seeing how old they are and to pay respects to those that have passed young and from what diseased plagued the area of the time.
With that said, I was not prepared for this presidential tomb. This tomb sits up on a hill in the Oak Ridge Cemetery. The Lincoln Tomb was formally dedicated on October 15, 1874. The obelisk is 117 feet high, with a full length statue of Lincoln at the center. On the corners are Infantry and Cavalry statues . It is really a sight to see.
After his funeral and burial services, his coffin was placed in a receiving vault for seven months.
The burial site sits in the middle of the building. As you walk along the corridor that is marked with statues and quotes , you will find yourself in the middle burial room. President Lincoln is approximal 30 inches behind and 7 inches below the seven ton block of marble.
Across the walkway is the resting place for the rest of the family with the exception of Robert Todd Lincoln who is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Side note, we did find the first recorded burial plot in the cemetery. Believe it or not, the deceased passed from teething, of all things.
In today’s world it would be unheard of to have a colored section. There are slaves, Lincoln’s boot maker and friend, a conductor in the underground railroad are all buried in this section.
Sites around town
This building was built in 1840-41. Lincoln moved into it in 1843 with his law partner, Stephen T. Logan. The partnership dissolved in 1843 and he took William H. Herndon as his junior partner. They moved to another location in 1855 and their partnership disintegrated with Lincoln’s death. The Lincoln law firm occupied several different locations in the area, but this is the only site that still stands.
This building built in 1852 is currently a law office and holds so much history. This is where Lincoln left for the White House. In 1868 it was closed to train passenger when a new station opened up. In 1968 a fire destroyed a freight wing and was remodeled in 2012-13.
Stayed tuned for more in Springfield and so much more. Please hit the subscribe button if you like what you’re reading!!!
Last time we were in Yucaipa, Ca and now we are still heading inland again to avoid all the rain that California is getting slammed with.
Adelanto, Ca
Ever heard of this little town? Me either, which is why this was a perfect stay. It is located northwest of Victorville with a population of roughly 20.000 people. If you read the last post from Yucaipa, you will know that that area has and still is inhabited by the Serrano Native Americans here also.
Where to stay?
We stayed at a small park Adelanto RV Park http://www.adelantorvpark.com/. It only had 74 sites, but it was clean and well kept. We checked in at the office and had an escort to our site. Our site sat on gravel with full hookup of water, electric, and sewer. We stayed for 2 nights at $50 a night.
The views around this park were amazing with the snow capped mountains in all directions
What to do?
Go to McDonalds! Not just any McDonalds, but the very first one! We were inspired by the movie The Founder https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4276820/ staring Michael Keaton from 2016. Great movie to watch even if you can’t visit the original site.
The first McDonalds was a barbeque restaurant with a staff off 20 carhops and 25 items on the menu. In 1948 the McDonalds BBQ closed, for 2 months while they remodeled the kitchen to only cook hamburgers and fries.
McDonalds reopened on Dec. 12,1948,without any carhops, but Speedy was the official mascot, and so began merchandising as only McDonalds can do. The prices are hard to believe – 15 cents for a hamburger, and a whopping 10 cents for fries! Hey McDonalds – can you bring those prices back to California please!!! Within a year, McDonalds was producing mass quantities of hamburgers and fries and they began selling hundreds of shakes every week as well. This attracted the attention of (in my opinion) our villian, Ray Kroc. Ray had a vision for McDonalds, and along the way to making that reality, his methods changed the nature of what was a small business burger joint.
In 1953 McDonalds was demolished yet again for a better building with 2 golden arches which became the prototype for every McDonalds until 1968.
In 1962 the building was torn down again and a concerned neighbor prevented the wrecking crew from taking down the original street sign. A new building was built and housed Lopex Music Store. In 1992 the building was bought by the San Bernardino Civic Light Opera but was eventually foreclosed on.
This railing is to pay homage to the opera house.
In 1998 Albert Okura, a big fan of Mcdonalds bought the foreclosed property for $135,000 and decided to open an unofficial McDonalds museum specializing on the early years. The museum open on Dec. 12, 1998 on the 50th anniversary of the original McDonalds. The museum is open 7 days a week, is free but gladly accept donations. It’s good fun watching the reactions of others in the museum as they discover toys and memorabilia from their childhood. Spending an hour or so here really can take you back in time. For us, seeing the 70’s era brought back memories of our youth, and seeing the 90’s era allowed us a glimpse back to when our kids grew up.
If your old enough to remember the Styrofoam containers they got ’em here! And oh, what about all the rides and characters?
Remember Hamburgler or Evil Grimace? Oh what memories it was to visit. We used to have birthday parties at McDonalds and they were the best back in the day.
After visiting the McDonalds, of course we had to go to Redlands to get our McDonalds fix. While driving around we noticed the beautiful landscape. The picture is of the area in the past under a freeway overpass. Their were several pictures and difficult to capture while we were driving.
We were enjoying the beautiful area not far away was a small glass museum called the Historical Glass museum in Redlands. It is the largest collection of American-made glass west of the Mississippi River. All of the glass on display was all donated to the museum to fill the 6 rooms of the lower level.
The house was built in 1903 by Jerome Seymour a woodworker and architect. The house stayed in the family until 1977 when Seymour’s daughter Emma Cryer past away. The house was purchased by Dixie and Doc Huckabee with the intention of showcasing their glass collection. Other glass collectors joined in and they formed the Historical Glass Foundation. In 1985 after 11 years of hard work, the doors were opened to the public
Build by Jerome Seymore and still showcases the wooden doors from his planning mill and woodworking days
My favorite display was this collection of 500 cruets.
Admission is free with a suggested $5 per person donation. They do have a gift shop on site to buy your own glass as well. If your interested in visiting, they are open on weekend from 12-4p.m. https://www.cityofredlands.org/post/historical-glass-museum
Also while in the area, we are known to visit college campuses for no reason other than just curiosity. This trip was no different and we drove around CSUSB. The school was opened in 1965 and not a very big school but the views were amazing with the snow capped mountains
On our way back, I was excited to see the town of Victorville because it was new to us. We thought about visiting the California Route 66 museum but only had 30 min. till closing and we didn’t think we could do it justice. Although we only saw a small portion of Victorville, we were not all that impressed with what we saw.
We enjoyed our stay in San Bernardino and learned a lot. Stayed tuned for our next episode, we are staying in a ghost town.
