Welcome back! We have been traveling with our daughter and last we left off, we were visiting Monument Valley. Now we are heading towards Colorado Springs. We have family in town that we enjoy spending time with, so we seem to visit every summer for the last 2 years.
Four Corners Monument
Our first stop was to Four Corners; our daughter has never been, and we felt that she needed to see it and she wanted to.
See the line of people waiting to take pictures?
This monument in the only place in the US where you can be in four states at the same time: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. We have been here twice, once with each of our daughters. It is a must do if you’re in the area and expect a line for pictures. Plan to be here for at least an hour if you do want pictures.
Pagosa Springs
We decided to visit a Harvest Host in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Pagosa Springs Colorado. Last year we visited a winery with our daughter and she loved it, so this time, we decided to introduce her to farm life. And oh boy what an experience it was! We were first greeted by a herd of sows and piglets. We had some trouble parking in the pasture because they kept going under the rig and Andrew was trying to get us in a location that was somewhat level on the farm. It was quite the sight to see! I was out of the truck trying to wrangle these cuties out from under the rig.
They were not budging! I had to ask my city daughter to get out of the truck to help me get them moving. We finally got them to move along and we were able to park and we could relax for a bit after a long day of driving.
Then guess who showed up again? The sows seem to make the rounds, so as we were sitting outside, they came by to check on us.
The next morning, we met the owner Brian, and he gave us a tour of the farm. We met the pigs again, cattle, and the dogs. It was such a great experience; we even purchased some fresh pork to enjoy on our travels.
We got to feed the friendly cows.
This dog was so big and looked like a wolf.
The puppies were just getting weened.
Andrew is afraid of big dogs, so for him to pet this dog is a big deal.
Since Autumn enjoyed this Harvest Host so much, we took her to another Winery in Penrose, Colorado. Once again, this did not disappoint. We met the owner Sean who came out to meet us and invited us inside for wine tasting when we were set up.
The wine tasting was very good and complimented the charcuterie board that we got. I was introduced to a new cheese that has jalepenos in it, and it was so good, so I bought some as well. Sean the owner, gave us a tour of the wine process and really took his time explaining things to us. It was a great night and we would definelty go back!
From Pagosa, we traveled to Yoder, Colorado outside of Colorado Springs. We were thinking of staying 3 nights and Autumn and I could travel the 30 minutes into town to see the sights. Well we got there and it wasn’t quite what we expected or were used to. This was a Boondockers Welcome site which means you pay nothing for your stay except to use their electricity. We decided to only stay 1 night, because of several issues, but the main one was internet. The coverage was not good and Andrew needed to work. So we moved the next morning to a KOA in Colorado Springs.
Cracker Barrel
Since our living situation wasn’t ideal and we needed to kill some time, we went into town to introduce Autumn to Cracker Barrel. Once again, the food was amazing, and we walked away with leftovers.
I always get the fried chicken!
I’m not a meatloaf kind of person, but it is really good!
Another chicken fan.
While we were waiting for our food, Autumn was introduced to the Peg game. I don’t know how she never new about this travel game, but she was infatuated with the game. So what did she do? She bought the game to figure out how to win.
Of course, we all have to take a shot at the game.
KOA Colorado Springs
We had a nice 2 night visit here. This is a really nice park expecially for families. They have RV spots, tent sites as well as cabin sites. They have planned activities for the kids and a splash park. Autumn said she would have loved this place as a kid.
And just like that, Autumn’s trip was ending. She spent 2 weeks on the road with us and I think she had a blast. This is turning into a tradition of her traveling on the road with us for a few weeks and seeing new things in the country. We took her to the Denver airport and she flew home.
Stay connected as we discuss what to do in Colorado Springs in our next blog. Please hit the subscribe button to follow along.
Welcome to Monument Valley, one of the most beautiful places in the world! Thank you for joining us as we show our oldest daughter the valley.
Autumn had never been to Monument Valley, so of course we had to take her there. It is Andrew and my favorite place. This was my 4th time here in the last few years.
Before we begin our journey into the valley, some things to know about. There are 3 differnt kinds of rock formations.
A mesa, which is the biggest. I remember this because it looks like a table, and the Spanish word for table is mesa. It is wide and stable.
A Butte, a rock formation that has eroded from a mesa which makes it smaller.
A spire, which is the final form of erosion from a butte. It is tall, narrow and free standing.
You can’t go to Monument Valley and not do the 17-mile loop, but don’t plan to do it in your RV. You’re driving on dirt and sometimes it is very soft. In fact, busses, RVs, and motorcycles are not even allowed! Plan for a couple of hours to do the drive and enjoy the sights. There is an $8.00 fee, and they will give you a map as well.
Both of these buttes look like mittens which suggests spiritual beings watching over the valley.
Doesn’t this look like an elephant? You can’t see it? Use your imagination with the big hump.This is supposed to look like a catholic nun facing her two pupils. The middle one looks like it is leaning back and will fall one day.
The next stop was the John Ford point, which is named after Hollywood director John Ford who made John Wayne famous.
Sometimes you can pay to have your picture taken with a horse out on the point.
We took a break at the John Ford point and enjoyed some fry bread. It was so big that we couldn’t finish it. We had garlic and butter on it, and it was so rich, but so good. We had never had it before, have you? Here they also have Navajo vendors set up, so you can buy products from them.
Can you see the camel in this Butte?The hub symbolizes the hub of a wagon wheel. The Navajo see this as a fireplace in the center of a Hogan. Keep reading to find out what a Hogan is.
This spire monument is a good example of what erosion does to a butte. This is one of my favorite because you can see the totem poles.
The magnitude of these is massive.
I was excited for this because I had recently learned what code talkers were.
Code talkers in a nutshell were military members who used their knowledge of Native American languages to send secret messages during the war. They were vital to helping the US because nobody could translate what was being said.
This is the north window, where you can see the northern view of the valley.
Sometimes Navajo vendors are here, and you can buy Navajo products.
Hiking in Monument Valley
There is only 1 hike that you can do in the valley. It is 3.8 miles and you hike around a butte. I recommend in the warmer months to start early and take plenty of water. There is not much shade and only 1 bathroom half-way through the hike.
This was an April outing for us and you can see, we had jackets/ sweatshirts on.This was summer time as you can see.So much to see and learn along the way.
When we stayed here this past summer, it was the 4th of July and we got to experience a free 4th of July show that can compete with any 4th of July show. It was so cool to hear the blast off the canyon walls, it was so loud! Have you ever been here for the 4th of July?
This is definitely a 4th of July, we won’t forget!
What is a Hogan?
A hogan is a traditional ceremonious dwelling that is considered sacred for the Navajo. As you drive around the area, look on the land for these sacred sites. I think each family has one on their property.
I don’t know how many people can be in a Hogan at once, but if it’s a ceremonial location, I would imagine the whole family would go in.
The best place to stay
Everytime we have visited Monument Valley, we have always stayed at Gouldings. They have something for everyone. They have lodging accommodations, as well as an RV campground that you can tent camp at also. https://gouldings.com/.
This little guy scared Andrew as he hooked up our 5th wheel. I think he is so cute!
Many of the sites have these beautiful flowers.
The view of Monument Valley from the campground.
If you’re interested in taking a short little hike in the park, there is a gem within the park.
The hike to get there is short but sweet! And there are sooooo many picture opportunities!
Dinner at the lodge
We had soup with fry bread, a taco salad in fry bread as well as a steak. All entrees were very good and the views during dinner were really good. So have no fear, you will be fed while you’re here. There is something for everyone!
Hiking at the campground
There is a nice little hike within the campground that will take you into the canyon to see a little surprise of an arch bridge. You really can’t go on top of the arch, but you can definitely go underneath it and beside it. Each time, we have hiked back into the canyon and enjoyed this little gem.
Do you see it?????? The bridge?Is that better? It is very cool to walk to a natural bridge!
Thanks for traveling to Monument Valley with us. If you like what you see, please hit the subscribe button and continue to travel with us.
Hello there, thank you for joining us on our travels. The last we left off, we packed up our house and I was getting on a train to go pick up our daughter in the bay area. I spent the night with her and we caught the train and traveled to Bakersfield where Andrew was picking us up.
Bakersfield, California
We got groceries and stayed the night at the Orange Grove RV Park and Resort. click the link to read about our stay.
This time we stopped at Orange Grove RV Park and Resort in Bakersfield off of highway 58 over the Tehachapi’s.
Las Vegas
We surprised our daughter with a couple nights in Las Vegas and oh boy what a few nights it was. After we landed at Oasis RV park, we hit the pool because it was so hot, and it takes a while to cool the RV down. If you’re looking for a resort in the summer, this is definitely where everyone goes. They have an 18 hole putting green, as well as 2 pools, a kids and adult pool. They have an onsite cafe/bar as well. After we cooled down in the pool, we cleaned up and we hit the town. For more information, visit https://www.oasislasvegasrvresort.com/
Blue Man Group
Our first stop was going to the MGM hotel and saw the show of Blue Man group. The show was fun and entertaining and was about 90 minutes long. I have always wanted to see this group since we saw them on America’s Got Talent several years ago. We loved the show, and they get the audience involved in the show as well. They come up into the audience and interact with them. It is a fun show, and I think Autumn had a good time.
Other Shows in Vegas we have enjoyed
It’s so cool how they manipulate the lights
The Jabbawockeez was a great show that I took my daughter Topanga to the year before. Since she is a dancer, this was a perfect show for her to go see. They are a hip-hop dance crew that have high energy and very fun to watch. Tickets were a bit pricey but so is everything else in Vegas. The show definitely put a smile on her face.
Freemont Street
We spent the night enjoying Freemont Street. This is absolutely our favorite place to go in Vegas. Here is a tip: Circus Circus has free parking and we Ubered over to Freemont Street and back. We spent several hours over there enjoying the live music of two different bands.
While visiting Freemont Street, I would highly recommend doing the ziplining. My daughter Topanga and I did the superman zipline across the length of Freemont Street and it was exhilarating. I was a bit nervous, but I’m so glad I did this! You do need a reservation so plan in advance. Plan to pay for the experience!
We even spent a little time checking out the casinos in Freemont Street. We didn’t win anything, but fun was had by all.
Circus Circus
So since we were parking at Circus Circus, we thought we would spend a little time here. When our kids were much younger, we spent time here to keep the kids entertained with the Adventuredome and the circus acts.
We revisited the Hoover Dam, and it has changed a lot since Autumn saw it last. When she saw it as a child, they were just building the bridge. We tend to visit the dam often, I think this was our third time to visit. The first time we did a dam tour, and that was amazing to go inside the dam and see how it all works. Tickets are not too expensive, check it out! https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
We spent 2 full days in Las Vegas and I think Autumn had a fabulous time. Stayed tuned as we take our daughter to adventure in Utah next.
Hello, welcome to our blog. If you’re new here, we are a husband and wife team that full times it in our Keystone Cougar 5th wheel. We travel the country and love sharing our travels with you. Last we left off with, we took our oldest daughter to Las Vegas. We then made our way to Zion National Park. This is one of my favorite National Parks to visit. Last time I was there, I did the park alone, but this time I got to show Autumn the park.
If you have the time, you definitely need to do the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel drive, especially if you’re planning to travel to Bryce Canyon. You can take your RV because rangers will stop traffic one way for you to drive down the middle of the tunnel. There is a $15 fee for large vehicles. It was just announced that if your large profile vehicle is more that 11ft. 4 inches tall, 7ft.10 in. wide or 35ft. 9 in. long than you will have to find an alternate route. This change will begin next year. It’s a 1.1 mile drive through the mountain and it is very cool!
Sorry about the dirty window, we had done a lot of driving!Driving highway 9, we encountered our first big horned sheep and goats. I was so excited to see them in person, I actually cried! Don’t judge, I’m a huge animal lover.Bison along highway 9 as well!If you like the red rocks like we do, there is a lot of it from Zion to Bryce!
There are so many hikes and trails to do. My first time there, I was alone and didn’t want to get in a long line for the shuttle. In my brilliance, I thought I would pick up the shuttle at station 2 after walking the Pa’rus Self-Guided Walk. It is a 1.25mile paved trail that travels along the Virgin River. It was a beautiful trail, and I highly recommend it. When I got to the shuttle, I learned that it only goes back down to the visitor center, so back to the visitor center I went. I got in line and took the shuttle to the last stop of Temple of Sinawava.
When you get off the shuttle at Temple of Sinawava, you take a few steps, and your view is breathtaking. You feel like you are at the end of the canyon; when you look up you’re surrounded by tall sandstone walls.
From here you do a 1 mile easy, paved Riverside Walk. My daughter and I actually hiked part of the Narrows and it was so much fun. If you plan to hike the Narrows, here are my tips: Start early and bring food and water to enjoy the beautiful views. Bring the proper shoes of hiking shoes and have a walking stick or two to help navigate through the rocky waters. I would also use a dry bag to keep your phone, wallet, and lunch dry. Plan to spend the day in the Narrows, it can take 1-8 hours depending how much time you want to spend in the water.
From the Narrows, I took the shuttle to Weeping Rock, which continuously has water seeping through the sandstone. It is a short walk to see the weeping rock and it was actually kind of cool to see.
From Weeping Rock, I caught the shuttle to Grotto Trail and walked to Zion Lodge where I sat, enjoyed the views, people watched, and enjoyed my lunch that I packed with me. You can buy lunch here if you so desire and it’s the only place to buy food in the park. The large grass area had wild turkeys lurking about looking for some handouts. You defintely have to go inside and check out the lodge. You also want to get your merchandise inside the gift shop here.
When Autumn was with me, we hiked the Lower Emerald Pool trail. The trail is rough and can be grueling in places, but not too bad if you’re in pretty good shape.
We then split up on the way back. Autumn went down, and I went up. It wasn’t an easy hike but so very worth it.
This was the middle pool falls. Nothing to really see. You just cross it on the way up. I hear there is water here after rains.
The hike up to the upper pools but tough. I had to stop many times to rest because it was so difficult and hot.
So, you can’t go into the water, which would have been nice to cool off in, but the hike was so worth it.
When I got back to Autumn, I felt bad because it took me an extra hour and a half to get back to her.
I had to rest for about 30 min. before we moved on. Have you ever been this tired after a hike?
We hope you enjoyed our trip to Zion National Park. Please hit the subscribe button to get notified when a new blog is posted. Stayed tuned for more when we head to Monument Valley.
While we were in the central valley, Andrew drove to pick up our daughter as a surprise for her birthday. Of course, as we were heading to the coast, we stopped at Casa De Fruita and spent about an hour there enjoying the sights of the stop.
For as many times as we have stopped here over the years, we didn’t know there were turtles in the lake. So we walked around the lake to enjoy the many turtles sunning on the rocks. There are even Koi fish in the pond as well.
We spent some time looking in the shops and doing some shenanigans.
Andrew and our friend Merry are obsessed with the rubber chicken and their videos. Their favorites belong to King Chicken https://www.youtube.com/@RomeroMay. They are fun to hear.
After playing at Casa, we headed to Monterey’s Cannery Row for the afternoon.
If you go, plan to park far and do a lot of walking, but with so much to see, if doesn’t feel like a lot. Because it was a birthday celebration, we had more shenanigans. We did a pirate adventure just on a spur of the moment. It was a bit pricey, but we had fun. It is a bit like the Buzz Lightyear ride in California Disney. https://canneryrow.com/experience/treasure-hunt-the-ride-is-filled-with-pirate-lore-and-fun/
The monuments of Canery Row
Best Lunch on the pier was at Fish Hopper https://www.fishhopper.com/. We wanted to have a view of the ocean, and this met that criterion.
We started with bread and drinks. I’m not the biggest fan of bread, but Wowzers, this was so good. The Cabernet Sauvignon Francis Ford Coppola was very good and refreshing.I had the Salmon and it was soooo good with a creamy sauce. The portion was small but very filling.Andrew had the fish and chips and he loved it.Autumn had the filet mignon for her birthday lunch, and she said it was cooked to perfection.She had chocolate cake with ice cream to celebrate. I will admit that we shared the dessert, and it was yummy.
It was a great meal, with great views. It was pricey, but very well worth the money spent. We were able to get a seat right away, but I would recommend having a reservation at night.
After lunch, we walked around Steinbeck Plaza and enjoyed the views.
The views were amazing!
The end of a great birthday celebration was had and we close with our birthday buddies. Fun fact, they share a birthday a day a part.
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 post was all about Lincoln. Today we wrap up Springfield with a few other interesting sites.
This is the sixth state capital building, and it was completed in 1888 at a cost of $4.3 million. This is the second one in Springfield.
Why, you ask are there so many sites for the state capital? Well the first one, located in Kaskaskia, Illinois, was founded by the French in 1709. It was the territorial capital until 1809. The state had leased a two-story building for the sum of $4.00 a day. When the lease expired, the state let it go and hatched a plan to encourage people to buy land in the interior of the state. So, the capital was moved about 80 miles away to what would be called Vandelia, Illinois. The second capital was finished in 1820 and soon burned down. A third capital was erected in 1824, but many citizens wanted to move the capital toward the middle of the state. In 1836 Lincoln and several lawyers pushed for moving the capital to Springfield. That same year citizens demolished the current state capital, and the 4th was constructed in hopes of keeping it in Vandelia. On February 25, 1837, the general assembly ignored the votes of the people and decided to move the capital to Springfield.
The capital was built between 1837–1840, when Springfield became the capital city. It served as the state house from 1840 to 1876, when it was replaced by the current capital. This site has significance because it is here that Lincoln announced his candidacy for president in 1858 as well as Barrack Obama in 2007. It was in this building that Lincoln would plead cases before the supreme court.
I love their fried chicken! Oh my goodness, not too much batter and the spices mixed with the chicken are just perfect. The apples taste like apple pie without the crust. Wowsers, so good! The mac and cheese, I wanted it to be so good, but it fell a little short.
Andrew had the meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and apples. As you can see, he loved the meatloaf, he devoured it before I got the picture taken.
Fun sightings around town.
Found these guys around town. I thinks stores use these for advertising around town.
This mural was on the side of a building near the train depot. It has Springfield notables. It was very big and could be seen as we were driving around town.
Stayed tuned as we travel to Iowa and have fun dodging storms! Please hit the subscribe button to follow along with our travels.
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!!!
We had planned this trip to Ohio for nearly 9 months and nothing could prepare us for what we would experience! I love seeing the old architecture of any city and Ohio didn’t disappoint!
Why is there a chandelier over the road??????
Home to the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, and the AHL Cleveland Monsters.
Home to the MLB Cleveland Guardians.
The bridges were also pretty cool.
The Rock and roll Hall of Fame
So Andrew is a music guy. He studied music and got a degree, he wanted to be the next Eddie Van Halen. He had bands in high school, he was our church band leader. Needless to say, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was his thing! I could have done the whole thing in 1 day but we did it in 2 days, We met our friends in Cleveland and “the boys” went bananas over the whole thing.
John & Andrew totally in their element.These 2 guys haven’t played together for 2 years so they really enjoyed their jam session.
Have you heard of Fender, Gibson, Les Paul? These are all types of guitars, and typically a guitar player has a favorite. Well Andrew is a Fender guy, but he also has a Les Paul – of course he does -so I had to get a picture of the father of the electric guitar, Les Paul.
Andrew could have spent hours looking at all the guitars on display. Heck, he might had slept there if they let him!I am a huge George Michael fan especially from the early days of Wham!
For the Taylor Swift Fans
The artist formerly know as Prince, his guitar for the Purple Rain tour.
Michael Jackson’s jacket that he wore during the recording of the We Are The World recording to raise money for Africa famine relief.
Views around the town
This was art in the downtown area of a free stamp.The sunsets were amazing off of Lake Erie.This building was lit up at night in red, white, and blue. It was so pretty! I know, it’s a little blurry, but trust me.
The food around Cleveland
Breakfast at Starbucks while we waited for our friends. We tried the chocolate croissant, and loved it. We always love the banana bread! Lunch at the Leaping Lizard was very good. I had a grilled chicken Caesar salad. it was so big that I couldn’t finish it.
My taco at Nuevo Modern Mexican and Tequila Bar was a bit spicy and not to my liking. I could only eat one of them.
We had lunch in Lulo Kitchen and Juice Bar on 9th Street. It was very small but allowed our party of 6 to sit and eat. The food was good and and we all enjoyed our time off of our feet.
My salad at Margaritaville was such a disappointment. My salad had wilted lettuce and just not very good. There was not many customers in the restaurant and the service was very slow. I’m not sure I would go back here.
We also ate at Lago East Bank and had the best Lasagna I have ever had. It was soooo good. Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures at this place.
The total Ecliplse of the sun
The most amazing thing we have ever experienced was the eclipse. To watch this happen over many hours time, left me speechless. When we got to the total eclipse, it was amazing how quiet it got, it really did get dark and the street lights turned on for the few minutes that it was dark. There are no words to describe this! Experiencing totality is something everyone should do at least once! It will blow your mind!!!!
The Great Lakes Science Center
Robots in space called Robonauts can help at the space station. They can work outside the space station without using the protective spacesuits.
The crew up up driving the shuttles on their back looking up.
I’m not sure I will ever truly understand genetics. But this chart is helpful.
Overall the space museum was nice, it was mostly geared toward children and hands on experiences. If you have children, I would definitely take them.
Hotel and transportation
We stayed at the Wyndham Cleveland Airport because our friends were nearby. The Google reviews were not very good, but we thought we could survive it. We came in the back way because my husband checked in before picking me up at the airport. My first instinct was not very good because I saw ceiling tiles in the hallway missing. Our room was another story, the bathroom door was a sliding barndoor that was really hard to close. We didn’t even want to stay in our room to just hang out. The grounds were not kept up and it was a big disappointment. The lobby was the nicest part of the hotel but it also was very aged.
We also did a lot of walking and we used Uber at night as well.
While we were playing in Cleveland, we left our 5th wheel at the Sunbury/Columbus North KOA Holiday. It was 115 miles south and it was opening weekend. Its hard to find a campground that doesn’t open before April 15.
Our site was very spacious with a different parking spot as you can see.
They have these cool tree houses you can stay it. How cool is that?
Stayed tuned as we leave Ohio and head to Indiana. Please hit the subscribe button if you like what you see.
We last left off having our family time and we have a month out on the road. We headed south to pick up our 5th wheel that was getting worked on in Southern California. Once again we stayed at our favorite place in Southern California at Newport Dunes RV. We only stayed one night and continued our travels east. Our next stop is at a HH along Churiaco Summit. We visited the General Patton museum
General Patton Museum
This is a fascinating little WWI and WWII museum that is located at the entrance of Camp Young which was a Desert Training Center of World War II. Camp Young was headquarters for General Patton’s 3rd Armored Division to prepare troops to battle North Africa to fight the Nazis.
The grounds around the museum has a lot of millitary vehicles to get close to and admire. The museum has a wealth of information inside. Tickets are only $18 and I easily spent a couple of hours inside.
From Chiriaco Summit, we traveled to Phoenix, AZ to visit with fellow RV friends. Then onto Benson, AZ where we stayed at Butterfield RV resort.
Butterfield RV resort
This is a lovely little RV park with its on university quality observatory. We only stayed for 1 night since we were just passing through.
The entrance and front office.
Amenities
They had a pickle ball court but we were not up to playing that night after traveling.Here they have 2 golf driving cages for the golfers.The pool and hot tub looked relaxing.
The on-site telescope is free to guest. How cool is that! You do have to sign up in advance and we missed it by minutes.
There were a ton of machines at reasonable prices.A rocky little dog park which made us miss our beloved Jessie.
So for $65 a night, this is an awesome stay!
After leaving Benson Az. , we traveled 405 miles. During our day, we had a tray of crackers, meat and cheese to eat along the way.
This is the largest recycled roadrunner statue. It is located right off the 10 freeway in Las Cruces in New Mexico.
We didn’t visit during this trip, but in the past we have gone to Alamogordo New Mexico and we stayed at the KOA. This was a very cool visit .
Alamagordo
Where to stay?
We stayed at the Alamogordo/White Sands KOA Journey
This was a perfect stop to visit all three locations in this area. You can rent a sled to go sledding down the dunes from the campground. If you think you are too old, just remember your childhood of sledding down the snowy mountains, but this time it is in sand.
White Sands National Park is like no other park. It is one of the world’s greatest natural wonders with the glistening white sand dunes. with 275 square miles of desert of gypsum sand. If you have the time after sledding down the dunes, stay for the spectacular sunsets. You won’t be disappointed!
The wind swept sand was so cool.
The park was amazing! You truly feel like you’re in snow but it is sand.
McGinn’s Pistachioland Home of the worlds Largest Pistachio
Along the route, we stopped in Alamagordo New Mexico. If you love pistachios, you have to stop. They have at least 13 different flavored pistachios that you can sample before you decide which size bag to purchase and snack on during your travels. The “Worlds Tallest Pistachio” is a registered trademark in New Mexico.
I have taken the farm tour, which was enlightening. They offer wine tasting as well which I have enjoyed and purchased a bottle to enjoy. They always have long lines for ice cream as well.
It is a great stop to stretch your feet.
Museum of Space History
This was a very cool visit. I spent half a day here. It is a Museum and planetarium with displays related to space flight.
Roswell New Mexico
Are you an alien enthusiast? Well if you have followed us, you know that one of us is a ghost and alien enthusiast.
We were in Roswell last year, we stayed at a little RV park that holds about 10 rigs called the Red Barn RV Park. It was a perfect location to go into town and get your fill of aliens.
Your welcome into the park!
The park had such a unique style to it. There was a wild chicken that adopted the park, We saw this alien spying on us during our lunch. And our Jessie loved watching everything around. It was so relaxing!
Around Roswell
The local McDonald’s has a spaceship that lights up at night. It’s pretty cool!Murals around town were quite good and fun to look at.
The visitor center had a wealth of information as well as photo opportunity’s. We always try to get into the visitor center to get a lay of the land and get insite as to what to do and see while in a town.
We did virtual reality in Roswell which was ok. I did the space crash while my husband did the Apollo 11 mission. It was cool to experience virtual reality for the first time but I don’t think I need to do it again. For more information https://spaceportroswellnm.com/
I also did the Roswell UFO Tour https://roswellufotour.com/. The tour takes you in the footsteps of the civilians who first touched and reported on the alien debris debris I’m not sure what I was expecting but I was disappointed. Most of the tour was places that no longer exist. You do get to see the houses that pivotal people lived in during that time. I was on the tour alone with the tour guide who was very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions.
This building is where the military supposedly took the alien bodies after the crash.
The International UFO museum and research center
This museum has all things relatated to the 1947 incident known as the Roswell incident. It has all audio, newspapers, interviews, personal accounts of what happened when an alleged UFO crashed in the hills outside of Roswell New Mexico. The museum covers other phenonenom as well. The museum was very well done and this was by far my favorite thing in Roswell.
Are you aliened out?
I went to visit the historic house of James Phelps White House in Roswell. The house was built between 1910-1912. In 1978 it was place on the National Registry of Historical Places. This is a nice little home to visit with a lot of history.
Stayed tuned as we continue our travel to Ohio and we split up for a few days.
