This is the eleventh in a series of posts sharing photos from a 21-day road trip I did with my older brother in June.
The time we had with my niece, Emma, and her family in Springfield, Missouri, was among the highlights of the trip. Leaving Springfield, we were making the final turn and approaching the homestretch of this epic adventure. We would drive to Springfield, Illinois, and have a full day to see the historic Lincoln home, museum, and tomb. The trip would end with a half-day drive to Chicago where we would return the rental car and catch the Van Galder bus to Madison, Wisconsin where Steve lives.
As you saw in the previous post, we drove through Jefferson City and stopped to tour the Missouri state capitol. Later, we crossed the Mississippi River into Illinois, where we encountered haze from Canadian wildfire smoke. We arrived in Springfield, Illinois at midafternoon, perfect timing to check in at the hotel. That…was an experience.
The hotel’s main entrance was blocked off and a makeshift front desk had been set up at a side entrance to the building. Industrial-strength blowers were running in the hallway leading to the closed-off main lobby. The manager at the reception desk gave us some cock & bull story about the hotel being “under renovation.” Based on the blowers, the real story had something to do with major water damage to the property. Of that, I was sure.
My suspicions were confirmed when we walked into our room. It reeked of a dank and musky odor. I turned around, walked directly back to the desk, and informed the manager that our room was not habitable. After inspecting the room, the manager looked into what else was available and rekeyed our cards. The next room was in much better condition.
Springfield, of course, was home to Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln before they moved to Washington, D.C. after he was elected President. We had a full day to see the Lincoln historic home, museum & library, and the Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. That day was a powerful, moving experience.
Here, are a few photos from our day of exploration in Springfield, Illinois.
The historic home of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois.
Steve stands outside the historic Lincoln home at the corner of 8th and Jackson streets.
The front parlor where the Lincolns entertained guests.
The dining room.
The family sitting room.
Mary Todd Lincoln's bedroom.
A work desk in Abraham Lincoln's bedroom.
Lincoln's work desk.
The kitchen.
The kitchen in the historic Lincoln home is setup as it may have appeared at the time Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln lived there.
Steve chats with the ranger who led the tour in the backyard of the Lincoln historic home.
A replica campaign wagon on 8th Street near the Lincoln home.
A monument to Abraham Lincoln inside his tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetary.
