Blogs from Springfield, Illinois, United States, North America

Geo: 39.801, -89.6436... read more

Geo: 39.801, -89.6436Our time machine trip along Route 66 continues. Just under 90% of the road survives so every now and again we have to try and stitch pieces together but it's a relatively easy drive through American history even if Billy Thunder isn't quite giving us the Caddie experience. We did add satellite radio before we left but DH won't let me tune into the more appropriate 50's and 60's- her music world started and finished with the dreadful 70's. I'm not sure how many more Captain & Tenille top 10 song countdowns I can take. I do manage the odd break because of a pre-trip agreement to channel-change any time she tries to sign along with the song. It's not just that she can't carry a tune (she really can't), it's largely because she ... read more

Reason for the first stop was this book about haunted places along Route 66, starting with Springfield. There were problems with the heater on the first night in that it didn't stay on. Who turned it off? Abe Lincoln? Deciding on the masculine pair of glasses, I headed out! To go see Abraham Lincoln's house, you first get a ticket at the visitor's center. It's to help you also remember that This Guy wrote/signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves. This was a monumental point in history, and it was cool to absorb those remembrances. The house supposedly has children and Mary Lincoln sometimes running around or rocking in chairs. I kept my eyes and ears out, but we were on this cute little tour thing, so it never got too spooky. One picture shows ... read more

This morning we left St. Louis, gazing fondly once more at the Gateway Arch as we drove across the river to Illinois. Our first stop was the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center located where the Corps of Discovery spend the winter before they set off on their historic trek to the West Coast. The information was well done and the best part was a full-scale replica of the keelboat they used on the first part of their journey. We drove to the National Great Rivers Museum located on the Mississippi River near the confluence of the Missouri and Illinois Rivers. It presented a natural history of the rivers. Next door is one of the 27 locks on the upper Mississippi River and we watched as an extremely large set of barges went through the lock. The ... read more

Réveillés à 6 heures, nous quittons Galesburg à 8 heures 15, le compteur indique 27 197 miles. Direction Bloomington pour reprendre notre route 66. Un petit coup de fatigue nous nous arrêtons sur une aire de repos. Nous passons MacLean qui ne présente aucun intérêt. Nous nous arrêtons à Lincoln et en profitons pour visiter le petit "Heritage Museum". Socorro en profite pour acheter une pièce de monnaie de collection. Nous reprenons la route vers Springfield où nous arrivons à midi et demi. L'hôtel "Route 66" est super mais la réceptionniste pas sympa. Sortons pour acheter quelques fruits. Prix comparables à la France. Nous sommes fatigués à cause du décalage horaire. Nous récupérons les clefs à 14h20 et en profitons pour faire une sieste réparatrice jusqu'à 18 heures. A 19 heures nous décidons d'aller visiter la ... read more