Abraham Lincoln Home

    It was a beautiful day for walking tours.  We started at the Abraham Lincoln National Landmark which is in downtown Springfield.  A four square block area around Lincoln’s home in Springfield has become an historic district.   Many of the homes were built in the 1800’s along with Lincoln’s.  We started with a great film in the Visitor Center which gave us a good overview of Lincoln’s time with his growing family when he lived in Springfield.  Then a National Park tour guide explained the history of the area.  Of the many interesting things we noticed about the house, the one that stuck with us is that one of the upstairs bedrooms had “venetian” blinds.  They were original with the house.  I had no idea that they were used in the 1860’s.

    A few blocks away from Lincoln’s home was the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  The campground host at the State Fairgrounds encouraged us to go to the Museum.  It was great.  There are very few “artifacts” and a lot of films and exhibits to give a real feel of living in Lincoln’s time.  One presentation used holographs created from photographs of Lincoln to give a real sense that he was in the theater talking with us.  Despite the many school kids racing around it was an amazing museum.

      On our way back to the campground we stopped at Lincoln’s tomb.  It is set on a hill in a huge cemetery with wonderful rolling hills, old trees and large expanse of green lawn.  All the flowering trees are in bloom and it smelled just wonderful.  Lincoln, his wife, and three of his four children are buried here.  It was quite a beautiful and peaceful resting place.  

     We got back to the camper in time to enjoy a nice rest in the sun on our lawn chairs.   Now we are just back from a little shopping and a nice steak dinner.