Lincoln, Lincoln, Everywhere!!!!!

On Thursday morning, we headed into Springfied, Il.  Double J Campground is right off the freeway so everything was really close.  It was easy to find Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  They had a large parking deck, but it was almost more to park then to go to the museum.  Guess that is the price of enjoying close access.  We first went to the Visitor Center located in the old Train Depot.  The hostess there was very helpful, given us an overview of all the things we could see and do in Springfield.  She even recommended a restaurant for lunch.

The Presidential Museum and Library opened April 2005.  The museum contains life size dioramas of Lincoln’s boyhood home, areas of the White House, the presidential box at Ford’s Theater, and the settings of key events in Lincoln’s life, as well as pictures, artifacts and other memorabilia.  One of the museum’s permanent exhibits, Campaign of 1860, features late “Meet the Press” anchor Tim Russert.  We went to a special effects theater to see Ghosts of the Library.  Technology was fascinating!! We were also able to see an hour long theatrical performance of Our Destiny.  In Richard Hellesen’s one-act play, comedic actor Harry Hawk and co-owner of Ford’s Theater Harry Ford grapple with whether they could have changed the course of history.  Could John Wilkes Booth have been stopped?  The play revisited April 14, 1865, and the events surrounding the tragic assassination Abraham Lincoln through the eyes of the men who were there when history happened.

We spent about 3 hours in the museum and could have stayed longer but needed to stop for lunch. I purchased a book on Mary Todd Lincoln and her dressmaker, friend Elizabeth Keckly. The title is An Unlikely Friendship.  It gave me a better knowledge of Mary Todd's childhood and help me to understand her as a grown women.  We headed over to the Old Capital Square and had lunch at the Feed Store, recommended by the hostess at the Visitor's Center.  It was very good.  More Lincoln to see tomorrow.  Sorry for the underline on the second section, can't get rid of it;)

Old Route 66

After finally getting our mail, we headed across the Mississippi River into Illinois.  We were traveling to Springfield, Illinois about 2 hours down the road.  It was an easy ride over flat plains and cornfields.  We were staying at the Double J Campground on old route 66.

We once again, found a restaurant to try out from the book Roadfood.by Jane and Michael Stern, the Cozy Dog Drive-In.  Invented during Word War II by Ed Waldemire when he was stationed in the Air Force in Texas, the corn-clad, deep-fried pup was originally called Crusty Cur and was a big hit with flyboys at the Amarillo PX.  After the war, Waldermire's wife convinced him that his wiener needed a more appealing name, and in 1946, they opened the first Cozy Dog (so christened because no one eats a single, lonely one.)

We had the family basket included 4 cozy dogs and a large order of (freshly cut) French fries. Delicious!!  Lots of 66 memorabilia, worth stopping for, even if corn dogs aren't your thing.

Portrayal of Mark Twain and Dinner on the Mississippi

Monday evening, we went back into Hannibal to see Mark Twain Himself,   Richard Garvey brings Mark Twain to life in the historic Planter Barn Theater.  Debbie you would love it they served a Victorian Tea, with cake, cookies, coffee and tea.

After the show, we headed to Sawyer's Creek for dinner on the Mississippi at Rustic Oaks Riverside Dining.  This is the second Rustic Oaks restaurant we have eaten at this trip.  We ate at Rustic Oaks Steakhouse in Monroe City, MO, right by out campground.  Both experiences were great!  Reasonable prices and incredible food and desserts.  The view at the riverside location worth the visit.

New Campground on Mark Twain Lakes

Saturday morning, we move 15 minutes down the road to a COE campground on Mark Twain Lakes.  It was  in a lovely park, with water, and electricity, but too shady for satellite and no cable. The first night a group of car collectors drove their vintage cars through the campground.  It was like a parade and Bob loved it.

Besides no TV, the bugs here were so big, I was going to devote a whole blog to them.  I never got good pictures, so you will just have to take my word for it.  I was eaten up and Bob was untouched.  I wouldn't even go out to walk Pralines, as I was a human target.  The park was beautiful.  Lots of campers on the weekend and known Monday and Tuesday.  Nice boat access and as I said before the water was high.

These steps were supposed to lead down to the beach.  Steps were underwater and no beach.  We stayed here till Wednesday, waiting for our mail, that should have been in Monday.  Without TV and with too many bugs, I didn't enjoy our extended stay.

Mark Twain's Home and a Riverboat Ride

On Thursday, Bob and I drove into Hannibal to see Mark Twain's Boyhood Home and Museum.  The museum had Tom Sawyer's home, Huck Fink's home, Becky Thatcher's home, the drug store where Samuel Clemens' father worked.

This is Tom Sawyer's home and the fence that he convinced his friends to pay him to paint.

This is Becky Thatcher's home.  Her father was a judge, so it is much bigger than Tom Sawyer's home.  It has not been remodeled inside, but is in the process, so you can't go inside.

This is the drug store.  It had a lot of items that would have been in a drug store of that era, including a display of eye glasses.

I am including this picture for my friend Linda Clemens.  You'll  notice the sign above the store is for Mrs. Clemens shoppes.  It made me think of you Linda.

I purchased a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I know I read this book years ago, but my interest was pecked, so I thought it deserved a reread.  I was right.  It was great, and probably had a different slant because I am now an adult.  

  We headed back to our car to drive to the Mark Twain Riverboat for our scheduled trip.  The trip was lovely.  Weather was comfortable and the river was very high.  There was a lighthouse in the hills.  We saw several barges on the river and learned a little history on our trip. After our ride, we went to Breadeaux Pizza in downtown Hannibal.

Mark Twain's Landing, Monroe, MO

We finally arrived at our destination, at Mark Twain Landing, Monroe City, MO., outside of Hannibal about a 1/2 hour.  This park had everything, pool, fishing, paddle boats, canoes, kayak rentals, miniature golf, marina and a water park. There is probably about 200 sites and 100 or more have campers that are there all summer, or their rv's are there and the owners come out on the weekends.  We rented a paddle boat one day, but it was very hot!!!  Fun! but the weather could have been better.We went to the pool every day, so I could swim and work out the hitch in my get along.  I have to tell you about a couple we met there.  He was carrying her in the pool and she was floating in his arms.  It was apparent that she had had a stroke and could not move on her own or speak.  The love he had for her flowed from his eyes. They were full-timers, like Bob and I.  They had traveled as far as Montana in their motorhome.  She couldn't walk on her own, so he had to carry her from placed to place in the motorhome, as it was too narrow for a wheel chair.  Outside she could be transported with a wheelchair, when he pushed her.  He sang quietly in the pool to her, his Jenny.  You could tell she loved his song and the cool water on such a hot days.  She could roll her eye, when she didn't like what he was saying.  Reminded us that life is short and how fortunate we are to have people who loved us.

Finger Lakes State Park and More time in Columbia, MO.

Sunday morning regretfully, we left Cottonwood RV park and moved about 10 miles down the road to Finger Lakes Campground a Missouri State Park.  We were glad to get the reservation, since there was a biker's rally in Columbia, Mo.  When we got to our site, we knew we were in trouble.  I had checked to make sure there were not trees too close so Bob could back in and that we could get satellite tv, but I didn't check for slope.  If your site is too down hill or up hill, one way or another and your jacks can not go up enough to level your motorhome, then you should have wood or some type of blocks to put under the tires to level you out.  If you are not level, you can not open your slides.  Well, being new, we had no blocks or wood.  Not having the slides out for two days is not too bad.  Pralines was inconvenienced the most, as she occasionally got stepped on when she got under foot.  We have three slides, one in the bedroom, one moves the kitchen wall out and one moves the couch side out. I figured we could manage for 2 nights and we did.

Monday, we headed into Columbia to see more of the city and to do a little shopping.  First we shopped.  We got blocks for under the tires.  They look like orange legos to me, but are about 1/ 2 as tall.  They come 10 to a bag (blue) and are $30 at Walmart.  All campers have them, in case you were not in the know.  Next time you go camping look around under trailers, 5-wheels, and/or motorhomes, they are a necessity.

Next we took a walking tour of Columbia's downtown.  We started in the Government District the County Courthouse.  It was completed in 1847 at a cost of $17,165.00.  The building was situated so that its columns would align with the columns of the University of Missouri's Academic Hall at the other end of 8th Street.

We walked down 8th Street to the University of Missouri's gateway, pictured below.

We passed the new addition to City Hall. Notice the key hole sculpture in the front. The artist Howard Meehan, well known for public works of art, envisioned "Keys to the City" symbolizing that citizens are the key to a good government.  He hoped that as citizens walk through the keyhole to City Hall that they will feel empowered.  He wanted the sculpture to convey an ownership of the city. 

We enjoyed our day.  Still felt like we had only scratched the surface of Columbia.  We left wanting to see more.  Tomorrow Hannibal, Mo.  Some of you may be wondering, as my daughter was, why it took us soo long to get to Hannibal.  Well, all I can say is we are retired and we move at our own pace, slow.