Thursday, October 09, 2008

Thursday: WOW......an amazing day of Lincoln!!!!

WOW....the morning was beautiful again today.....and my cup of freshly ground French Roast coffee was just the kick-off I needed for this incredible day here at the Cedar Creek RV Owners Club Rally!!! After breakfast, after some "good mornings" to others who were out and about the well-manicured Double J Campground, all 36 of use were off to the city center of Springfield for most of the day.

After getting parked.......in the bus and rv section of the city parking garage/lot......we gathered in the rotunda of the Abraham Lincoln Museum.....a beautiful new building that was opened only a few short years ago in this new century. With a brief greeting by one of the guides, we entered one of the theaters for a "ghost" presentation......one of high tech production and with quite a bit of really interesting information about Lincoln, the Museum, and the new Lincoln Presidential Library.

Then for the next 2-3 hours we went our separate ways through the various areas, theaters, halls, etc. of the museum. OMG......I was sooooooo damn stunned by the presentation of sooooo many facets of Lincoln' life.........it was wonderful....wonderful!!!! At times, I teared up with the emotions of the Civil War presentations, the presentation of the Slave Sales, the death of his children,........sooooo much to take in, to comprehend, to cry about, to enjoy. A winding hallway/room where there were framed caricatures and newspaper headlines, cartoons, and articles making fun and ridiculing Lincoln in much worse and ugly ways than what we experience in our contemporary political campaigns. The artwork in the creation process of the figures which were presented in scenes along the way......the replication of the rooms of the White House at the time he and his family lived there, the music that was heard in those days,.........OMG....it was such an incredible experience to walk through this amazing new museum!!!!!!!!!!

We decided to eat in the Cafe there in the Museum.....and it was a great decision!!! We had a wonderful beef sandwich with some delicious au jus poured over the sandwich.....ummmm, it was sooooo good. WHEN you are there at the Museum, a light lunch at the Cafe would be an excellent choice!

From there, we drove a few blocks to the National Park where Lincoln's home is located. We took a tour through the house which is furnished with sooooo much of Lincoln's own furnishings. A great tour....and well worth the cost of parking in the NP Parking Lot!!!!

Leaving there, we drove up to the Cemetary where the "tomb"/monument of Lincoln and his family is located. Lincoln, his wife Mary, and three of their four children are buried there. While it is nothing outstanding, it is nice to visit where this great President is buried.

Some of use stopped off at a local Dairy Queen for some ice cream.....and then it was back to the cg for an hour before our dinner arrived: Fried Chicken, Slaw, Potato Salad, rolls, chocolate cake and ice cream. Great meal for being purchased and carried in for us!!!!!!

The evening was filled then with a hilarious game where we selected wrapped items and then took them from each other if we got the correct roll of the dice.......tons of laughter and great fun!!!! (Sounds like a Sr. Citizen game, huh????)

After a great campfire, some great hot apple cider with some liqueur and whipped cream in it......the evening wound down for everyone who is here at the Rally. For those of you who didn't make this trip..........you are missing a super, super time!!!!!!

You know......this day at the Museum still leaves me simply amazed.......it was almost beyond description. Not certain I have ever been in a museum of this caliber before......ever!!!! I can't recommend this Museum highly enough.........please put it on your list of things to do when in the Midwest.....you will not be sorry for going out of your way to get to Springfield to see it!!!

Wow.....this is a day to remember.........and, as I said above, it leave me speechless in attempting to describe it.....however, as always.......a day like this really assures me that...........

LIFE IS JUST AMAZINGLY GREAT!!!!!!.......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!

Politics is like driving a car: Put the car in "R" and you go backward; Put the car in "D" and you will go forward!!! And, with only 9% of our country thinking we are headed in the right direction, it is DEFINITELY time to go forward!!!!!!

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