Diamond Jubilee: Land of Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois

On my own

AQ dropped me at the bus/train station in Indianapolis and headed back to Kent, Ohio. I was sad to see my travel companion go, but I understood his reasons. His car was not the greatest and he didn't want to be too far away from his home base in case of any problem. I had hoped he would continue with me to Springfield at least to see one more state capital.

The Amtrak bus service to the rail line in Illinois was easy to book online, but in one of those "I knew it would happen" moments, the driver informed passengers that her scanner was not working and we had to provide a paper ticket. There was a literal run on the bus counter which was not prepared for the sudden rash of requests (and they didn't particularly care if we got tickets or not). It was both frustrating and scary to think I might miss the bus because of being "forced" to use technology that did not work and employees that didn't give a shit about doing their job.

I did board the bus. (I hadn't felt that degree of "travel panic" in many years)

The ride on the interstate was fast and easy. We were in Normal, Illinois in about three hours. Normal is a university town (Illinois State University) with an amazingly modern Amtrak station - perhaps one the best I have ever seen in terms of being state of the art and user-friendly. I had a couple hours before the train to Springfield, so I found a nearby Starbucks and waited. After a rough start in Indy, I was happy that Normal was actually better than "normal".

I was back in Illinois (not Chicago) after many years - the Land of Lincoln.

Getting settled

I walked from the central train/bus station to the Carpenter Street Hotel (not far). A family run place, it ended up being my favorite hotel of the trip. They provided washing machines and other "freebies" to make guests feel "at home". I had been traveling for almost two weeks and I felt tired. That hotel presented itself at the right moment. I did laundry, found something to eat, and took a rest. I was going to stay a few days - I was in no rush.

Lincoln

Anyone who visits Illinois understands that being the home state of President Lincoln is a point of pride. Springfield is the epicenter of that Lincoln-mania. The first destination on my walkabout was the law office of Springfield's favorite son. It is maintained as a museum.

Lincoln's former working place was just the appetizer. In the center of the city, a six-block rectangle of houses preserves "old Springfield", frozen in time from the days of Lincoln. A national historic site, it is managed by the National Park Service. I had no idea what to expect.

In fact, the neighborhood is a mini-Williamsburg that propels visitors back to the days when Lincoln was a lawyer and later a Senator. Usually I am cynical and jaded about such recreations, but it is done well. Some original houses have been restored and some moved there from other parts of the city. It felt authentic - I liked it.

I only felt sad that AQ wasn't with me - I was sure he would have loved it.

The centerpiece of the area is the Lincoln House itself. It can only be viewed on a timed tour (I didn't mind - I learned a lot). In fact, it was likely one of the best tours of that type I ever experienced in the USA.

Lincoln's desk in his bedroom. He was such a tall guy....how did he manage?

State of the art toilet for the day. July 2021

I left the neighborhood satisfied and happy I had come to Springfield. I also felt surprised that Brian never talked about it - I knew he visited on a school trip as a kid. I am sure he didn't appreciate it at the time. I am the same about Gettysburg. Such the shame we rarely return to those places as adults. It is important to expose children to history, but the experience is often overwhelming (or under-appreciated).

My first impression of Springfield was excellent. That historic site ended up being a high point of the entire trip.

The rest of the city waited to be explored.