October 23, 2012 - Lincoln Museum and Home

October 23, 2012 - Lincoln Museum and Home.  We left the Sangchris State Park south of Springfield, IL, early this morning to tour the Lincoln Museum.  I snapped a picture of the lake on the way out.  This trip reaffirmed our affinity for state parks.  They are universally clean, spacious and inexpensive, usually costing about half what commercial campgrounds charge. 

Many of the exhibits in the museum have changed since we were there six years ago.  There are scores of senior volunteers who work at the museum.  They all seem so happy to be there.  They are all knowledgeable about the President and his presidency.  The admission price for two old timers was $18.00.  It was well worth the money.  There is a very poignant display of Lincoln's funeral in Washington.  After the funeral, his body was taken by train back to Springfield, IL, for burial.  The trip to Springfield took nearly two weeks, retracing the route he took when he assumed the Presidency in 1861. 

The museum focuses on the war years during which America lost over 600,000 of its sons.  That's more war deaths than World Wars I and II added together.  The total population of the United States at the time was about 30,000,000.  More than half were women and children and 4,000,000 were slaves.  The war took nearly ten percent of the male population.  It was devastating for families and devastating for the nation. 

In route home, we passed through Hannibal.  I couldn't resist photographing the Fifth Street Baptist Church.  The pastor of that church, Reverend Francis Kelly, performed our marriage ceremony in 1968.  Also shown is 1704 Manning, were the Farkley family lived from late 1959 until May, 1962.

So, we are home, a few days earlier than we expected.  That will give us time to clean Harvey and return him to the caves for the winter.  It will also give us time to do a few things around the house before getting back into the routine.  This has been a good trip, one that I wouldn't mind doing again sometime soon. 

Next up is a January, 2013, trip from Texas to Key West along the Gulf of Mexico.  The weather on the Gulf should be a lot more hospitable than here.  Tune back in then.  Until then, take care.