This is the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield. Abraham Lincoln statueLincoln statue close upThe dome, as well as much of the beautiful walls and ceilings inside, were given a cleaning about 15 years ago. Otherwise, it would all be pretty dingy from 150 years of soot and grime buildup.The trees prevented a clear shot of the entire front of the building.Looking up at the inside of the dome.One of the scenes that circle the bottom of the dome.Inside the rotunda, a statue of Ulysses S. Grant, who once lived in Illinois.Statue of Lincoln’s famous debate opponent, Stephen A. DouglasAbraham Lincoln statueThe stairways were spectacular.This painting is funny because it is wrong on many levels. This is entitled “Treaty with Indians, George Rogers Clark”. Clark never negotiated a treaty with the Indians although he did meet with them over several years. At the time Clark was meeting with Indians, he was in his mid-20s; in this painting he is a balding older man. The Indians in the painting are dressed and painted like Plains Indians from much further west, and they did not live in teepees; they would not have been in Illinois. Even though it has so many errors, it has been kept because it is considered a fine work of art. Oh, and it is painted directly on the wall, so the only way to remove it would be to paint over it!A beautiful skylight.The architecture throughout was just exquisite.The House of Representative chamberThe chamber had several chandeliers like this one.Ceiling skylight.Senate chamberSenate chamber ceilingAnother section of the Senate chamber ceilingThis room used to be the Illinois Supreme Court. It is now used for committee meetings.Ceiling panel in the old Supreme Court roomAnother ceiling panel in the old Supreme Court roomThe center panel in the old Supreme Court roomThe combination of all the architectural features in the capitol cannot be captured in mere pictures, even though I posted a few of them here. It is really a feast for the eyes. More than that, it has a European feel to it. That is because when it was being planned, the leaders of Illinois government were certain that Illinois would be a significant international commerce hub, so they wanted the Europeans to understand they were dealing with sophisticated people.
Abraham Lincoln’s Home
The home Abraham Lincoln lived in. He bought a single-story house for he and his wife Mary to live in and raise their children. A few years later, they added a second floor, which seemed to duplicate her father’s house in Kentucky, the one she grew up in. She was very well-off, and her engagement to the hardscrabble, lower-class Lincoln caused problems within her family.The parlor, where the Lincolns entertained guests. After Lincoln was elected president in 1860, they had photos taken of each room in the house, so these rooms are arranged just like the Lincolns had. Many of the items in the house actually belonged to the Lincolns.This was the Lincolns’ horsehair sofa. Dining roomThese window treatments were the Lincolns.Mary Lincoln’s White Cake recipe was all the rage.This is the family room, where the Lincolns relaxed.Also in the family room.Lincoln’s desk.Abraham Lincoln’s bed.In the adjoining room, Mary Lincoln’s bed. Notice the fancy wallpaper is the same in both rooms.A typical kitchenThe rear of the house, just like when the Lincolns lived here.The three-hole outhouse.
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum
Statue of Lincoln in Union Square ParkAbraham Lincoln Presidential Library President Lincoln was our 16th president.Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. I knew Lincoln was tall, but… This 31 foot tall sculpture is entitled “Return Visit”. The original life-size version is located in Gettysburg. The sculpture shows Lincoln presenting the “contemporary common man” with the Gettysburg address. The artist is J. Seward Johnson.There are many scenes demonstrating Lincoln’s whole life. Here he is outside the log cabin he grew up in.Reading by the fire.Working in a dry goods storeCourting Mary ToddLincoln-Douglas debateStudying in his law office while his children playThe late Tim Russert did a mockup of the election of 1860, as it could have been if we had TV back then. He did a profile of all four candidates. It was pretty cool.Lincoln campaigning from the back of a trainThe Lincoln White HouseWe posed with the First Family. So Lincoln really was 6’4′! In addition to the President and First Lady, there were children, Todd who was 17 when the Lincolns moved into the White House, Willie, who was 10, and Tad, who was 7.Close upFirst Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, surrounded by replica outfits worn by several of her social rivals in Washington DC.Close upSon Willie died of Typhoid fever in the White House in 1862 when he was 11. This scene shows Mary at Willie’s bedside while the president walks into the room.Mary mourning the loss of WillieLincoln discussing the Emancipation Proclamation with his cabinet.The Emancipation Proclamation was not universally popular – in the North! Technically, the proclamation freed the slaves only in the South.Lincoln contemplating the proclamationAs you would expect, there are many displays centering on the Civil War. This video was four minutes long, and it ran a casualty count on the bottom right as the Civil War progressed. The many battles would be displayed as their place on the timeline arrived. Here is the casualty count as of the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862.Chancellorsville, May 1863The Wilderness, May 1864Spotsylvania, May 1864John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s TheaterThe Lincoln’s boxPresident Lincoln lying in state at the Old Illinois State Capitol Hall of RepresentativesThis cast was made by Gutzon Borglum, who created Mount Rushmore. This bust was done in preparation for the marble version that was completed in 1908 and is now on display in the Rotunda of the US Capitol. This was Lincoln’s shaving mirror.Progression of Lincoln’s face from election to shortly before his assassination.One block from the Museum is the location of Lincoln & Herndon law office. It is not open to the public.Outside the law office is a sculpture of the Lincoln family. Little Willie is waving to Todd as e is apparently going off to school.
Lincoln Monument
This is where President Abraham Lincoln is buried. He is buried underground. The inside at ground level contains several busts and statues of Lincoln, but it was closed on this day. That was a disappointment. The bust outside the monument, where you are supposed to rub his nose for good luck.Silly, isn’t it?This was pretty neat. On either side of the USA shield are Nebraska and Virginia!Illinois countryside on our way to Indianapolis.
The Dixon archBreakfast in the beautiful dining roomA “Dutch Baby” – this was delicious!Pumpkin bread with cranberriesSausages, etc.Wings of Peace and Freedom, donated to the city of Dixon by Nick Taney, an immigrant to the US from Bulgaria, in gratitude for President Reagan’s part in ending the Cold War with the Soviet Union.Ronald Reagan equestrian statueThe Rock RiverInterestingly, Dixon was home to several people who made significant contributions to American life. Charles Walgreen, the founder of Walgreen’s Drug Store. The Walgreen family still owns the estate in Dixon.John Deere developed the steel plow in Dixon. Also, film director/actor Orson Welles was born just a few miles from Dixon.The Rock River at Lowell Park.Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard here for several years in the 1920s. He was credited for saving 77 lives in the Rock River here during those years.This is a statue of Abraham Lincoln in military uniform. Lincoln served in the military during the Blackhawk War in the early 1830s. He never saw any combat, but he was stationed here in Dixon during that time.After church, we ate lunch at Flynnie’s Diner, which was very good!
President Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, Dixon IL
Ronald Reagan was the 40th president of the United States. He was president from 1981-1989. He is one of my favorite presidents. After four years of President Carter’s “malaise”, President Reagan ushered in a time of positive outlook, and a great turnaround of a sour economy and a depleted military. He spoke of the US as the “shining city on the hill”. I could talk about this president for hours, since I grew as a young adult and got married during his presidency.
This is the home in Dixon that Ronald Reagan lived for a few years during his childhood. He was an excellent athlete, and a superior swimmer. After graduating from Eureka College (IL) with a degree in Economics, he went on to become a radio announcer. As a radio announcer, he broadcast Chicago Cubs baseball games from a small radio station in Iowa. There was no live TV feed (not available yet), so he would receive the teletype throughout the games and announce that action as though he was actually watching it! While he was in California for Cubs spring training, he scored a screen test, and thus his acting career in Hollywood began! Reagan served several terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild, then went on to become governor of California in the late 1960s.This statue shows President Reagan looking at corn kernels.This was Reagan’s parents’ bedroom. None of the home’s furnishings are from the Reagans, but period pieces. Ronald and his brother Neil Reagan described what they remembered about the furnishings when the house was being prepared to become a museum.The Reagans actually had an indoor bathroom (not with these fixtures, however).Ronnie and Neil’s bedroom.Living room.Living room fireplace.When President Reagan visited Dixon in 1984, he recalled that as a child, he would hide his coins under this tile by the fireplace (for safekeeping). He reached down and place four pennies under the tile to demonstrate.Popcorn was a favorite snack of the Reagan boys.Dining room.When President Reagan visited Dixon in 1984, he ate lunch here. He sat at the left in this picture. The place at about 8 o’clock in the picture is the plate he ate from.Typical 1920s kitchen.The ice box in the center of the wall has a sign for “ICE”. The customer would place this sign in the window to indicate to the Ice Man how much ice was needed. Each ice block was 25 pounds.The inside of the “ice box”. The blocks were picked up with tongs similar to these.Ronnie Reagan and his friends played a lot of football in this yard beside the house.1919 Model T Ford similar to one the Reagans would have owned.Reagan attended this school.Reagan and his brother were both voracious readers. They would come to this library to check out books.The Reagans attended this church. Reagan’s mother was a Sunday School teacher here, as well as Ronald himself as he grew older.Dixon is a cute, well-maintained town.President Reagan was born here in Tampico IL, about 20 miles from Dixon.Reagan was born in an apartment on the second floor of this bank building. It was a bakery at the time Reagan was born, February 6, 1911. The room he was born in was the window to the left of the sign on the second floor.Plaque on the building. President Reagan was a determined proponent of individual liberty.The room where Reagan was born.This is the back porch of the apartment, with a window from the adjoining apartment. When Reagan was an infant/toddler, and his mother needed to step out to do chores, she would simply hand the child through the window to the neighbor to watch. When President Reagan visited in 1984, he crawled through the window, which he said was “the last time”.Mural on a building in Tampico ILWindmills along the Illinois countryside. They weren’t turning very much, some not at all.Illinois countryside.Illinois countryside.
We sadly leave Milwaukee. Mary Jean and Trena could have talked for another month and still wouldn’t say everything! They have known each other since 1960! Sisters!So Milwaukee has a bronze statue of The Fonz. Heyyyyyy!Downtown Milwaukee on the Milwaukee River.Milwaukee skyline
Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison WI
The Capitol sits at the top of a hill so it dominates the landscape.The Capitol looks like this on all four sides; it is shaped like an “X”.A different entrance.Looking up at the rotunda.This is the entrance to the Senate chambers. The entrance looks exactly the same for the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court. The doors were all locked so I was not able to see inside.An interior view.Downtown Madison was celebrating Taste of Madison, which drew several thousand to the Capitol. Good timing for us – we had to park about 10 blocks away, down hill!
Dixon IL
President Ronald Reagan grew up in this town. He worked as a lifeguard here, and graduated high school here, prior to leaving for Eureka College.
We stayed at this B&B in Dixon IL. It was built in 1854, and it is likely that Abraham Lincoln slept here at least a couple times, and Ronald Reagan as a child may have had friends who would have lived here.This is a beautiful house.Our room was exquisite!The parlor. It looks like we stepped back into the 1890s!Ceiling medallionThe LibraryDowntown DixonWe ate dinner here, a very nice Italian restaurant.The Dixon arch at night.
Whitefish Point Coast Guard Station in the early morning as we left. Lake Superior winds blew very loudly all night long, even though there was no storm – just wind, lots of wind! It sounded like a blizzard!This bumper sticker is pretty funny. We know what they mean.Dawn over Lake Superior.Lake SuperiorLake SuperiorLake Michigan. Both of us have seen Lake Michigan before, numerous times. In fact this was the only Great Lake we had seen prior to this trip. No one was around who we could ask to take our picture, so we had to do two singles…… this view of Lake Michigan is in Manistique MI.Lake MichiganManistique East Breakwater Lighthouse on Lake Michigan.We didn’t see any real live moose(s), but we saw these…… this one was wearing a tuxedo!Lake MichiganLake MichiganLake MichiganLake MichiganGreen BayGreen BayGreen BayLambeau Field, Green Bay WI – legendary home of the Green Bay Packers.Lambeau FieldLambeau FieldWe made it to Milwaukee to Trena’s (Mary Jean’s sister-in-law)! Here we all are: me, Trena, Rick (Trena’s son), Adrian (Rick’s daughter) and Mary Jean. We had a relaxing overnight visit with a steak cookout, and late night talking about the good old days.Rick and Mary Jean
After Mackinac Island, we headed north to Whitefish Point MI, which is home to a Coast Guard station, and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. This point on Lake Superior is where ships from the west turn south toward the Sault Ste. Marie canals to enable passage southward. Many shipments of iron ore have passed through here on the way to Detroit.
Our first view of Lake Superior.Whitefish Point Light StationSo here we are on the shore of Lake Superior! Our fourth lake this trip!When we arrived, it looked like a storm.Two hours later, the sky had cleared quite a bit. Here is a ship turning southward.Sunset on Lake Superior (we woke up to sunrise on Lake Huron this morning!) This view is looking northward. Looking eastwardLooking southwardThe Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. This was one of the stops I have really been looking forward to. The Edmund Fitzgerald was a large ship which sunk 17 miles from here in November 1975. I remember that shipwreck, primarily because it was memorialized by Gordon Lightfoot hit ballad The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. If you have some time, look it up and give it a listen. It is quite fascinating.White Shoal Lens. This is a second order lens (Outer banks lights are all fourth order lens). It has a 9 foot diameter and weighs 3500 pounds. Its light with 344 separate precision ground prisms can be seen 28 miles away!The museum contains artifacts from a number of shipwrecks.There have been over 6000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.The Edmund Fitzgerald sunk 17 miles from Whitefish Point. It was broken apart in a severe November storm and sunk 500+ feet deep. The entire crew of 29 men were lost.Scale model of the Edmund FitzgeraldArtifacts from the Edmund FitzgeraldThis is the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald. The divers removed this bell, and replaced it with a replica. The divers did not look inside the ship, so they did not otherwise disturb the final resting place for the crew. A memorialSurfboat houseWe stayed here overnight. This was the Crews’ Quarters, and has been converted to a B&B.We ate here…… they go out on Lake Superior early every morning and bring in their haul of whitefish. They only serve what they caught that morning. They are open until 7 PM, or when they run out of fish, whichever comes first!Tahquamenon Falls (pronounced like phenomenon). The brown color is from tannic acid, which results from decomposing vegetation in the cedar, hemlock, and spruce forests upstream.Tahquamenon FallsWhitefish Point Light Station in action!
