The Lincoln Home Through the Years

Above, the Lincoln Home in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the more interesting places I visited during my 2016 trip to Metropolis, Illinois for actress Noel Neill's celebration of life was Springfield, Illinois.

Springfield was the hometown of President Abraham Lincoln. There, visitors can visit the Lincoln home, Presidential Library and Museum, the Lincoln tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery along with other places.

Above, one of the rooms inside the Lincoln Home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The National Park Service has a website focusing on the Lincoln Home through the years. Along with photos, the page describes in detail highlights of the home over the years.

They begin it with:

For seventeen years, the house at Eighth and Jackson Streets in Springfield, Illinois was home to Abraham Lincoln and his family. Purchased shortly after the birth of their first son Robert, the home sheltered the family through the birth of their remaining three sons and the death of their son Eddie, and had been the center of Lincoln's life as a husband and father. Abraham Lincoln was elected to be the 16th President of the United States on November 6, 1860. The family had three short months to prepare for their move to Washington, D.C. As they made the many decisions related to such a significant move, they had to decide if the home would be a part of their future, as well as their past. The home was rented rather than sold and their best furniture placed in storage for their eventual return. But on April 15, 1865, an assassin's bullet took the life of President Lincoln. Mary Lincoln faced a lonely future and wrote that she "could not bear to return to the scenes of the happiest times in my life without my family." The Lincoln Home remained rental property until Lincoln's son, Robert, donated the home to the State of Illinois in 1887 to be protected and preserved for future generations. In 1972 the home was conveyed to the United States of America, which through the National Park Service continued the State's work in preservation and restoration of the home, along with acquisition and restoration of the surrounding four-block neighborhood. This photographic essay captures images of Lincoln's house, showing that his home, like his legacy, has survived the years well.

This page provides an overview of the photographic essay. Click on the thumbnail views to download the full-screen pictures.

To read more, go here. 

"The Unbelievable Journey of Abraham Lincoln's Corpse"

Above, the sarcophagus chamber of the Lincoln Tomb
 with the red marble cenotaph. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Six years ago, I paid a visit to Springfield, Illinois to see the attractions of President Abraham Lincoln.

The places visited included the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Lincoln home and the Lincoln tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Above, yours truly in front of the Lincoln Tomb in 2016.

Last night, I came upon an interesting documentary video, "The Unbelievable Journey of Abraham Lincoln's Corpse" by Grave Explorations.

I highly recommend viewing it. 

One interesting factoid from the video: in the burial (or sarcophagus) chamber of the tomb, Lincoln isn't buried within or below the red marble cenotaph in the chamber. He lies ten feet below the floor and six feet from the north wall (where the former doorway is) with his head to the west.

Here is the video:

Best State and National Parks Off Route 66

Above, Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois is first on the list. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Once the main thoroughfare between Chicago and Los Angeles, Route 66 has a number of state and national parks to visit along the way.

A couple of national parks are right at Route 66, others are within easy proximity to the "Mother Road".

RV Life has posted a list of state and national parks to see along Route 66.

They begin with:

Many who choose to travel the historic Route 66 are enamored with its history. Others simply want the badge of honor that says they have traveled the famed route themselves. RVers love to see national parks and interesting state parks along their travels. So, what parks will you find on your way from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California?

When it comes to national and state parks, there are only a couple actually on Route 66. However, you can reach several notable parks with a short detour. The list below includes the best national and state parks to visit within a range of 90 miles from the famous route.

To view what parks are near Route 66, go here. 

  

Dinner With Lincoln

Above, President Abraham Lincoln's final resting place. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This evening, over dinner, I watched the 2012 Steven Spielberg movie, Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field. I usually manage to get around to it at least once a year.

Above, the Lincoln Home in Springfield, Illinois. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has to be one of the best Abraham Lincoln movies Hollywood has produced.

It reminded me of my trip to Illinois four years after its release where I visited the Abraham Lincoln Library & Museum, the Lincoln home and Lincoln's tomb in Sprinfield. That visit to Springfield was capped off by watching the 2016 election returns in my motorhome at the Double J RV Park just outside of Springfield.

Above, a Cabinet Room meeting at the Lincon Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one is interested in the life of President Lincoln, I would heartily recommend a visit to Springfield and bring the kids if you have any. It is well worth the trek there.

Above, yours truly at the Lincoln Tomb. 

How Many National Parks Are There In The U.S.?

Above, Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield, Illinois. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you've wondered how many national parks in the U.S., you're in luck. Travel + Leisure has them all listed for people who want to plan a trip to visit them.

The National Park Service is in charge of more places than just national parks and they're listed too. The Lincoln Home National Historic Site (pictured above) is one of them.

They begin with:

The United States just added a new national park to its roster of incredible public lands: New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. This West Virginia park runs along 53 miles of the New River and encompasses over 70,000 acres of the beautiful wooded gorge.  Plus, it offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, climbing, and white water rafting.

Its addition to the long list of U.S. national parks made us wonder — just how many national parks are there?

The U.S. National Park Service was founded in 1916, but the country’s first national park predates it — Yellowstone National Park debuted in 1872 when President Ulysses S. Grant signed it into law. In the years since, America has amassed a total of 63 national parks, from the northern reaches of Alaska to the waters of the Florida Keys. (To see them all, you’d need to visit 30 states and two U.S. territories.)

While the National Park System comprises 423 national park sites, only 63 of them have the “National Park” designation in their names. The other sites fall into different National Park System categories like National Historic Sites, National Monuments, National Seashores, National Recreation Areas, and others. The NPS’s website has a handy U.S. National Parks map, as well as a U.S. National Parks list for reference.

Above, Wizard Island at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Lincoln Home National Historic Site Superintendent Retires

Above, the Lincoln home's front parlor. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the interesting places I visited while in Springfield, Illinois was the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.

The Lincoln home was impressive as it is kept in excellent condition and the streets and structures surrounding the home have been restored to their 1860 appearance.

Above, the parking ticket kiosk at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Much credit for maintaining the historic site goes to the site's superintendent, who has just retired.

Above, the neighborhood surrounding the Lincoln home was restored to its 1860 appearance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to U.S. News & World Report:

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The superintendent of the Lincoln Home National Historic Site in Springfield has retired, and the National Park Service is seeking a replacement. 

The State Journal-Register reports (http://bit.ly/2sjPHKT) Dale Phillips took over the site preserving Abraham Lincoln's former home in 2010. He has worked for more than 40 years for the National Park Service, which operates the site.

According to the tour guide at the Lincoln home, 60% of the furnishings are originals (in other words, they belonged to the Lincoln family).

Above, the front of the Lincoln home. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here.