I started out by attending Mass at St. Luke's Church in Erie, PA. It was the closest Catholic Church to the hotel I was staying at. While the church itself was fairly boring looking (it still looked like a church, however), the priest gave an excellent homily. He reminded parents to be a good influence on their children as they would seek other influences if the parents were negligent. He talked about the horrible events that happened at Fort Hood. Overall, it was a Mass that helped me to recharge a bit.
Finally, I started on the long drive home. I decided to take I-86 this time and then head up through I-88. First, I didn't feel like wasting $14.00 on tolls on the Thruway. But, I've been through I-90 in New York so much that it's boring. The last time I traveled I-86 was when I began my cross country trip. I did it all in the dark last year. So, this would still be something new for me.
When I first got on I-86 in New York, I wondered whether I might still be in Oklahoma. The road conditions were terrible. But, they eventually smoothed out. I was getting very tired from all the intense driving over the last couple of days. I stopped for a few minutes at a rest stop and really enjoyed the ability to just relax.
Gas seemed to be about $2.75. I missed southern Missouri where it was in the $2.40 range for the most part. I had just over half a tank and kept holding off on stopping because I wanted to have as much daylight as possible.
I-86 was a lot more pleasant to drive in the daylight than it had been at night when I began my cross country trip last year.
I ultimately got gas around Exit 3 on I-88. That was a big mistake as I paid $2.85/gallon. I think a couple of exits farther up, it was around $2.75 again. But, I just wanted to fill up and drive without worry the rest of the way.
As I drove further on I-88, it was shortly after 5:30. It was much darker at 5:30 here than it was in Missouri.
I got home shortly after 7pm. In a way, the trip home was like a perfect "conclusion" to the events that began when I left my previous job, last year. At that point, as I noted, I had driven I-88 and then I-86 in the dark, heading west. While that trip was meticulously planned out for the next couple of weeks and all the way to the West Coast, it was a trip of discovery. There was still an entire region of the United States that I had not yet visited (the Northwest) and I had no idea when I would be coming home. And, despite the enormity of the trip last year, I still was unable to count Texas as a visited state.
Now, a year later, I have a job and I finished a brief trip out to the Midwest and South. I managed to add Texas as a visited state. I also have more specific plans for my own business. Last year, I went out along I-88 and I-86 in the dark but this year, I came back the same way, mostly in the light.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
November 7, 2009: Terra Haute, IN to Erie, PA
Today, the major goal was to work my way back home. This would be the longest amount of driving on the return trip, with nearly eight hours of drive time. I needed to go from southwestern Indiana, to Erie, PA, which is the largest city in PA along I-90. This meant driving through most of Indiana and going all the way through Ohio.
View Larger Map
I had Mexican food for lunch in Terra Haute, IN and then began my drive. Southern Indiana is very nice, seeing all the farm lands and such. It's very flat. But there are miles and miles of fields. The route took me through Indianapolis along I-70, and then it was back to more rural areas.
Southwestern Ohio is similar. As I moved further east, obviously it became more developed and the trip became more boring. I had a taco salad for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Most of the rest of the drive was backtracking the same route I had come.
My hotel was at a Rodeway Inn at the TA travel stop on I-90 in Erie. I was a bit nervous about this place as Rodeway Inn is typically of lower quality than Econo Lodge. To check in to the hotel, you must go to the travel store. The staff were friendly at night, though they had not been as friendly on the phone the previous day when I called to ask a question. The hotel room was surprisingly nice, especially for a Rodeway Inn. It was very clean and aside from the wall paper coming off a bit in the bathroom, nothing else was run down. I used points for this one.
The major complaint about this hotel is that unlike any other Choice hotel I've been to, they actually CHARGED for Internet access!! As this is a truck stop, I suppose I can understand charging if you want to use the Internet from the store. (On the other hand, when McDonalds and various other fast food places give free wireless, even this is not competitive.) But to charge a hotel guest is unbelievable. Had I not used points, I'd have paid $60.00 plus tax to stay at that hotel. I've paid much less at other hotels and gotten free wireless Internet. They wanted $8 for 24 hours, or $2/hour. I called the desk to check if there was some kind of option for guests to get it free and was told there was nothing. Would I stay at this hotel again? Only if I absolutely had to stay in Erie and no other hotel took a reasonable amount of points. It was definitely clean enough and the room was in great condition. But I typically need Internet access.
View Larger Map
I had Mexican food for lunch in Terra Haute, IN and then began my drive. Southern Indiana is very nice, seeing all the farm lands and such. It's very flat. But there are miles and miles of fields. The route took me through Indianapolis along I-70, and then it was back to more rural areas.
Southwestern Ohio is similar. As I moved further east, obviously it became more developed and the trip became more boring. I had a taco salad for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Most of the rest of the drive was backtracking the same route I had come.
My hotel was at a Rodeway Inn at the TA travel stop on I-90 in Erie. I was a bit nervous about this place as Rodeway Inn is typically of lower quality than Econo Lodge. To check in to the hotel, you must go to the travel store. The staff were friendly at night, though they had not been as friendly on the phone the previous day when I called to ask a question. The hotel room was surprisingly nice, especially for a Rodeway Inn. It was very clean and aside from the wall paper coming off a bit in the bathroom, nothing else was run down. I used points for this one.
The major complaint about this hotel is that unlike any other Choice hotel I've been to, they actually CHARGED for Internet access!! As this is a truck stop, I suppose I can understand charging if you want to use the Internet from the store. (On the other hand, when McDonalds and various other fast food places give free wireless, even this is not competitive.) But to charge a hotel guest is unbelievable. Had I not used points, I'd have paid $60.00 plus tax to stay at that hotel. I've paid much less at other hotels and gotten free wireless Internet. They wanted $8 for 24 hours, or $2/hour. I called the desk to check if there was some kind of option for guests to get it free and was told there was nothing. Would I stay at this hotel again? Only if I absolutely had to stay in Erie and no other hotel took a reasonable amount of points. It was definitely clean enough and the room was in great condition. But I typically need Internet access.
November 6, 2009: Branson, MO to Terra Haute, IN
Today was my last day in Branson. I was able to get tickets for the 10am show of the Spirit of Christmas. I got a front row seat because I was by myself.
The Spirit of Christmas show is a Broadway musical style show. The dancers must have high energy because the constant costume changes and dances were amazing. It inspired my creativity to watch this.
Some of the show was kind of silly, however. While doing set changes or just giving the dancers a rest, there was an elf named Zippy that would come out to do pantomime acts. While he was dressed as a Christmas elf, the acts were not exactly related to Christmas and I would have to say bordering on annoying. Some of the music would fit better in an aerobics video. Zippy would randomly pick people from the audience to come up and dance or do calisthenics. Had I been in charge of the show, Zippy's acts would have been more Christmas related. In fact, there would have been less pantomime nonsense in general. They could have just brought someone else out to sing while giving the dancers a rest.
Still, the show was fun and I'm glad I saw it. As the grand finale, they actually made it "snow" in the theater....with soap bubbles.
After the show, I reserved a hotel for the evening. It would be in Terra Haute, Indiana, which is in the southwest side of the state. Terra Haute is a little over six hours from Branson.
I went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. Mexican restaurants in the Midwest, South, and Mountain West tend to be much better than in my own area due to the bigger influence Mexican culture has in those areas. I had wanted to go to a Mexican restaurant on this trip but the pace prevented me from going to any sit down restaurants. The food was a little disappointing here. But, it was nice to finally have Mexican food nonetheless.
I visited a shopping area which was set up as a little village. I forgot to bring the camera with me, but they had someone dressed as Santa Claus, complete with a live reindeer.
The shopping area had a lot of unique items. There were many carved items and some food items like mixes, dips, etc. Surprisingly enough, the food items were not from the Ozarks area. A lot of them were from Indiana or New England. In West Virginia, you can get all sorts of foods made locally. I'm surprised the same wasn't available in the Ozarks. But, there were a few books in the bookstore written by local authors and published by local publishing companies.
After visiting the shopping area, I had to leave in order to get up to Terra Haute at a reasonable time.
View Larger Map
After about a half hour on the road, I saw signs for the historic downtown of Ozark, MO. I decided to stop there. The downtown was definitely cute though similar to other small towns or cities I had seen.
After driving a bit on I-44, I noticed a McDonalds facing the interstate with a lifesize Nativity Scene. That was very nice. Driving further on I-44, I was able to see some of the areas I could not see when I drove the previous Sunday due to the dark.
I passed through St. Louis after dark and saw the Gateway Arch lighted up. Going from I-44 to I-55 I was able to see the Gateway Arch in a number of different angles. It was briefly visible in the rearview mirror for several miles after I had entered Illinois.
I cut across Illinois and then entered Indiana. It took about two miles of driving along I-70 before the large Indiana welcome sign appeared.
On this evening, I stayed at an Econo Lodge. The price was good and I decided not to waste points. Econo Lodges can be tricky. Some are good and some can be horrible. Things didn't start out so well here in that there were no towels in the bathroom. The desk staff was very apologetic. This one was definitely clean, but also run down. There were cracks in the light switches and electric plug panels. The pillowcases were clean, but discolored. For the first time ever in a hotel, I slept with the lights on. Would I stay at this hotel again? Probably only if my travels were such that I was too tired to drive a little further.
The Spirit of Christmas show is a Broadway musical style show. The dancers must have high energy because the constant costume changes and dances were amazing. It inspired my creativity to watch this.
Some of the show was kind of silly, however. While doing set changes or just giving the dancers a rest, there was an elf named Zippy that would come out to do pantomime acts. While he was dressed as a Christmas elf, the acts were not exactly related to Christmas and I would have to say bordering on annoying. Some of the music would fit better in an aerobics video. Zippy would randomly pick people from the audience to come up and dance or do calisthenics. Had I been in charge of the show, Zippy's acts would have been more Christmas related. In fact, there would have been less pantomime nonsense in general. They could have just brought someone else out to sing while giving the dancers a rest.
Still, the show was fun and I'm glad I saw it. As the grand finale, they actually made it "snow" in the theater....with soap bubbles.
After the show, I reserved a hotel for the evening. It would be in Terra Haute, Indiana, which is in the southwest side of the state. Terra Haute is a little over six hours from Branson.
I went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. Mexican restaurants in the Midwest, South, and Mountain West tend to be much better than in my own area due to the bigger influence Mexican culture has in those areas. I had wanted to go to a Mexican restaurant on this trip but the pace prevented me from going to any sit down restaurants. The food was a little disappointing here. But, it was nice to finally have Mexican food nonetheless.
I visited a shopping area which was set up as a little village. I forgot to bring the camera with me, but they had someone dressed as Santa Claus, complete with a live reindeer.
The shopping area had a lot of unique items. There were many carved items and some food items like mixes, dips, etc. Surprisingly enough, the food items were not from the Ozarks area. A lot of them were from Indiana or New England. In West Virginia, you can get all sorts of foods made locally. I'm surprised the same wasn't available in the Ozarks. But, there were a few books in the bookstore written by local authors and published by local publishing companies.
After visiting the shopping area, I had to leave in order to get up to Terra Haute at a reasonable time.
View Larger Map
After about a half hour on the road, I saw signs for the historic downtown of Ozark, MO. I decided to stop there. The downtown was definitely cute though similar to other small towns or cities I had seen.
After driving a bit on I-44, I noticed a McDonalds facing the interstate with a lifesize Nativity Scene. That was very nice. Driving further on I-44, I was able to see some of the areas I could not see when I drove the previous Sunday due to the dark.
I passed through St. Louis after dark and saw the Gateway Arch lighted up. Going from I-44 to I-55 I was able to see the Gateway Arch in a number of different angles. It was briefly visible in the rearview mirror for several miles after I had entered Illinois.
I cut across Illinois and then entered Indiana. It took about two miles of driving along I-70 before the large Indiana welcome sign appeared.
On this evening, I stayed at an Econo Lodge. The price was good and I decided not to waste points. Econo Lodges can be tricky. Some are good and some can be horrible. Things didn't start out so well here in that there were no towels in the bathroom. The desk staff was very apologetic. This one was definitely clean, but also run down. There were cracks in the light switches and electric plug panels. The pillowcases were clean, but discolored. For the first time ever in a hotel, I slept with the lights on. Would I stay at this hotel again? Probably only if my travels were such that I was too tired to drive a little further.
November 5, 2009: Branson, MO
The hotel breakfast area was in a restaurant with a large seating area. There were lots of people in town on bus trips from the surrounding states. Sitting there listening to the people, it seemed to just take me back about twenty years. The people reminded me of my grandparents in the way they talked. It was very nostalgic.
I planned to see the show Spirit of Christmas at the 10am show. This show is in the Branson Variety Theater and was one of the less expensive shows. It was like a Broadway musical. The hotel had a desk where people could get tickets, sometimes at a discount. By the time I got there, it was after 9:30 and I still would have to drive to the theater. After looking it up, the clerk found that they do not do a 10am show on Thursdays. I decided to attend another show for dinner and just explore the surrounding area during the day time.
I visited a few of the same places I had visited last year when I stopped at Branson. There were winding roads through the Ozarks that I probably would not want to drive in the evening. Yes, they had yellow signs with arrows showing how the road curves, but they also did not have guard rails in some places. These were two lane roads. Fail to navigate properly, and it was a loooong drop. (In Arkansas, I recall seeing guard rails on the roads I traveled in the Ozarks last year.)
The drive took me through some farm areas. The GPS was goofing up and I ended up having to take some gravel roads. It simply was not possible to go more than twenty on the roads and I stirred up quite a bit of dust.
In Monett, I got the lowest priced gas on the trip at $2.37. I drove to their "downtown" which was a nice historical strip. I had lunch at a family diner. The waitresses seemed to know many of the customers and people came in to chat with each other. It was a nice small town. It again gave me a nostalgic feeling.
Getting back to Branson, the GPS again seemed to have problems. I wanted to attend the Shepherd of the Hills show, which was not on the strip. I managed to get there about thirty minutes early, but I was getting nervous with the GPS sending me in circles.
The Shepherd of the Hills is one of the major attractions of Branson. Outside of the Christmas season, it is used for the Sons of Pioneers dinner show. (I tried to go there last year but arrived too late.) It is named after the book The Shepherd of the Hills written around 1907, which was one of the inspirations for Branson.
The Christmas show was a western themed show. Cowboys sat around the "campfire" on the stage. The show began with some songs talking about life for cowboys in the nineteenth century. They also joked about what we could expect for dinner, suggesting they threw whatever they could find into it, even motor oil. What they served resembled what was given at the Circle B Chuckwagon show from the previous evening, but there was just much more. They had grilled corn on the cob dripping in butter, with the husk hanging off the end. There was a huge piece of cornbread, a huge helping of beans, and a quarter piece of chicken. There was also a bit of apple pie.
A young daughter of one of the performers was brought out, riding a pony. She sang a number of Christmas songs. There was a running joke that the pony was going to sing too, though it never happened because his throat was too hoarse.
The main part of the show included a number of Christmas songs sung with a western theme. It was interspersed with the various performers needling each other. There was a lot of talk about life in Texas. One of them asked if another was from Texas. He was told not to ask that question because if the person was not from Texas, it would embarrass him. One of the performers claimed to be from Illinois, which led to all sorts of jokes about not being authentic.
At one point during the show, one of the performers got on his knees and read from the Bible. It was amazing.
After the show ended, the ticket was valid to see the Lights on the Trail. This was 2 1/2 miles of a driving maze showing Christmas lights and displays. It was beautiful. Obviously, I tried to get a photo of everything. The poor people behind me were probably annoyed, but oh well.
The Lights on the Trail again made me feel nostalgic and thinking in some ways we have lost a lot in the last few decades. The major theme was on keeping Christ in Christmas. There were lots of animated figures as used to be seen in shopping malls. They also did have the fictional Christmas stuff like the Gingerbread Playground, all sorts of elf related things, Santa Claus, etc. They had some rather creative things like a UFO Christmas, Dinosaur Christmas, Christmas at the Beach, etc. There were historical displays showing the different time periods in American history. Overall, it was a wonderful time.
The ticket also included a trip to Inspiration Tower, which gave a view of much of Branson. At night I didn't find a lot to see. But still it was nice to get to see this as Inspiration Tower is frequently talked about.
After the show, I visited a restaurant specializing in desserts. I wanted to try a funnel cake as I've never had one before. But, I noticed something very interesting on the menu. I ordered "Cakes and cream" which consisted of a funnel cake with an ice cream sundae on top. What I got was huge. They slathered hot fudge all over the ice cream and all over the funnel cake. Had there been another person with me, this would have been good to share. It was huge. It was delicious. But it was one time and I think I would not have a funnel cake (especially not one with a sundae on top) again due to the calories, grease, etc.
I planned to see the show Spirit of Christmas at the 10am show. This show is in the Branson Variety Theater and was one of the less expensive shows. It was like a Broadway musical. The hotel had a desk where people could get tickets, sometimes at a discount. By the time I got there, it was after 9:30 and I still would have to drive to the theater. After looking it up, the clerk found that they do not do a 10am show on Thursdays. I decided to attend another show for dinner and just explore the surrounding area during the day time.
I visited a few of the same places I had visited last year when I stopped at Branson. There were winding roads through the Ozarks that I probably would not want to drive in the evening. Yes, they had yellow signs with arrows showing how the road curves, but they also did not have guard rails in some places. These were two lane roads. Fail to navigate properly, and it was a loooong drop. (In Arkansas, I recall seeing guard rails on the roads I traveled in the Ozarks last year.)
The drive took me through some farm areas. The GPS was goofing up and I ended up having to take some gravel roads. It simply was not possible to go more than twenty on the roads and I stirred up quite a bit of dust.
In Monett, I got the lowest priced gas on the trip at $2.37. I drove to their "downtown" which was a nice historical strip. I had lunch at a family diner. The waitresses seemed to know many of the customers and people came in to chat with each other. It was a nice small town. It again gave me a nostalgic feeling.
Getting back to Branson, the GPS again seemed to have problems. I wanted to attend the Shepherd of the Hills show, which was not on the strip. I managed to get there about thirty minutes early, but I was getting nervous with the GPS sending me in circles.
The Shepherd of the Hills is one of the major attractions of Branson. Outside of the Christmas season, it is used for the Sons of Pioneers dinner show. (I tried to go there last year but arrived too late.) It is named after the book The Shepherd of the Hills written around 1907, which was one of the inspirations for Branson.
The Christmas show was a western themed show. Cowboys sat around the "campfire" on the stage. The show began with some songs talking about life for cowboys in the nineteenth century. They also joked about what we could expect for dinner, suggesting they threw whatever they could find into it, even motor oil. What they served resembled what was given at the Circle B Chuckwagon show from the previous evening, but there was just much more. They had grilled corn on the cob dripping in butter, with the husk hanging off the end. There was a huge piece of cornbread, a huge helping of beans, and a quarter piece of chicken. There was also a bit of apple pie.
A young daughter of one of the performers was brought out, riding a pony. She sang a number of Christmas songs. There was a running joke that the pony was going to sing too, though it never happened because his throat was too hoarse.
The main part of the show included a number of Christmas songs sung with a western theme. It was interspersed with the various performers needling each other. There was a lot of talk about life in Texas. One of them asked if another was from Texas. He was told not to ask that question because if the person was not from Texas, it would embarrass him. One of the performers claimed to be from Illinois, which led to all sorts of jokes about not being authentic.
At one point during the show, one of the performers got on his knees and read from the Bible. It was amazing.
After the show ended, the ticket was valid to see the Lights on the Trail. This was 2 1/2 miles of a driving maze showing Christmas lights and displays. It was beautiful. Obviously, I tried to get a photo of everything. The poor people behind me were probably annoyed, but oh well.
The Lights on the Trail again made me feel nostalgic and thinking in some ways we have lost a lot in the last few decades. The major theme was on keeping Christ in Christmas. There were lots of animated figures as used to be seen in shopping malls. They also did have the fictional Christmas stuff like the Gingerbread Playground, all sorts of elf related things, Santa Claus, etc. They had some rather creative things like a UFO Christmas, Dinosaur Christmas, Christmas at the Beach, etc. There were historical displays showing the different time periods in American history. Overall, it was a wonderful time.
The ticket also included a trip to Inspiration Tower, which gave a view of much of Branson. At night I didn't find a lot to see. But still it was nice to get to see this as Inspiration Tower is frequently talked about.
After the show, I visited a restaurant specializing in desserts. I wanted to try a funnel cake as I've never had one before. But, I noticed something very interesting on the menu. I ordered "Cakes and cream" which consisted of a funnel cake with an ice cream sundae on top. What I got was huge. They slathered hot fudge all over the ice cream and all over the funnel cake. Had there been another person with me, this would have been good to share. It was huge. It was delicious. But it was one time and I think I would not have a funnel cake (especially not one with a sundae on top) again due to the calories, grease, etc.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
November 4, 2009: Oklahoma City Memorial and Branson, MO
Today was an eventful day. I had to be in Branson, MO hopefully in time to catch a dinner show. Branson would be the last major stopping point before the long drive home. But, I still wanted to see the Oklahoma City Memorial.
Oklahoma City Memorial
Initially, I assumed it was strictly an outdoor memorial and planned to spend a few minutes there seeing it, paying my respects, and then beginning the long drive to Branson.
When I arrived, I put in enough quarters at the meter for an hour just to be safe. I didn't expect I would need that much. The Memorial has two large slabs marking the minute before and after the blast, 9:01 and 9:03. The blast obviously took place at 9:02. There is a reflecting pool which marks the location of a former street. Where the actual federal building stood are chairs to represent each of the victims, along with remains of the outer wall of the building. I was overwhelmed at seeing this and my eyes began to tear.
In walking through, I noticed the chairs were each a little different, representing different people. Each one had a name listed on it. I learned from a park ranger that smaller chairs represented the nineteen children murdered by the monster, Tim McVeigh. The park ranger pointed out that each night, the chairs are lighted. I had spent two nights in Oklahoma City and wish I had known of this before. My hotel was only ten minutes away from the Memorial.
I parked on the 9:01 side. On the other side (the 9:03 side) there was a chain link fence where people could leave gifts such as stuffed animals, notes, license plates, etc. There were all kinds of items attached to the fence. Periodically, the items are removed by the museum staff. Toys, I believe, are given to the poor.
Across the street from the 9:03 side is a large statue of our Lord bowing down with His hand on His forehead, distraught over the violence. This too was overwhelming.
I visited the museum. This is very well done. The staff is very friendly. I have seen numerous historical museums and this has to be the best one. It is so very sad yet excellent in its preservation of this tragedy. Families of the victims were given an opportunity to help in shaping the exhibits. There is detailed information about each of the victims, which is also a wonderful thing. I wish I had had time to read more about them.
One of the most upsetting but well done aspects of the museum was the room where you could hear the blast. Across from the building on that fateful day, a water department hearing was taking place. It started out like any other day. The hearing began and was recorded. The blast was recorded and this was the only known recording of the blast. You enter the room and listen to the sounds of the hearing taking place. Then the blast happens. At that point, the faces of all the victims flash across a large screen and fade away. Then another door opens and you continue with the exhibits. It is so sad to think of these lives snuffed out in an instant. All of these people had family, friends, coworkers, etc. and were just erased.
Other parts of the museum included continuous streaming of the coverage from the broadcast networks (remember them?). There were exhibits showing glasses, watches, and other items belonging to unknown workers that were recovered from the debris. In some cases, photographs showed damage everywhere in a room yet one item (such as a coffee pot) remained totally undisturbed.
On the second floor there was a display showing thousands of pennies collected by school children to help pay for the museum. Another panel showed the connection between Oklahoma City and NYC when it came to 911. People who had been through the horrific experience in Oklahoma City went to NYC to help in the aftermath of 911.
At one point I knew I was over time at the parking meter. Thankfully, there was no ticket. I went back into the museum to see more. After I emerged the second time, I was again out of time but once again was lucky enough to avoid a ticket.
This had to be the best historical museum I have ever seen. Obviously, they had an advantage in that the event is still recent and the museum was created by people who were personally affected by the tragedy and still had it in their memories.
Drive to Branson, MO
The drive to Branson was going to be at least five hours. I would head north on I-35 and then northeast on I-44. That stretch of I-44 in Oklahoma was the Oklahoma Turnpike. I drove it once in 2006. There are tollbooths at certain points along the road. You can drive 75 mph on the road, which was fun to do. The top speed limit anywhere else on this trip (even Texas) was 70.
View Larger Map
There were two tollbooths. Each one collected $4.00. If I recall correctly, it was MUCH cheaper in 2006. It looks like Oklahoma is competing with NY to have the title of expensive tolls. The tolls cover the stretch from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and then from Tulsa to the Missouri line. You get a receipt and if you get off at an exit, you get a refund which declines depending on how far you drive. Of course, if you take it to the end, you get nothing back.
I have to go back to Oklahoma at some point. I definitely want to visit the various Native American reservations and small towns, particularly in the city of Miami, OK. This is right near the Missouri line so it's easy to get to on a subsequent trip to Branson.
After leaving the Tulsa area, the road splits so you can either stay on I-44 or travel US 412. US 412 brings you to the Fayetteville, AR area. I drove that in 2007. (In 2006, I accidentally got on US 412 when I meant to stay on I-44. I ultimately had to go on a side road off US 412, and take a left across the road to get back towards I-44. Note that US 412 has a speed limit of 65...and yes, thanks be to God, I safely made a left turn on a 65 mph road.) Anyway, for some reason the GPS wanted me to take 412. Sure, it would have saved $4.00, but it would have been a very indirect way to get to Branson, which likely would have added an hour onto the trip. So, I overrode the GPS and took I-44 despite its protests.
Once I got into Missouri, I stopped and got gas at the truck stop where I made my very first visit to Missouri in 2006. Back then, I was so new to traveling, I considered a visit to a truck stop to be enough to count the state as being visited, and then turned around to head back to Kansas. I had also visited this truck stop in 2008 on my cross country trip just for old time's sake.
The stop to get gas almost sunk my chances to get to a Branson dinner show. As I traveled further on I-44, traffic came to a stand still. Two tractor trailers were stopped in the middle of the road. I expected I would just miss the show by a few minutes because of this. I'd have to try for an 8pm show. Anyway, traffic ran smoothly after getting past this.
As I went further, I saw all the familiar billboards advertising Branson. I was really looking forward to this.
Circle B Chuckwagon
I arrived at the theater for the Circle B Chuckwagon show. I had wanted to see this show last year but arrived too late. This time, I got there about five minutes before the start of the show. There were lots of people present but a couple of seats remained. One was in the front row. One of the performers came out to greet me. It was really a very nice place.
They began by reminding us that the soldiers fought for our freedoms. We said the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we said grace. They introduced themselves with a Powerpoint presentation, and thanked God for everything in their lives. It was wonderful. Nobody seemed to object to any of this. (My feeling is that anyone who has objections simply does not have to participate or pay attention. Simple as that. But don't tell everyone else they can't do this.)
Christmas time in Branson begins on November 1st. The stage had Christmas decorations. The songs were basically done in bluegrass but were both religious and secular Christmas songs. In between songs was an ongoing comedy act. One of the performers played the part of being an airhead. Although she was a brunette, one of the audience members asked out loud if she was really blonde. She didn't miss a beat with that comment and continued right one.
At the end, one of the performers encouraged us to drive safely. But, if we didn't like the performance, well, who was he to tell us how to drive?
After the show, I took a drive through "the strip" of all the hotels/theaters/restaurants. Christmas lights were everywhere. It was beautiful.
I went to my hotel for the evening. It was one of the same ones I had stayed at when visiting Branson last year.
Oklahoma City Memorial
Initially, I assumed it was strictly an outdoor memorial and planned to spend a few minutes there seeing it, paying my respects, and then beginning the long drive to Branson.
When I arrived, I put in enough quarters at the meter for an hour just to be safe. I didn't expect I would need that much. The Memorial has two large slabs marking the minute before and after the blast, 9:01 and 9:03. The blast obviously took place at 9:02. There is a reflecting pool which marks the location of a former street. Where the actual federal building stood are chairs to represent each of the victims, along with remains of the outer wall of the building. I was overwhelmed at seeing this and my eyes began to tear.
In walking through, I noticed the chairs were each a little different, representing different people. Each one had a name listed on it. I learned from a park ranger that smaller chairs represented the nineteen children murdered by the monster, Tim McVeigh. The park ranger pointed out that each night, the chairs are lighted. I had spent two nights in Oklahoma City and wish I had known of this before. My hotel was only ten minutes away from the Memorial.
I parked on the 9:01 side. On the other side (the 9:03 side) there was a chain link fence where people could leave gifts such as stuffed animals, notes, license plates, etc. There were all kinds of items attached to the fence. Periodically, the items are removed by the museum staff. Toys, I believe, are given to the poor.
Across the street from the 9:03 side is a large statue of our Lord bowing down with His hand on His forehead, distraught over the violence. This too was overwhelming.
I visited the museum. This is very well done. The staff is very friendly. I have seen numerous historical museums and this has to be the best one. It is so very sad yet excellent in its preservation of this tragedy. Families of the victims were given an opportunity to help in shaping the exhibits. There is detailed information about each of the victims, which is also a wonderful thing. I wish I had had time to read more about them.
One of the most upsetting but well done aspects of the museum was the room where you could hear the blast. Across from the building on that fateful day, a water department hearing was taking place. It started out like any other day. The hearing began and was recorded. The blast was recorded and this was the only known recording of the blast. You enter the room and listen to the sounds of the hearing taking place. Then the blast happens. At that point, the faces of all the victims flash across a large screen and fade away. Then another door opens and you continue with the exhibits. It is so sad to think of these lives snuffed out in an instant. All of these people had family, friends, coworkers, etc. and were just erased.
Other parts of the museum included continuous streaming of the coverage from the broadcast networks (remember them?). There were exhibits showing glasses, watches, and other items belonging to unknown workers that were recovered from the debris. In some cases, photographs showed damage everywhere in a room yet one item (such as a coffee pot) remained totally undisturbed.
On the second floor there was a display showing thousands of pennies collected by school children to help pay for the museum. Another panel showed the connection between Oklahoma City and NYC when it came to 911. People who had been through the horrific experience in Oklahoma City went to NYC to help in the aftermath of 911.
At one point I knew I was over time at the parking meter. Thankfully, there was no ticket. I went back into the museum to see more. After I emerged the second time, I was again out of time but once again was lucky enough to avoid a ticket.
This had to be the best historical museum I have ever seen. Obviously, they had an advantage in that the event is still recent and the museum was created by people who were personally affected by the tragedy and still had it in their memories.
Drive to Branson, MO
The drive to Branson was going to be at least five hours. I would head north on I-35 and then northeast on I-44. That stretch of I-44 in Oklahoma was the Oklahoma Turnpike. I drove it once in 2006. There are tollbooths at certain points along the road. You can drive 75 mph on the road, which was fun to do. The top speed limit anywhere else on this trip (even Texas) was 70.
View Larger Map
There were two tollbooths. Each one collected $4.00. If I recall correctly, it was MUCH cheaper in 2006. It looks like Oklahoma is competing with NY to have the title of expensive tolls. The tolls cover the stretch from Oklahoma City to Tulsa and then from Tulsa to the Missouri line. You get a receipt and if you get off at an exit, you get a refund which declines depending on how far you drive. Of course, if you take it to the end, you get nothing back.
I have to go back to Oklahoma at some point. I definitely want to visit the various Native American reservations and small towns, particularly in the city of Miami, OK. This is right near the Missouri line so it's easy to get to on a subsequent trip to Branson.
After leaving the Tulsa area, the road splits so you can either stay on I-44 or travel US 412. US 412 brings you to the Fayetteville, AR area. I drove that in 2007. (In 2006, I accidentally got on US 412 when I meant to stay on I-44. I ultimately had to go on a side road off US 412, and take a left across the road to get back towards I-44. Note that US 412 has a speed limit of 65...and yes, thanks be to God, I safely made a left turn on a 65 mph road.) Anyway, for some reason the GPS wanted me to take 412. Sure, it would have saved $4.00, but it would have been a very indirect way to get to Branson, which likely would have added an hour onto the trip. So, I overrode the GPS and took I-44 despite its protests.
Once I got into Missouri, I stopped and got gas at the truck stop where I made my very first visit to Missouri in 2006. Back then, I was so new to traveling, I considered a visit to a truck stop to be enough to count the state as being visited, and then turned around to head back to Kansas. I had also visited this truck stop in 2008 on my cross country trip just for old time's sake.
The stop to get gas almost sunk my chances to get to a Branson dinner show. As I traveled further on I-44, traffic came to a stand still. Two tractor trailers were stopped in the middle of the road. I expected I would just miss the show by a few minutes because of this. I'd have to try for an 8pm show. Anyway, traffic ran smoothly after getting past this.
As I went further, I saw all the familiar billboards advertising Branson. I was really looking forward to this.
Circle B Chuckwagon
I arrived at the theater for the Circle B Chuckwagon show. I had wanted to see this show last year but arrived too late. This time, I got there about five minutes before the start of the show. There were lots of people present but a couple of seats remained. One was in the front row. One of the performers came out to greet me. It was really a very nice place.
They began by reminding us that the soldiers fought for our freedoms. We said the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we said grace. They introduced themselves with a Powerpoint presentation, and thanked God for everything in their lives. It was wonderful. Nobody seemed to object to any of this. (My feeling is that anyone who has objections simply does not have to participate or pay attention. Simple as that. But don't tell everyone else they can't do this.)
Christmas time in Branson begins on November 1st. The stage had Christmas decorations. The songs were basically done in bluegrass but were both religious and secular Christmas songs. In between songs was an ongoing comedy act. One of the performers played the part of being an airhead. Although she was a brunette, one of the audience members asked out loud if she was really blonde. She didn't miss a beat with that comment and continued right one.
At the end, one of the performers encouraged us to drive safely. But, if we didn't like the performance, well, who was he to tell us how to drive?
After the show, I took a drive through "the strip" of all the hotels/theaters/restaurants. Christmas lights were everywhere. It was beautiful.
I went to my hotel for the evening. It was one of the same ones I had stayed at when visiting Branson last year.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
November 3, 2009: Texas
Over the last few years, I have rapidly closed in on my goal of visiting every state in the country that can be reached by land (meaning any state except Hawaii). By October, 2008, I had visited 45 states, with only Alaska, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas remaining unvisited. That's the way it remained for a over a year....until today. I can finally say I visited Texas. I didn't want to do this trip without at least adding Texas to my list of visited states.
The trip to Texas can almost definitely be considered a "token" visit. Still, it could be worse. In Iowa and New Mexico, my visits were limited to purchasing food, gas, and postcards. With Texas, I actually visited an attraction.
Texas is so large that it deserves a trip focused totally on the state alone. Unfortunately, this trip had multiple goals and multiple states so I could not spend much time there. Also, because Texas is so far away from home, it's difficult to see it without flying to it. Anyway, I chose something quick and history related. I wanted something in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as I knew I couldn't go any further out of the way and still keep up my schedule. I ultimately chose the Log Cabin Village in Fort Worth.
View Larger Map
The Log Cabin Village was great. The docents were in period costume. They were very friendly and more than willing to talk --- for a very long time. I learned quite a bit and did enjoy the conversations. It was nice and while I did talk with them, my face probably had a different message. It was a three hour drive from Oklahoma City and I planned to be back in Oklahoma City that evening. I was dreading the three hour drive taking the same route back and probably wanted to just see the village, have dinner, and start the drive back to the hotel in Oklahoma City.
The homes at the Log Cabin Village were actual structures that belonged to settlers in the 1840s and 1850s. Each home contained detailed biographical information about the family that had owned the home. To have information about these families from the 1840s and 1850s on the frontier is wonderful.
There was a blacksmith shop complete with a docent who was able to demonstrate all the tools. Another docent demonstrated candle making. The wicks had to usually be dipped as much as 50 times to get decent candles.
On the way into Texas, I saw the beautiful Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma. This was a little surprising as my impression had been that all of Oklahoma was flat with at most gently rolling hills.
The trip into Texas was absolutely wonderful. Just like Montana ("Big Sky Country"), the sky is expansive, at least in this region of Texas. I definitely need more time to spend looking around Texas. This particular area was mostly plains.
Fort Worth is a huge city. The population is around 720,000. After leaving Log Cabin Village, I wanted to find a restaurant specializing in barbecue. The GPS had several choices, but seemed to lead me in a wild goose chase. I simply do not like driving around large cities like this. There is too much crammed together in one place and it's too confusing for someone unfamiliar with the area, even with a GPS. If I had found a restaurant, parking would have been a nightmare. Finally, I decided to just head towards Oklahoma City and look at restaurant signs along the interstate. By this point it was rush hour time and the I-35 was jammed. I ended up accidentally taking a wrong turn and started heading south of Fort Worth. To get to the next exit, which was only one mile away, took several minutes. But, once I got out of Fort Worth, the traffic issue cleared up.
Originally, I planned to quickly stop by the Oklahoma City Memorial for the awful bombing that took place in 1995. However, I'm glad I saved that for the next day as my tour there lasted over two hours. It was better to throw that into Texas.
The trip to Texas can almost definitely be considered a "token" visit. Still, it could be worse. In Iowa and New Mexico, my visits were limited to purchasing food, gas, and postcards. With Texas, I actually visited an attraction.
Texas is so large that it deserves a trip focused totally on the state alone. Unfortunately, this trip had multiple goals and multiple states so I could not spend much time there. Also, because Texas is so far away from home, it's difficult to see it without flying to it. Anyway, I chose something quick and history related. I wanted something in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as I knew I couldn't go any further out of the way and still keep up my schedule. I ultimately chose the Log Cabin Village in Fort Worth.
View Larger Map
The Log Cabin Village was great. The docents were in period costume. They were very friendly and more than willing to talk --- for a very long time. I learned quite a bit and did enjoy the conversations. It was nice and while I did talk with them, my face probably had a different message. It was a three hour drive from Oklahoma City and I planned to be back in Oklahoma City that evening. I was dreading the three hour drive taking the same route back and probably wanted to just see the village, have dinner, and start the drive back to the hotel in Oklahoma City.
The homes at the Log Cabin Village were actual structures that belonged to settlers in the 1840s and 1850s. Each home contained detailed biographical information about the family that had owned the home. To have information about these families from the 1840s and 1850s on the frontier is wonderful.
There was a blacksmith shop complete with a docent who was able to demonstrate all the tools. Another docent demonstrated candle making. The wicks had to usually be dipped as much as 50 times to get decent candles.
On the way into Texas, I saw the beautiful Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma. This was a little surprising as my impression had been that all of Oklahoma was flat with at most gently rolling hills.
The trip into Texas was absolutely wonderful. Just like Montana ("Big Sky Country"), the sky is expansive, at least in this region of Texas. I definitely need more time to spend looking around Texas. This particular area was mostly plains.
Fort Worth is a huge city. The population is around 720,000. After leaving Log Cabin Village, I wanted to find a restaurant specializing in barbecue. The GPS had several choices, but seemed to lead me in a wild goose chase. I simply do not like driving around large cities like this. There is too much crammed together in one place and it's too confusing for someone unfamiliar with the area, even with a GPS. If I had found a restaurant, parking would have been a nightmare. Finally, I decided to just head towards Oklahoma City and look at restaurant signs along the interstate. By this point it was rush hour time and the I-35 was jammed. I ended up accidentally taking a wrong turn and started heading south of Fort Worth. To get to the next exit, which was only one mile away, took several minutes. But, once I got out of Fort Worth, the traffic issue cleared up.
Originally, I planned to quickly stop by the Oklahoma City Memorial for the awful bombing that took place in 1995. However, I'm glad I saved that for the next day as my tour there lasted over two hours. It was better to throw that into Texas.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
November 2, 2009: Arkansas
Today was "Arkansas Day." My hotel for the previous night was in Joplin, MO. From there, I hopped on US 71 and headed towards Van Buren, AR. I had driven US 71 in the dark in 2007 coming from Fayetteville, AR to Wichita, KS. So, it was nice to see it in the light this time. The road becomes I-540 and south of Fayetteville are the beautiful Boston Mountains. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. I wish I had been here a few weeks before when the leaves changed colors. It would have been spectacular.
View Larger Map
I picked the Van Buren/Fort Smith area for a couple of reasons. I had applied for a job and gotten a phone interview last September for a job in Fort Smith. Needless to say, I did not get the job. But, I was curious about the area. Van Buren is also interesting to me because it is named after Martin Van Buren (the 8th president) when he was Secretary of State. I'm a distant cousin to Martin Van Buren.
The city of Van Buren is fairly small but has a cute Victorian downtown with free parking. There are some nice little shops in the area. I took a few pictures which will be posted in the next couple of days (along with the other pictures). I had some ice cream at an old fashioned ice cream parlor. I talked with the proprietor for a while about life in Arkansas. It's definitely a lot slower and people are generally very friendly. But, Walmart is becoming huge in the state. Their headquarters are in Bentonville, about 70 miles north of Van Buren. Walmart is apparently going to be installing clinics in their stores soon.
I next went to Fort Smith. This is next door to Van Buren but in the next county. It is the second largest city in Arkansas, after Little Rock. It's a little large for me. The downtown looked nice, but is definitely very busy. If you want to take a left turn at any intersection, be prepared to sit through multiple cycles of red lights.
I also visited the actual Fort Smith historical military outpost. The city grew around the fort. It is now a national park. The fort was used prior to the Civil War as the western outpost. Back then, places like Arkansas were considered the "Southwest." In the Civil War, it was also used for military purposes, changing hands from Union to Confederate control multiple times. Arkansas was a Confederate state, but the Union still managed to control the fort some of the time during the way. Soldiers from either side would put on uniforms from the opposing force to sabotage the other side. After being caught, they were hung while standing on their coffins.
Prior to the Mexican War, Zachary Taylor (later the 12th president) was stationed at Fort Smith. While Taylor's home in Louisville, KY still exists, it is privately owned and is not open for tours. I really didn't know this going in, but now I finally can check Taylor off the list.
The fort was also used as a supply depot and a base for troops that would police what was called "Indian Territory." In modern times, that place is known as the state of Oklahoma. After being forced out of their lands in the east, Native Americans were pushed into "Indian Territory." Putting various tribes together led to wars and thus the need to police them. What was also interesting to note is that some Native Americans kept slaves. They were divided during the Civil War with some supporting the Union and others supporting the Confederacy.
After the Civil War, it became a disgusting prison (referred to as "hell on earth" for the horrible unsanitary conditions) and a Federal District Court. Prisoners were kept in the basement while the courtroom was two floors above. The self guided tour shows the courtroom and the prison. There was also an outside area for hanging executions and another for the supply depot.
Immediately after leaving the city limits of Fort Smith, one is in Oklahoma. My destination for the evening was Oklahoma City. I had about a three hour drive on I-40.
View Larger Map
Oklahoma has a reputation (at least in the Midwest) for having some of the worst roads in the country. Having seen 46 states now, I think the reputation is well deserved. The western side of Nebraska is equally bad (the populated eastern side has well maintained roads). Anyway, I was not looking forward to this drive. Significant portions of the road were okay, but when it was bad, it was very bad. There was quite a bit of roadwork going on, as there always seems to be in Oklahoma. It just seems like nothing gets better. Anyway, despite all of this, I never expected to see what I saw in the road that night: a huge stuffed chair. It was laying right on the broken line, partially in each lane. With a speed limit of 70 and driving at night, it's surprising nobody hit it. Everyone on the road (including myself) had to swerve.
View Larger Map
I picked the Van Buren/Fort Smith area for a couple of reasons. I had applied for a job and gotten a phone interview last September for a job in Fort Smith. Needless to say, I did not get the job. But, I was curious about the area. Van Buren is also interesting to me because it is named after Martin Van Buren (the 8th president) when he was Secretary of State. I'm a distant cousin to Martin Van Buren.
The city of Van Buren is fairly small but has a cute Victorian downtown with free parking. There are some nice little shops in the area. I took a few pictures which will be posted in the next couple of days (along with the other pictures). I had some ice cream at an old fashioned ice cream parlor. I talked with the proprietor for a while about life in Arkansas. It's definitely a lot slower and people are generally very friendly. But, Walmart is becoming huge in the state. Their headquarters are in Bentonville, about 70 miles north of Van Buren. Walmart is apparently going to be installing clinics in their stores soon.
I next went to Fort Smith. This is next door to Van Buren but in the next county. It is the second largest city in Arkansas, after Little Rock. It's a little large for me. The downtown looked nice, but is definitely very busy. If you want to take a left turn at any intersection, be prepared to sit through multiple cycles of red lights.
I also visited the actual Fort Smith historical military outpost. The city grew around the fort. It is now a national park. The fort was used prior to the Civil War as the western outpost. Back then, places like Arkansas were considered the "Southwest." In the Civil War, it was also used for military purposes, changing hands from Union to Confederate control multiple times. Arkansas was a Confederate state, but the Union still managed to control the fort some of the time during the way. Soldiers from either side would put on uniforms from the opposing force to sabotage the other side. After being caught, they were hung while standing on their coffins.
Prior to the Mexican War, Zachary Taylor (later the 12th president) was stationed at Fort Smith. While Taylor's home in Louisville, KY still exists, it is privately owned and is not open for tours. I really didn't know this going in, but now I finally can check Taylor off the list.
The fort was also used as a supply depot and a base for troops that would police what was called "Indian Territory." In modern times, that place is known as the state of Oklahoma. After being forced out of their lands in the east, Native Americans were pushed into "Indian Territory." Putting various tribes together led to wars and thus the need to police them. What was also interesting to note is that some Native Americans kept slaves. They were divided during the Civil War with some supporting the Union and others supporting the Confederacy.
After the Civil War, it became a disgusting prison (referred to as "hell on earth" for the horrible unsanitary conditions) and a Federal District Court. Prisoners were kept in the basement while the courtroom was two floors above. The self guided tour shows the courtroom and the prison. There was also an outside area for hanging executions and another for the supply depot.
Immediately after leaving the city limits of Fort Smith, one is in Oklahoma. My destination for the evening was Oklahoma City. I had about a three hour drive on I-40.
View Larger Map
Oklahoma has a reputation (at least in the Midwest) for having some of the worst roads in the country. Having seen 46 states now, I think the reputation is well deserved. The western side of Nebraska is equally bad (the populated eastern side has well maintained roads). Anyway, I was not looking forward to this drive. Significant portions of the road were okay, but when it was bad, it was very bad. There was quite a bit of roadwork going on, as there always seems to be in Oklahoma. It just seems like nothing gets better. Anyway, despite all of this, I never expected to see what I saw in the road that night: a huge stuffed chair. It was laying right on the broken line, partially in each lane. With a speed limit of 70 and driving at night, it's surprising nobody hit it. Everyone on the road (including myself) had to swerve.
Monday, November 2, 2009
November 1, 2009: President Abraham Lincoln's Home
One of the major reasons for going on this trip was to see Abraham Lincoln's Springfield, IL home during the bicentennial year. I have seen two other presidents' homes on their bicentennial years. Both of the others were obscure (Andrew Johnson in 2008 and Franklin Pierce in 2004). After 2009, the next time there will be a bicentennial year for a president is 2022. Both Ulysses Grant and Rutherford Hayes were born in 1822.
I do have lots of photographs from today. However, everything is delayed because of the long driving times.
Lincoln's Home
Abraham Lincoln's home was amazing. The home is located in a section of the city which has streets named after the presidents up to Andrew Jackson. These streets were named this way when Lincoln was living in the house, years before being nominated for president.
Like most national parks, there is a visitor center. But, as you walk towards the house, you basically step back in time. The neighborhood surrounding Lincoln's house has been reconstructed. Several houses from that time period have been brought in or preserved to form a neighborhood surrounding Lincoln's home. The street has dirt over the pavement. There are wagons on the street, along with a log cabin on wheels to represent Abraham Lincoln. This was a campaign device used in 1860 to elect Lincoln.
The tour of the house was very nice. They limit the size of tour groups because the house is small and the viewing area in each room is limited. The guide spoke VERY fast and you had to really pay attention to keep up with him. Everything in the house belonged to the Lincolns. They also have records of the placement of furniture at the time because newspapers sent staff to Lincoln's home while he was a candidate. They produced elaborate drawings of the interior.
Flash photography was allowed. In most historic homes, it is forbidden because the light can fade items. I was really pleasantly surprised, particularly since this home contains items owned by the Lincolns. These are not merely period pieces; they are irreplaceable.
In one of the displays, it is noted that Lincoln tearfully told the people of Springfield as he left for Washington, D.C., that he did not know when or if he would return. Sadly, he did not return to Springfield alive.
Lincoln's Tomb
The street in which the cemetery is located has banners showing Lincoln at various ages, explaining what he was doing (being a dreamer at age 9, being an entrepreneur at age 24, entering the presidency at age 52). The banners were set up for the bicentennial.
Abraham Lincoln is buried only a few miles away from his home. This is a magnificent monument featuring a lifesize statue of Lincoln, along with soldiers from the Union and Confederate armies. There is also a large bust of Lincoln's head several feet away. The monument includes steps to go to an upper deck, but they were chained.
As you go to the monument, a sign requests that all food be put away, cell phones be turned off, and a respectful demeanor be taken. A group of men in their 30s or 40s did not seem to be willing to abide by this. They kept rubbing the nose of the bust (the surface of the nose is already rubbed off), loudly laughing and joking, and one even tried to enter the door of the tomb.
St. Louis, Missouri
After finishing in Springfield, I headed to St. Louis. It felt great to finally see the Gateway Arch in person. As I rounded a bend on I-55, I started getting my first glimpses of the Arch. I have seen this in pictures and on television many times. I had a great view of it for several minutes driving along the interstate. I considered going to see it directly, but realized it would be so big I could hardly get a photo. So, I enjoyed the sight from the interstate until I lost view of it.
View Larger Map
I did, however, get several pictures of the large statue of St. Louis given to the city in the early part of the twentieth century. It was nice to finally see that statue. It is in an absolutely beautiful park, across from an art museum.
After seeing the statue, I had a long drive along I-44 to Joplin, MO, which is in the southwest corner of the state. I was going to stop off here for the next leg of the journey tomorrow. I've been to Joplin a couple of times in previous trips.
View Larger Map
I do have lots of photographs from today. However, everything is delayed because of the long driving times.
Lincoln's Home
Abraham Lincoln's home was amazing. The home is located in a section of the city which has streets named after the presidents up to Andrew Jackson. These streets were named this way when Lincoln was living in the house, years before being nominated for president.
Like most national parks, there is a visitor center. But, as you walk towards the house, you basically step back in time. The neighborhood surrounding Lincoln's house has been reconstructed. Several houses from that time period have been brought in or preserved to form a neighborhood surrounding Lincoln's home. The street has dirt over the pavement. There are wagons on the street, along with a log cabin on wheels to represent Abraham Lincoln. This was a campaign device used in 1860 to elect Lincoln.
The tour of the house was very nice. They limit the size of tour groups because the house is small and the viewing area in each room is limited. The guide spoke VERY fast and you had to really pay attention to keep up with him. Everything in the house belonged to the Lincolns. They also have records of the placement of furniture at the time because newspapers sent staff to Lincoln's home while he was a candidate. They produced elaborate drawings of the interior.
Flash photography was allowed. In most historic homes, it is forbidden because the light can fade items. I was really pleasantly surprised, particularly since this home contains items owned by the Lincolns. These are not merely period pieces; they are irreplaceable.
In one of the displays, it is noted that Lincoln tearfully told the people of Springfield as he left for Washington, D.C., that he did not know when or if he would return. Sadly, he did not return to Springfield alive.
Lincoln's Tomb
The street in which the cemetery is located has banners showing Lincoln at various ages, explaining what he was doing (being a dreamer at age 9, being an entrepreneur at age 24, entering the presidency at age 52). The banners were set up for the bicentennial.
Abraham Lincoln is buried only a few miles away from his home. This is a magnificent monument featuring a lifesize statue of Lincoln, along with soldiers from the Union and Confederate armies. There is also a large bust of Lincoln's head several feet away. The monument includes steps to go to an upper deck, but they were chained.
As you go to the monument, a sign requests that all food be put away, cell phones be turned off, and a respectful demeanor be taken. A group of men in their 30s or 40s did not seem to be willing to abide by this. They kept rubbing the nose of the bust (the surface of the nose is already rubbed off), loudly laughing and joking, and one even tried to enter the door of the tomb.
St. Louis, Missouri
After finishing in Springfield, I headed to St. Louis. It felt great to finally see the Gateway Arch in person. As I rounded a bend on I-55, I started getting my first glimpses of the Arch. I have seen this in pictures and on television many times. I had a great view of it for several minutes driving along the interstate. I considered going to see it directly, but realized it would be so big I could hardly get a photo. So, I enjoyed the sight from the interstate until I lost view of it.
View Larger Map
I did, however, get several pictures of the large statue of St. Louis given to the city in the early part of the twentieth century. It was nice to finally see that statue. It is in an absolutely beautiful park, across from an art museum.
After seeing the statue, I had a long drive along I-44 to Joplin, MO, which is in the southwest corner of the state. I was going to stop off here for the next leg of the journey tomorrow. I've been to Joplin a couple of times in previous trips.
View Larger Map
Saturday, October 31, 2009
October 31, 2009: President Warren Harding's Home
The main event for today was seeing the home of the 29th President, Warren Harding (1921 - 1923). As my historical focus is from before the Civil War (and even then, focused more on the Antebellum period), he's an obscure president even to me. But, the tour was quite interesting.
I have gone to some presidential homes (Harry Truman in 2008, Andrew Johnson in 2008, Franklin Pierce in 2004) and gotten an "exclusive" tour simply because nobody else came for a tour at that time. I expected the same in this case. But, several other people were there for a tour.
As is usually the case for any presidential home, the tour guide was a staunch supporter of her subject. I know little about Harding but apparently, he was revered at the time he died. (Note that Harding died in office. He was succeeded by Calvin Coolidge. According to the displays at this home, Coolidge won re-election because he continued Harding's policies. If you visit Coolidge's home in Plymouth, Vermont, Coolidge won re-election because of his own actions.) Harding apparently had one affair with a woman from Marion, OH, but the rumors about numerous affairs are evidently false. According to the guide, shortly after he died, he was savagely attacked. Various cabinet members blamed each other and thus the stories took on a life of their own. Research in the 1960s showed the many rumors to be false.
Harding was an American success story. He was not rich but worked his way up. He was involved in the newspaper business. Due to that experience, he was a wordsmith, giving himself an advantage in political campaigns. Like previous successful Ohio-born presidential candidates (Hayes, Garfield, and Benjamin Harrison -- who campaigned from Indiana), he did a "front porch campaign." The press came to him and heard his speeches from his front porch. A photo in the house shows hundreds of people present for one of the speeches, spilling out into the street. He had a small building constructed from a Sears kit and placed behind the house. It cost $1,000. This is now the Harding Museum and Gift Shop.
The Hardings really liked dogs. There is a painting of one of their dogs and two collars in the house (one from the dog featured in the painting). The dog they had at the White House was named Laddie Boy and was a celebrity. Toys were made to resemble him (one of which was displayed at the house) and the president received lots of questions from children about the dog. He did a "newspaper interview" with Laddie Boy.
The election of 1920 was the first presidential election in which women could vote. Harding was a U.S. Senator from Ohio at the time and was one of the first group of senators to be directly elected (previously, state legislators chose senators). His opponent was the governor of Ohio, James Cox. So, no matter what, the president to succeed Woodrow Wilson would be from Ohio. (Numerous presidents have been from OH and Harding is currently the most recent.) Cox's running mate was none other than FDR. While Harding had crowds coming to see him, Cox toured the country. Cox received a speeding ticket when he campaigned in Marion. Harding focused on people in the small towns while Cox focused on people in the big cities.
The house originally cost around $3,500. It was decorated for Halloween inside. Children from the area were going to do their trick or treating in each room with costumed volunteers from the historical society to give out candy. Anyway, as we did the tour, it was easy enough to ignore the Halloween decorations in each room.
The house was very interesting. Most of it was in Victorian Age style, but two rooms had a more modern look specifically for the 1920 campaign. Almost everything was original. Florence Harding died just about a year after her husband. She specifically asked that the house become available for tours. The first tours started in 1924.
The Hardings were very supportive of the troops (World War I had ended only a couple of years before). Florence Harding frequently spent time with the troops in military hospitals and had a standing order that troops got flowers before the White House.
While the Hardings were in the White House, they rented their home out to make sure it was occupied. News was not instantaneous in those days. On August 2nd, the day Harding died, a clock happened to stop at that exact moment. The renters wound the clock but learned later that this was the moment Harding died. In subsequent years, the clock has occasionally happened to stop at that exact time on August 2nd. However, it hasn't happened in more recent years. They do check each year, however.
After finishing the Harding tour, I headed towards Springfield, IL. There was about ninety minutes of driving that was not on an interstate. I saw some beautiful small farms along the way. I had to drive through Indiana, passing right through Indianapolis. Even on the interstates in Indiana there were some nice looking farms. It was sunny so I had a nice view along the way. I stopped about ten miles east of Indianapolis for dinner.
At this point, I've really gotten into "touring mode." Yesterday, I was exhausted. Today, the long drive was quite enjoyable.
View Larger Map
I have gone to some presidential homes (Harry Truman in 2008, Andrew Johnson in 2008, Franklin Pierce in 2004) and gotten an "exclusive" tour simply because nobody else came for a tour at that time. I expected the same in this case. But, several other people were there for a tour.
As is usually the case for any presidential home, the tour guide was a staunch supporter of her subject. I know little about Harding but apparently, he was revered at the time he died. (Note that Harding died in office. He was succeeded by Calvin Coolidge. According to the displays at this home, Coolidge won re-election because he continued Harding's policies. If you visit Coolidge's home in Plymouth, Vermont, Coolidge won re-election because of his own actions.) Harding apparently had one affair with a woman from Marion, OH, but the rumors about numerous affairs are evidently false. According to the guide, shortly after he died, he was savagely attacked. Various cabinet members blamed each other and thus the stories took on a life of their own. Research in the 1960s showed the many rumors to be false.
Harding was an American success story. He was not rich but worked his way up. He was involved in the newspaper business. Due to that experience, he was a wordsmith, giving himself an advantage in political campaigns. Like previous successful Ohio-born presidential candidates (Hayes, Garfield, and Benjamin Harrison -- who campaigned from Indiana), he did a "front porch campaign." The press came to him and heard his speeches from his front porch. A photo in the house shows hundreds of people present for one of the speeches, spilling out into the street. He had a small building constructed from a Sears kit and placed behind the house. It cost $1,000. This is now the Harding Museum and Gift Shop.
The Hardings really liked dogs. There is a painting of one of their dogs and two collars in the house (one from the dog featured in the painting). The dog they had at the White House was named Laddie Boy and was a celebrity. Toys were made to resemble him (one of which was displayed at the house) and the president received lots of questions from children about the dog. He did a "newspaper interview" with Laddie Boy.
The election of 1920 was the first presidential election in which women could vote. Harding was a U.S. Senator from Ohio at the time and was one of the first group of senators to be directly elected (previously, state legislators chose senators). His opponent was the governor of Ohio, James Cox. So, no matter what, the president to succeed Woodrow Wilson would be from Ohio. (Numerous presidents have been from OH and Harding is currently the most recent.) Cox's running mate was none other than FDR. While Harding had crowds coming to see him, Cox toured the country. Cox received a speeding ticket when he campaigned in Marion. Harding focused on people in the small towns while Cox focused on people in the big cities.
The house originally cost around $3,500. It was decorated for Halloween inside. Children from the area were going to do their trick or treating in each room with costumed volunteers from the historical society to give out candy. Anyway, as we did the tour, it was easy enough to ignore the Halloween decorations in each room.
The house was very interesting. Most of it was in Victorian Age style, but two rooms had a more modern look specifically for the 1920 campaign. Almost everything was original. Florence Harding died just about a year after her husband. She specifically asked that the house become available for tours. The first tours started in 1924.
The Hardings were very supportive of the troops (World War I had ended only a couple of years before). Florence Harding frequently spent time with the troops in military hospitals and had a standing order that troops got flowers before the White House.
While the Hardings were in the White House, they rented their home out to make sure it was occupied. News was not instantaneous in those days. On August 2nd, the day Harding died, a clock happened to stop at that exact moment. The renters wound the clock but learned later that this was the moment Harding died. In subsequent years, the clock has occasionally happened to stop at that exact time on August 2nd. However, it hasn't happened in more recent years. They do check each year, however.
After finishing the Harding tour, I headed towards Springfield, IL. There was about ninety minutes of driving that was not on an interstate. I saw some beautiful small farms along the way. I had to drive through Indiana, passing right through Indianapolis. Even on the interstates in Indiana there were some nice looking farms. It was sunny so I had a nice view along the way. I stopped about ten miles east of Indianapolis for dinner.
At this point, I've really gotten into "touring mode." Yesterday, I was exhausted. Today, the long drive was quite enjoyable.
View Larger Map
October 30, 2009 - New Adventure
Today I begin a new adventure. I'm planning to visit parts of the Midwest and South. I haven't been to the Midwest in over a year. The major highlights of the trip include the homes of Presidents Warren Harding (Marion, OH) and Abraham Lincoln (Springfield, IL), Branson, Missouri, to see some of their Christmas shows, and hopefully Texas. I have never been to Texas before.
This trip poses a new challenge from before. Rental car prices are higher than last year. So, time was limited. The challenge is: squeeze a lot of places into such limited time. This is more ambitious in terms of drive time than I have done before. But, I think I was definitely condition for it with last year's cross country trip.
The first stop on today's trip was the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, NY. This is a gorgeous church which has lifesize Stations of the Cross. There are numerous other carvings, small stained glass windows, statues, paintings, etc. The lighting is not the best and thus photos do not due it justice.
I last visited the Basilica in November, 2005, and have wanted to go back for years. At that point, I had an old digital camera which did poorly with indoor photos in a low light situation. My new camera did much better. I will have some photos posted soon.
After visiting the Basilica, I drove to Marion, OH. The total drive time (from home to Marion, OH) was about ten hours and approximately 600 miles.
View Larger Map
Why did I drive so far in one day? Warren Harding's home is in Marion, OH and had limited tours due to a Halloween party happening that day. This was the last day the house would have public tours this year. I didn't want to stop at a hotel two hours away and then encounter some sort of traffic delay that might cause me to miss the tour. The Harding home was about ten minutes from my hotel.
I have lots of free hotel points to use up. The Comfort Inn hotel in Marion took the bare minimum number of points (despite costing $80/night if I had to pay for it) and had excellent feedback on TripAdvisor.com. After seeing my room, I would say those ratings were correct. So, the long drive was definitely worth it.
This trip poses a new challenge from before. Rental car prices are higher than last year. So, time was limited. The challenge is: squeeze a lot of places into such limited time. This is more ambitious in terms of drive time than I have done before. But, I think I was definitely condition for it with last year's cross country trip.
The first stop on today's trip was the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna, NY. This is a gorgeous church which has lifesize Stations of the Cross. There are numerous other carvings, small stained glass windows, statues, paintings, etc. The lighting is not the best and thus photos do not due it justice.
I last visited the Basilica in November, 2005, and have wanted to go back for years. At that point, I had an old digital camera which did poorly with indoor photos in a low light situation. My new camera did much better. I will have some photos posted soon.
After visiting the Basilica, I drove to Marion, OH. The total drive time (from home to Marion, OH) was about ten hours and approximately 600 miles.
View Larger Map
Why did I drive so far in one day? Warren Harding's home is in Marion, OH and had limited tours due to a Halloween party happening that day. This was the last day the house would have public tours this year. I didn't want to stop at a hotel two hours away and then encounter some sort of traffic delay that might cause me to miss the tour. The Harding home was about ten minutes from my hotel.
I have lots of free hotel points to use up. The Comfort Inn hotel in Marion took the bare minimum number of points (despite costing $80/night if I had to pay for it) and had excellent feedback on TripAdvisor.com. After seeing my room, I would say those ratings were correct. So, the long drive was definitely worth it.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
February 17, 2009: James Madison's Montpelier
The major event for today was seeing President James Madison's home in Montpelier Station, VA (outside of Charlottesville, VA). The drive from Winchester, VA to the Madison home was about two hours. Much of it was on state routes. There was a lot of beautiful scenery as the road went through farm lands with rolling hills and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. See the photos.
Madison's home is along the Constitution Highway. It is a long drive off the road to finally get to the visitor center. The final private owners of the home were members of the DuPont Family. They tripled the size of the already large home. The last owner stipulated in her will that the property should be given to the National Historic Trust and returned to its state when Madison lived there. This meant that a total renovation was necessary, including demolition of everything added by the DuPonts.
The weather was nice and sunny but fairly nippy outside.
I visited the home for the first time in October, 2007. It was under total reconstruction. A small part of the DuPont structure was still present. The floors were unfinished. Some of the stairs were not finished. Some of the walls had to be reconstructed (including the wall of the room where Madison died). At that point, they said it would be totally finished on Constitution Day, 2008 (September 17th).
When I returned, substantial work was done. However, none of the furniture was in place and original artwork was also not in place. The floors were mostly complete. The tour this time focused more on the Madisons and less on construction (which was the focus of the 2007 tour). It was a good tour overall. See exterior photos.
In one of the upstairs rooms, Madison wrote the draft of what would become the U.S. Constitution. The tour guide noted ink stains on the floor. These were dated to somewhere between 1800 and 1810, so there is no chance they were from the draft of the Constitution. This was Madison's study where he had thousands of books when he lived there.
After visiting the house, I saw the kitchens, which were in the basement and available for a self-guided tour. These had not yet been developed in 2007. (Photos will be posted tonight or tomorrow.)
I also visited the "Garden Temple" which was is the only remaining structure outside of the mansion from Madison's days. Madison would go to this structure to contemplate the new republic. See the photos.
Finally, I saw the Madison family cemetery, which is located on the property. President Madison and Dolley Madison are both buried there, along with various family members. Madison simply had his name and dates listed on his monument, according to his wishes. Nothing was listed about his political achievements. (As a side note, his friend Thomas Jefferson hated the presidency so much that he too did not want it listed on his monument.) Dolley Madison moved to Washington, D.C. after Madison's death. She was originally buried in the Congressional Cemetery. Years later, her remains were moved to the cemetery at Montpelier, next to her husband. See the photos.
(In my October 2007 visit, I toured the homes of Jefferson (Monticello), Monroe (Ashlawn-Highland), and Madison (Montpelier) all in one day. I was so exhausted by the time I saw Montpelier that I never bothered to see the Garden Temple. I simply wanted to get on the road to the next hotel, which was four hours away. I also forgot to visit the cemetery.)
After we finished visiting Montpelier, we had to get on the road to our destination in North Carolina, which was a four hour drive.
Madison's home is along the Constitution Highway. It is a long drive off the road to finally get to the visitor center. The final private owners of the home were members of the DuPont Family. They tripled the size of the already large home. The last owner stipulated in her will that the property should be given to the National Historic Trust and returned to its state when Madison lived there. This meant that a total renovation was necessary, including demolition of everything added by the DuPonts.
The weather was nice and sunny but fairly nippy outside.
I visited the home for the first time in October, 2007. It was under total reconstruction. A small part of the DuPont structure was still present. The floors were unfinished. Some of the stairs were not finished. Some of the walls had to be reconstructed (including the wall of the room where Madison died). At that point, they said it would be totally finished on Constitution Day, 2008 (September 17th).
When I returned, substantial work was done. However, none of the furniture was in place and original artwork was also not in place. The floors were mostly complete. The tour this time focused more on the Madisons and less on construction (which was the focus of the 2007 tour). It was a good tour overall. See exterior photos.
In one of the upstairs rooms, Madison wrote the draft of what would become the U.S. Constitution. The tour guide noted ink stains on the floor. These were dated to somewhere between 1800 and 1810, so there is no chance they were from the draft of the Constitution. This was Madison's study where he had thousands of books when he lived there.
After visiting the house, I saw the kitchens, which were in the basement and available for a self-guided tour. These had not yet been developed in 2007. (Photos will be posted tonight or tomorrow.)
I also visited the "Garden Temple" which was is the only remaining structure outside of the mansion from Madison's days. Madison would go to this structure to contemplate the new republic. See the photos.
Finally, I saw the Madison family cemetery, which is located on the property. President Madison and Dolley Madison are both buried there, along with various family members. Madison simply had his name and dates listed on his monument, according to his wishes. Nothing was listed about his political achievements. (As a side note, his friend Thomas Jefferson hated the presidency so much that he too did not want it listed on his monument.) Dolley Madison moved to Washington, D.C. after Madison's death. She was originally buried in the Congressional Cemetery. Years later, her remains were moved to the cemetery at Montpelier, next to her husband. See the photos.
(In my October 2007 visit, I toured the homes of Jefferson (Monticello), Monroe (Ashlawn-Highland), and Madison (Montpelier) all in one day. I was so exhausted by the time I saw Montpelier that I never bothered to see the Garden Temple. I simply wanted to get on the road to the next hotel, which was four hours away. I also forgot to visit the cemetery.)
After we finished visiting Montpelier, we had to get on the road to our destination in North Carolina, which was a four hour drive.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
February 16, 2009: Start of a new trip
A friend is attending an event in North Carolina this week. He invited me to come along. I thought it would be a good break from the winter blahs.
Today we drove to Winchester, Virginia. Along the way, we passed through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia.
We stayed at the George Washington Hotel. The hotel is very elegant and is located in a historic part of town. My friend got a great rate on it via Hotwire.com.
For dinner, we went to a Thai restaurant. This is the first time I ate at a Thai restaurant. The food was delicious. I chose the medium level of spicyness but could have gone to the next higher level.
Tomorrow we'll be seeing President James Madison's home in Montpelier Station, VA.
Today we drove to Winchester, Virginia. Along the way, we passed through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia.
We stayed at the George Washington Hotel. The hotel is very elegant and is located in a historic part of town. My friend got a great rate on it via Hotwire.com.
For dinner, we went to a Thai restaurant. This is the first time I ate at a Thai restaurant. The food was delicious. I chose the medium level of spicyness but could have gone to the next higher level.
Tomorrow we'll be seeing President James Madison's home in Montpelier Station, VA.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)