Springfield, Illinois to Albert Lea,Minnesota
Springfield, Illinois to Albert Lea,Minnesota
Date: June 29, 2011
Time: 9:20 p.m. CST
Location: Albert Lea, Minnesota
(yah...)

Weather: Sunny!
Temp:81 F

Gas: $3.59
Good evening fellow armchair travelers!  After much fighting with the electronics I have been
able to get this going for another night!  Luck dogs you!  So, driving along the roads here are
interesting to say the least.  Sometimes the travel is quite peaceful, with cummute time on the
freeways carrying maybe 10 cars ahead and 10 cars behind spread out to the horizon in
either direction.  I do believe you can see 28 miles in any direction if the surface is flat before
the curvature of the earth interferes.  Since we drove through Illinois and Iowa there wasn't
much to get in the way, just some low corn and soybean plants. But, heck when you get to a
huge city like Waterloo,Iowa, with a population of 68,000 the traffic gets so thick (like 20
cars in front and behind you) people forget how to drive so they rely on each other to guide
them by driving right up each others behinds. They don't seem to mind, but if they drive like
this in the winter, NO WONDER there are 30 car pile ups on the freeways! Holy smokes!
Even the bog rigs drive up yer bum!

I am really bummed that I could not load any pictures from the Lincoln Presidential museum
so I am going to give you the next best thing.  It is called a link.  For those of you less
experience (I suggest you read choices prior to making a choice. with computers)
just                         .  If all goes well you will go to the museum where you can look around.
Now you ask.. how do I get back?? You have four choices...

Choice 1
Open the link in another window by right clicking on the click here button and clicking open
in new window... if this is too complicated try choice 2.

Choice 2
Click on the click here button and explore the website and click the back arrow on the
address bar at the top of the screen a butload of times until you make it back here. Too much
work?

Choice  3
Click on the click here button,explore, and then go back to where you have my page saved
and open it fresh. Still too much work?

Choice 4
Finish reading the blog and then click on the link, explore, turn it off, have a beer, watch
Jeopardy, and go to bed. :) Easy and fun!

Ok.. on with the adventures as I am getting tired and my wit is getting stranger by the
moment. I think it is the Michigan wine I am enjoying, reminds me a bit of grape juice...hmm.

We got up this morning and went over to starbucks where I got an AWESOME cup of
Italian Roast.Oh coffee, how I miss the yummy, crusty, rich flavor first thing in the morning.  I
think I ended up a bit wired, didn't fall asleep in the truck at all today. WOO! Yeah!
WOOO! The hotel coffee tasted like instant coffee, that has it's own unique flavor.
We continued down the road to Lincoln'd Home site.  This place had a whole street
preserved from his time including his home he lived in for 17 years prior to becoming
president of the United States.  He planned on returning after his presidency and living out the
rest of his life.  But we all area aware that his dream of doing that never came true.  The home
has been cared for by the state of Illinois since Lincoln's oldest son Robert sold the house to
the state for 1$ with two stipulations. 1, the house must be kept as it was during Lincoln's
time, and 2, the public must be able to come to the house free of charge as to not exploit his
father's legacy. Thank you Robert Lincoln!

We continued on down the road to Lincoln's tomb.  This was a very solemn place. It was ver

We continued on down the road where we found the Herbert Hoover Presidential museum.  
I learned a bit more about him than I had known.  He belived that no chld should ever feel tha
pang of hunger.  He traveled all over the world working with war torn nations were starving
to try and provide releif. He was blamed for the Great Depression. Whether one man can
shoulder the fault for that I do not know, but the United States blamed him and it haunted him
throughout his life.  His grave site was also located on the presidental museum land.

Today was filled with thoughtfulness about the issues America has had in it's relatively short
history.  I take the time to reflect on my beliefs and understandings of my time and place. I
have met people all over the country.  They are friendly, caring, and want the same things I
do; freedom, happiness, a home,food, and peace. They are working every day to live the
American Dream, Life, Love and Liberty.

It is time for this traveler to retire. Over....and out.
Lincoln Home
Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum
Now why would I do that? It sticks to your
shoes!
There are no presidential symbols on his tomb as he was born a quaker and grew up as
such and wanted his tomb simple.  There is a flag that is raised and lowered each day at
the foot of the tomb of President Hoover and his wife.