WARNING!! LOTS OF PICTURES HERE!

Next, it was on to Springfield, IL, where this year is being celebrated the bicentinnial of Abraham Lincoln's birthday.

This has been one of my favorite spots so far. In fact, we liked it so much (we were here in late April) that we are back to finish exploring this week.

So, a little background. Lincoln was born Feb. 12, 1809 in Kentucky, second child of a pioneer farmer and carpenter. In 1816, the family moved to southwestern Indiana, where they live in a three-sided shelter until their log cabin is built. The family moves to Macon County, Il. in 1830. Soon after, Abe moves to New Salem as a young adult.

From the website: "Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, about 2 miles South of Petersburg and about 20 miles Northwest of Springfield, is a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. The six years Lincoln spent in New Salem formed a turning point in his career. Although he never owned a home here, Lincoln was engaged in a variety of activities while he was at New Salem. He clerked in a store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster and deputy surveyor, failed in business, and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and 1836 after an unsuccessful try in 1832. "
(http://www.lincolnsnewsalem.com/)

So, here are some images of life for the young Abe Lincoln:

This was the weekend for a big Boy Scout Jamboree, so there were A LOT of Scouts camping out here. When I first saw this, I thought "OH NO" but the kids & leaders were super - asking lots of good questions and generally being everything you think a bunch of teenagers COULD be, but generally, aren't....

In Springfield, you can see many preserved sites where Lincoln lived, worked, and made history.

The old State Capitol:

On the street:

We also spent a lot of time in the Presidential Library & Museum. No pictures in the museum, but this is the mail lobby area of the library - the banners along each side are "Happy Birthday" messages from school children in the area. Quite impressive.

At Lincoln's tomb, we again ran into the Boy Scouts who had marched through town to the tomb. Again, they were so orderly and respectful, we were really impressed.

The tomb - I can't even start to describe...

And at our RV Park, a sure sign of spring:

That's all for now....