2022 brings with it a refreshed feeling of adventure. The goal is to take a mini trip each month, selected by a different family member. February was Harper's pick, and because she's awesome, she decided on visiting Springfield for Abraham Lincoln's birthday.
Pictured: The Johnson family rubbing Lincoln's nose for good luck outside his tomb in Springfield, IL.
To maximize the time spent touring, we opted to leave for Springfield directly after work on a Friday, which meant rolling into town just after 8:30pm. We stayed at a Drury Inn, which I would typically recommend, but this one was definitely past its prime; however, it had heat and comfortable beds, so we snuggled in with the Winter Olympics and tucked in to prepare ourselves for the next day's adventures!
We began our trip on February 12 by visiting the Lincoln Home National Historic Site.
Pictured: Augie, Toby and Harper outside the Lincoln home.
The hours of the Lincoln Home NPS site are 8:30am-5:00pm, and there are free tour tickets available on a first come, first serve basis, so we were hoping our 9:15am arrival would be sufficient without having to wait too long for tickets. We were the first people to visit the site for the day, signing into the guest book and snagging tickets for a 9:30am tour. While we waited 10 minutes for our tour to begin, we grabbed Junior Ranger booklets so the kids could start their quest to earn yet another junior ranger badge.
Pictured: Augie, Toby and Harper working on their junior ranger badge packet in the auditorium.
Our ranger-lead tour began promptly at 9:30am with a brief introduction to President Lincoln's life in Springfield, before we headed outside and took a short walk to Lincoln's home. It was a blustery day (the high was 19 degrees), but it was well worth the time we spent outdoors, exploring where Mr. Lincoln lived before becoming the 16th president of the U.S.
After exploring the village, we headed back into the visitor center to stamp our passport (for the 2nd time here) and finish junior ranger booklets, earning junior ranger badges at 10:30am.
Pictured: Harper and Augie being sworn in as Lincoln Home NPS Junior Park Rangers.
After scoring junior ranger badges, we swung around a few blocks to the Lincoln Depot, where Abraham gave his final speech in Springfield (161 years and 1 day earlier), aboard a train to Washington, D.C. The Depot, where Lincoln gave this impromptu speech, is currently a law office, run by a distant descendent of Lincoln's first law firm partner! This was just a picture stop for us, since we didn't make advance reservations for a weekend drop in. However, I would venture back during the week, when it's open, just to check it out!
Pictured: Augie, Heather and Harper at the Lincoln Depot.
From there, we decided to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The kids and I had been before, but with free admission on Lincoln's birthday, it was a no brainer to stop back! We enjoyed each exhibit (even though we didn't go "in order" of the exhibits, as intended), and the film "Lincoln's Eyes" was stellar. We skipped the ghost movie, because the kids and I had seen it, but it is highly recommended for new visitors!
Pictured: The Johnson and Lincoln families at the Presidential Museum.
At this point, several members of the Johnson family were getting "hangry," so it was time to check out a local Springfield eatery, The Chili Parlor. Because Springfield was a stop along Route 66, there are quite a few roadside attractions and restaurants that hearken back to the era of long road trips and scenic America. The Chili Parlor is reminiscent of that era. The order at the counter diner feel, where customers are known by name, didn't make us feel any less a part of the magic happening there. Our family of four was treated like regulars, and our kids even got a free cup of ice cream after our lunch, just for visiting. We also ate for under $25, which, for a family of 4, is no easy feat!
Pictured: Toby and Harper outside The Chili Parlor.
Having been satiated, we headed back into downtown Springfield to hit up the Old Illinois Capitol building where Lincoln gave his "House Divided Speech" and where President Barack Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency in 2007. This Illinois DNR site is also free to visit, and parking is free in the underground lot on the weekends.
Pictured: Heather, outside the old state library.
Pictured: Augie, Toby and Harper outside the Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL
We arrived just after 1pm and left just after 1:30pm. There are free guided tours available, but since the kids had already toured this facility, we just meandered through the rooms and enjoyed the beauty of a building where historic figures had once shaped our state and nation.
From the capitol, we wandered into an incredible used bookstore, which was not on our original agenda. However, the incredibly awesome nature of this particular shop cannot be understated. We were here for nearly 40 minutes, wandering and exploring!
Pictured: Harper on the floor of a bookshop, looking through boxes of 45 record albums.
We made it to Lincoln's tomb by 2:30pm, our final stop, and Lincoln's final resting place. Again, admission is free, and even if there are large tour groups (as there was when we arrived), individuals and families can skip the line and move through to pay their respects to Lincoln and his family without waiting in the monument's vestibule.
Pictured: Augie and Harper standing with Abraham Lincoln.
This site also has bathrooms available, which we were able to use prior to departing Springfield for home.
All told, this was a wonderfully quick family adventure full of history and a sense of wonder that a giant of history had humble roots, here in Illinois! I would highly recommend this day trip for those who can make the trek to central Illinois, as well as for those traveling along interstates that go through Springfield. It is a quick, easy stop that allows your mind to wander to a time when a nation's uncertain future was shaped by a man who walked through these same streets.
Total Cost of Trip: $271.42
Lodging: $153.89
Food: $93.48 (dinner Friday & lunch Saturday)
Parking: $0
Attractions: $0
Souvenirs: $24.05 (pressed penny and books and records)
Comments