Missouri Illinois

Missouri & Illinois

The Arch in St. Louis, Missouri is amazing!  It dominates the skyline as you come into the city.  I have to admit I had a little bit of anxiety at the thought of taking the elevator to the top – but quickly got over it when we saw the view!  From there we toured the Old Courthouse where the Dred Scott Case was decided.

We spent Tuesday in Springfield, Illinois.  It was nice to spend time in a smaller city for a change. (   Springfield is where Abraham Lincoln made his home for most of his adult life.  We toured the house he and Mary shared with their boys.  Their second son, Eddy, died in this house.  It was in the parlor of this house that Lincoln was asked to run for president.  The girls earned their Jr. Ranger badge at this Historic Site.  In April, Springfield opened the state-of-the-art Lincoln Presidential Museum & Library.  I have to say that this is one of the best museums we have been to so far.  There were two theatres with all kinds of special effects.  The first was a live monologue called “Ghosts of the Library” with wonderful visual effects.  The next was a multi-media presentation about Lincoln with strobe lights and seat vibrators (that shook when the guns went off).  The museum itself was made up several scenes from Lincoln’s life in almost life-sized reproductions – from the cabin he was born in to a reproduction of his casket laying in state in Springfield.  I never realized how much sorrow he had in his life – from outliving two of his four sons to they hatred and torment he endured during a very divisive time in our nation.

Wednesday, Chris took the girls to Meremac Caverns in Missouri.  I stayed back because I was feeling sick – but the girls said it was great!  This cave was one of the hideouts that Jesse James used back in the day.  They described beautiful stalactites and stalagmites along with a rare formation called a “wine table.”  

Thursday found us in Branson, Missouri.  What a great place to be on Thanksgiving.  It the heart of the Ozarks, it’s a great family vacation destination (I’m starting to sound like one of the several brochures I’ve been reading!)  We went to Dolly Parton’s Christmas Dixie Stampede dinner show.  Lot’s of food and great entertainment!  We were on the North side of the rivalry between the North Pole and the South Pole.  The rivalry was decided on the outcome of several fun contests – including horse and carriage races, ostrich races (yes, they were real people riding real ostriches!), chicken chasing, pig races, and much more!  On the more serious side, there were ice skaters, a beautiful solo, and a live nativity with the Wise Men arriving on real camels.  All, in all, very well done!  Not a bad way to spend Thanksgiving!  (    Friday’s show was Branson’s first show – Baldknobbers.  It was a country jamboree with a splash of gospel and Christmas.  Let’s just say that this California girl heard more country music in the last few days than I have in all my life!  I was very glad to get into the car and turn on some U2 (my favorite band – no hint of country there!)  Although Chris and I were both amazed that both shows we attended were sold out and had a very Christian message – not something you’d find outside of church in California!  

We are now driving through Clinton, Arkansas (I’m not kidding!) in route to Interstate 10 west.  We’ll be making stops in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California on our route home.  Just a few more weeks before we return to chaos at home (work, bills, Christmas….)