I love National Parks! It has been not very pleasant to see the many locations I have wanted to visit closed due to Covid. When we arrived in Illinois, I thought I might have to miss seeing Lincoln’s home in Springfield, but they opened two days before we were planning a visit.We were staying in a small town about an hour and a half from Springfield. The drive there gave us a tour of the area. The small town rural farming communities are some of my favorite places. As far as the eye can see, fields of corn and soybeans allow for a clear view of the sunrise and sunset.

Lincoln’s Home National Historic Site encompasses a couple of blocks in downtown Springfield. There is plenty of parking on both sides of the visitors center, including for RVs. There is no charge for parking, and if you are willing to walk a few blocks, you can tour the Lincoln museum without moving your vehicle. I would suggest arriving early; they open at 8:30, so you can get tickets to tour Lincoln’s home.

Lincoln’s home was considered a middle-class home, despite seeming upper class. Initially, it was a story and a half but was later updated to be two stories with the bedrooms upstairs. I will reserve sharing more details in case you choose to take the tour yourself. I will say you are discouraged from touching anything, including the walls, except for when you head up the stairs. The tour guide asked us to hold the handrail for safety and think about Lincoln grabbing that same handrail as he headed upstairs to bed. It is a brief touch with history.

After the tour, we wandered the neighborhood and had lunch at the Carriage Company, just down the block from Lincoln’s home. Our oldest daughter, whose husband is from the area, informed us we must try a Horseshoe. Jason ordered the chicken horseshoe, and our youngest daughter, who is currently traveling with us, had a chicken sandwich. It is by far the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. The Carriage Company is a must if you are ever in the area.

The Lincoln Museum has two sections. One is the log cabin area that takes you through Lincoln’s life before becoming president, and then the White House section takes you through his presidency up to his death. The museum does a fantastic job at helping to understand what guided Lincoln and the challenges he faced.

We ended our day at Lincoln’s Tomb. It was curious that a man with firm faith in G-d and often expressed that belief had no mention of G-d at his tomb. Across from Lincoln are buried his wife and youngest children, but his oldest son was buried in Arlington National Cemetery at his wife’s request.

Lincoln was not a popular president during his life but became so after his death. Perhaps we fail to realize how good someone is until they are gone.