Chimney Rock, Car Henge, and Mexican "food" in Alliance

So, last post (December 2), I interrupted our Big Ball of String roadtrip to go see ZooLights Calgary! But, the post before that (November 28), I was trying to get to Chimney Rock, Nebraska...

 

Chimney Rock was a landmark along the Oregon Trail (also The Mormon Trail and the California Trail.)

 

Back in the Pioneer days, they say the Spire could be seen for approximately 40 miles. Since the people had been travelling who-knows-how long, over flat, flat ground, it was probably a huge relief to see Chimney Rock! At least, they'd know that they weren't going in circles!! (Or, I suppose, they'd know they WERE going in circles, if they passed it more than once...)
 

There is discrepancy about the height, and it seems to depend on who measures it, and when, due to, in part, erosion. The marker says that it's 470 feet above the North Platte River Valley and 325 feet from tip to base, and another report also includes that it's 120 feet for the spire.
http://www.historyglobe.com/ot/chimneyrock.htm

 

Many 19th century accounts stated that Chimney Rock was losing its height due to erosion. But some measurements recorded back then are very close to the modern measurement of 325 feet from tip to base and 120 feet for the spire.

 

You can visit the Chimney Rock National Historic Site & Visitor Center - the information is found at
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/sites/rock/.
(I recommend you also go to the "More Information on Chimney Rock" link once you are in the like I've included...for additional information...)

I can't find anything about rules about hiking up to Chimney Rock...either rules against, or information for.. I suppose if you go to the Visitor Center, you can ask there!
 

We left there, and headed north towards Alliance. (The decision to go north to Alliance instead of east towards Cheyenne was confirmed when we found out that 1) Cheyenne had a weather warnings - hail & flooding, and
2) Alliance has Car Henge!)
 

 

Alliance turned out to be a very interesting town, full of character people approximately 8500, according to the 2010 census.)

 

For example, we went for Mexican food (I've decided not to tell where...If ever you go to Alliance, and want to know where not to go, you can email me privately. I wasn't going to talk about it at all, except that it really was part of the experience!) We asked around and were recommended this place and we were excited! You may recall (blog November 11, 2012) - we are always searching for the best Mexican food. This was not it.

 

For starters, almost the entire back page of the menu was different kinds of yummy drinks, but when I ordered a margarita, it turns out that they didn't have a liquor license...

 

Also, my enchiladas had what, I can only guess, might be melted processed cheese...and Peter's chili relleno was a burrito, with something kind of runny and brown (it was not mole).

 

I would've been horribly disappointed, BUT, THEN! The man from the table beside us (probably about 30-35 years old), finished his dinner, took out his teeth and wiped them on his jeans!

YES HE DID!! You can't beat that for ambiance!!! It was so gross and so intriguing at the same time! that I felt the entire experience was a success!!

(Speaking of Mexican food - in the November 11th blog, I did mention Paloma, as far as Mexican food in Calgary and we did go and it was pretty yummy!!! I had chicken enchiladas with mole.

http://www.palomamexicanrestaurant.ca/en/

Also, I remembered that I actually really enjoyed the enchiladas and ambiance at Salt & Peppers, La Cantina, in Inglewood, in Calgary - I forgot about it (I'm sorry!!) but I was there on a cool but sunny day in the May or June, and it was great! Also, they supplied Mexican blankets for those of us that insisted on sitting on the patio. http://www.saltnpepper.ca/)

 

The biggest claim-to-fame, as far as I'm concerned, for Alliance was Car Henge. Apparently, Car Henge has been voted the "No. 2 Wackiest Attraction" in the United States. Yes, it did make me instantly wonder what was the first wackiest - by this report, it's in San Antonio, Texas.  (http://www.1011now.com/news/headlines/64481802.html).

 

 Car Henge is a 38 car replica of Stone Henge...I guess it claims to be similar dimensions, but I will have to take their word for it, since I've yet to go to Stone Henge.. This was a cool sight, though. AND, apparently, if you want to, you can plant your own car on the Car Art Reserve area... hmm...

(http://www.carhenge.com/about_us.htm)

 

The history of Alliance is pretty interesting! Apparently, it was founded in 1888, and it's growth was partly due to the railroads coming in, and partly settled because land was free. They also gave land away to soldiers who'd served in the Civil War. Alot of history followed (you can read all about it at http://www.cityofalliance.net/DocumentView.aspx?DID=128) and it seems to be summed up in a "slow but sure" sort of way...always steady.  

One of my favorite parts of the article is when it talks about needing school teachers - actually, here's the quote from the article - no sense in summarizing it: "The schools and churches started in Grand Lake were continued in Alliance and were joined by more. One of the areas worst problems was created with the need for teachers. The school board soon discovered any young female was quickly married. For a time, school boards even publicized in Eastern newspapers for young women of plain and homely countenance to come West and teach. But even the less beautiful married quickly. Frustrated school boards then hit upon another solution. Contracts often included a clause preventing a teacher from marrying for two years. For its time, a restrictive but necessary clause."

 

...To quote Forrest Gump: "That's all I have to say about that." (Not true - I have so much more to say, but probably you are all thinking anything I could say anyway...and if you aren't, you would be thinking it, if you'd been to Alliance.)
Speaking of "characters" - on to Crazy Horse Monument on Sunday!!



Calgary ZooLights

"They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway", but LED lighting is pretty bright, too, when there's more than 1.5 million lights. Of course, it's not Broadway, but the ZooLights display at the Calgary Zoo.

I'm interrupting our jaunt across 1/2 of the United States with something current- because we just went to ZooLights Calgary, and it's my first time! Yes, I've lived in Calgary for years and have never gone. To be fair, I don't think they've been around that long - from what I can find, maybe only since 2005? so, I'm only 7 years behind...

 

Actually, that's one of the benefits that I've found to writing a Sightseeing-themed blog. At first, I was just going to talk about places I was going already, but it's really encouraging me to do things I haven't done before, and in some cases, wouldn't have considered doing before.. (In fact, it's also making me SEE things that I "see" every day. Like the statue of King Kong climbing a building, right in Calgary. I've driven passed it so many times and never really "saw" it! Now, I'm making a special trip! Eventually.)

The ZooLights start in the end November and end the beginning of January, open every day from 6pm to 9pm (closed only on Christmas Day.) On New Years Eve, it's also technically closed, because they have a "Zoo Years Eve" party. Tickets are only $10 for anyone 16 years old and up, and for children 3-15, only $7. (Everything says that the price of your ticket includes parking...but parking was free anyway...maybe it's because we didn't arrive until 7:30ish?) (Speaking of parking - you can only get in from the North Gate, so make sure you park on that side - north side of Memorial Drive.

 

We had 9 adults and 4 children in our group, and I expected an hour and a half to be more than enough time, but we actually had to rush through the last section. (I think it could go either way - depending on how the children handle it.)


Everyone was really cold (the temperature was -13 degrees Celsius/8.6 degrees Fahrenheit), until we discovered that the atrium was open, so we went in there for a few minutes. (In actual fact, I wasn't cold at all...I wondered why, until Peter pointed out that I was wearing: a regular pair of socks and a pair of thermal wool socks, thermal pants and also snow pants, a thermal shirt under a wool sweater, a wool hat and a knit headband, thermal gloves under down mittens, Sorel boots good for -40 (Celsius & Fahrenheit), and a down coat over the top of it all. (Also, I may have had a little something yummy in my hot chocolate...)

 

The staff was great - super friendly and had a lot of information. (In particular, we learned that the camels were outside (apparently, these particular camels are Bactrian camels, and thrive in the winter), and also, apparently, the snow leopard cubs (kittens?) were also outside still (hadn't gone inside for the night, yet), although I didn't get to see those.

 The kids loved the games - building igloos, hoola hooping, something with hay bales, an icy slide through lights. Kids are so funny, though - we were there for an hour and a half, and saw over 1.5 million lights, and they were mostly just really excited to takes chunks of ice and snow and shatter them on the ground.

 

Here's some general facts that I found interesting (in addition to the fact that there's more than 1.5 million lights):

• It takes "4.5 people" 3 months to set up, and other 3 months to take down.
• Since switching to LED lighting and other energy-saving lights, there's an 80% reduction in power
• Technically, there are 6 fire pits throughout - while we were there, there were 4 working, but they were strategically placed and not only enjoyable, but kind of a relief to those who were cold
• ZooLights are strung across approximately 90 acres
• Hot chocolate is available (there are booths scattered - if the one you go to is crowded, walk on - there's others that are less crowded)

I definitely will go again (not sure if it'll be this year or next year). Next time, I'll speed through the first section and go right to Candy Land.

 

Back on track (I think) on Wednesday,
with more on Nebraska
and Chimney Rock
(as previously discussed -
- November 28th.)

Nebraska, The Cornhusker State

Are you sick of me talking about the heat? The day we arrived in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the thermometer in our car registered 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius)! - of course, that was in a parking lot, after the car had sat for a bit (the store, Camping World, let us bring the puppies into the store with us), but that's HOT!!! We were tired. We were sick of the heat. We were on our way home and wishing we were already there. (Now, as I write this, it's winter, and it's cold & snowing, and I can't remember what I was complaining about in the summer...no...I remember ... I love summer, but I'm like Goldilocks - "too hot, too cold, just right".)
 

Last time we were in Nebraska, we were on a one way road trip from Calgary to Halifax (mentioned in my Jolly Green Giant blog, Oct. 17, 2012). We went into Nebraska just to say we were there, and I bought a postcard IN Nebraska that says on the back: "There's a reason it's called a plain state. Road-weary pioneers just gave up and stayed."

 

But, despite the intriguing sales pitch, I read somewhere that there was, in fact, a "Big Ball of String" reason to go to Nebraska - Chimney Rock.

 

We stayed at the West Omaha KOA (http://koa.com/campgrounds/west-omaha/), and I got caught up on laundry. (I have had interesting visits with other travellers in the laundry rooms at the KOA's. The people in this one were reading a murder mystery romance book out loud, to pass the time. I was torn between leaving the laundry room (which was like a sauna) and staying and listening to the story!! I did leave, though, because, for one thing, I realized that I wouldn't get to hear the end anyway...and the other compelling reason is that we were having pizza delivered.)

 

Yes! Made-to-order pizza and delivery is actually something that THAT particular KOA offered/offers! It was great! (Technically, I was right beside the kitchen when I was doing laundry, and could've picked it up, but didn't want to miss out on the experience of having the pizza delivered to the Airstream!

 

That night, a miracle happened. The temperature dropped to a tolerable mid-90's range. It was aMAZing!!! Who could've guessed that one of the biggest highlights of a 8000+ km road trip was going to be the temperature cooling down!!

 

That morning, we headed west - towards Chimney Rock. First things first, though - with "cooler" temperatures, we celebrated by finding the closest Starbucks, which happened to be in Lincoln, Nebraska. The one we chose had no parking, but we didn't care - Peter circled the block while I picked up our coffee. Mmmmmmmmm. (I had a venti white mocha with a shot of raspberry.)

 

I had no expectations of the drive across Nebraska, and to tell the truth, we had planned to go through South Dakota and decided to go across Nebraska as sort of a whim, when we saw "Chimney Rock" in a brochure I picked up at a gas station, so I hadn't researched it properly.

I was very excited to discover that somewhere around Kearney, NE, we were on the Pony Express Route! (Which is also the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, and the California Trail!!) http://www.ponyexpressdoc.com/pages/the-pony-express

 

The first interesting place that we passed was the Great Platte River Road Archway, somewhere near Kearney. The Archway pays tribute to the pioneers who travelled along that route from 1843 to 1869, highlighting their perseverance and determination. (We didn't stop, and I had to Google it, to find out what it is...but a piece of history I hadn't expected to see out there! http://www.archway.org/)

 

The next place we came across was an original Pony Express Station, in Gothenburg. In its hay-day, it was actually at another area in Gothenburg, but was moved to a new location (Ehman Park) in 1931. It is now a museum and a post office, so OF COURSE, I had to mail myself a Pony Express postcard from the Station! (They have a leather mail bag hanging on the wall beside the door, into which you just drop your mail.)


For those of you who don't know all about the Pony Express, the link above is pretty informative, but if you don't have time to look it up, here's a few details in summary:

 

The Pony Express was a relay system of horses and their riders, who carried mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California (and back again), from April 1860 through October 1861. It was the fastest way to deliver mail at that time, taking an average of 10 days from one end to the other (almost 2000 miles), but the fastest time recorded was 7 days, 13 hours, and carried Abraham Lincoln's first inaugural address. Riders typically rode 75-100 miles before another rider took over, and horses usually were changed out every 10-15 miles.

 

There were between 100-200 Pony Express Stations enroute (I've read "over 100", "approximately 165" and "184 stations" - so, I don't really know) ~ this is one of them!

After that, and back out on the highway, we passed a sign for Buffalo Bill Ranch...

 

Technically, I "know" about Buffalo Bill (who's real name is William F. Cody), but not really. Apparently, he's mostly famous because of his acting troupe "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" (which is portrayed in the movie Hidalgo http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317648/), which performed all over the US and Europe.

 

A few other things for which he is known:

• He got his nickname because he killed over 4,000 buffalo within 18 months (so says reports), apparently for food for the Kansas Pacific Railroad workers (1867-1868)
• He was a Pony Express rider when he was around 14 years old, in 1860
• He was an advocate for Women's Rights, including the right to vote. In 1898, he's quoted as saying: "Set [it] down in big black type that Buffalo Bill favors woman’s suffrage.…Mind you, I believe in marriage and children and home, but I’m not one of the kind that think that God made women to do nothing but sit at home in the ashes and tend to babies...If a woman can do the same work that a man can do and do it just as well she should have the same pay."
• Although he was involved in the Indian Wars, he had a high regard for the Indian tribes around him and credited them with fighting to protect their families and ways of life. He was close friends with many - in fact, when Sitting Bull was introduced to the US people, Buffalo Bill was always beside him. Chief Red Fox is quoted as saying after Buffalo Bill had died: "In my imagination, I can see his noble spirit winging over the lofty peak, and I bow my head in memory of one who always impressed me with kindness and compassion, and enriched me with the deeply entrenched integrity of his character."
• Guest starring on his show "Buffalo Bill's Wild West" (and/or personal friends of his) include the likes of: Sitting Bull, Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickok (who was shot & killed in Deadwood - the subject of a future blog, since we did visit his grave site on the previously mentioned 1-way roadtrip of 2005), and Gustave Eiffel (who designed the Eiffel Tower!!!)

There are thousands of articles about him, and I just read probably...30, but here's a couple... http://www.biography.com/people/buffalo-bill-cody-9252268 and http://www.buffalobill.org/

After all of that...I know you'll be shocked to know that we didn't even stop at the Buffalo Bill Ranch. Another regret, but I didn't know what we were missing. We'll have to go back. Hopefully, we'll just be passing that way - I don't think I want to make a special trip to Nebraska. (That being said, this was my 3rd time in the State, and thought I'd only be there once, for 2 minutes, just to say "I've been there".)

 

I feel that I've talked enough today. I really thought we'd make it all the way to Chimney Rock, but I didn't realize I'd have so much to talk about!

 

So, Sunday! We'll start with Chimney Rock!

Kansas City Public Library and other sights

We left the Giant Eyeball and drove to Kansas City. We had a nice, easy, straight drive, directly West. Somehow, I have no pictures of that trip, so there was either nothing to see or I fell asleep...

 

I was really looking forward to going to Kansas City, though. Someone had, at some point, posted a picture on Facebook of a building that looked like giant books, and so I Google searched it, and found that it was the Kansas City Public Library parking garage! What an amazing idea! What an inspiring piece of art!! How encouraging! In fact, I instantly wanted to read (most) of the books that were represented (or re-read the books represented that I had already read!)

 

First, though, I had to convince Peter that we had to go off the beaten path, pulling a trailer, though the core of Kansas City to take pictures of a building. Which, he agreed to do.

 

Once again, GPS did NOT help!! I typed in Kansas City Public Library and it guided us through narrow streets, the wrong way down a one-way (a big giant truck was coming the other way, but stopped to wait for us to make it through- probably had some choice words about "tourists"), through construction (in which we actually had to run over those orange cones... we finally arrived, and THIS is what we saw:

A beautiful building, A Kansas City Public Library, but not THE Kansas City Public Library... (Apparently this is the Central library - if someone knows otherwise, please let me know!)

 

Somehow, I convinced Peter that, even though we were driving around and around for...way too long...we had to try to find the other one! At that point, really, it was too hot (again, with the "too hot") to do anything else anyway, so we drove around Kansas City. We did find THE Library - I forget how. Maybe we broke down and turned on the roaming on our cell phones, so we could Google..
.

It's a good size city (approximately 460,000 people) and has ALOT to offer/see. For starters, and the most advertised, their sports teams - starting with: Kansas City Chiefs (National Football League)! (Also, Kansas Speedway for Nascar races, of which they host 3 times a year; Kansas City Royals (Major League Baseball); and Sporting Kansas City (Formerly, the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer).

 

One of the best things about the Visit Kansas City website is that under "things to do" they include a category of "quirky attractions". :D
(http://www.visitkc.com/things-to-do/suggested-itineraries/quirky-attractions/index.aspx)

 

When I look back about each of the places we've been, and not just on this trip, but all of them, and I review the things we miss, I remember that each trip is like a "sample platter". Tasty little bits of a few different things ~ see what we like, and come back for those next time, and add a few other tidbits, too!

 

A couple of the things we missed (as per roadsideamerica.com and other websites):

• The world's largest concrete soccer ball (5801 NE 76th St)
• The world's largest shuttlecocks (sculpture at 4525 Oak St)
• Fritz's Railroad Restaurant (diner style, food delivered by model train (east side of Grand Blvd at E. 25th St.)
• The house in which Jesse James was shot is an hour north, in St. Joseph, and you can visit the house (they've left the hole in the wall, apparently, but it's grown over the years as people continue to take pieces of the wall...)
  (http://www.ci.st-joseph.mo.us/history/jameshome.cfm)

Also listed is The Kansas City Public Library parking garage. Here's the problem: we were pulling a trailer and there was no parking, so Peter just slowed down so I could take pictures out of the window, and they are... not good...in that trees blocked most of the view!! Still, good enough for me, but Google it, to see the full spectrum of the building! It's a great building!

 

 http://www.strangebuildings.com/kansas-city-public-library-parking-garage-kansas-city-usa/
Kansas City has alot of beautiful and/or buildings, and I don't really know what most of them were, so anyone who sees my pictures and happens to know what the building are, please tell me!!

The one that LOOKS like an Opera House IS the Opera House (Muriel Kauffman Theatre), but the rest I don't know...

 

 

Many people think that Kansas City is in Kansas and are surprised to find out that it is, in fact, in Missouri. That's why I was surprised to find out that Kansas city is also in Kansas. Technically, they are separate cities, but we drove from one to the other and didn't notice. There was probably a sign, but we didn't see it.

We drove through the Northeast corner of Kansas, so we could cross it off our list of "states and provinces we still need to visit", and then turned North towards Nebraska. (More on Nebraska on Wednesday.)

 

However, I have another trip planned for Kansas - but I want to go to Liberal, which is, of course, where Dorothy Gale lived, from Wizard of Oz. You know, the Dorothy who said, "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more."

 

We almost made it there a few years ago, when were just South, in Oklahoma, but we couldn't go. I do have my ruby red slippers, though, all ready for that trip!  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2815

St. Louis Arch and the Giant Eyeball, in Missouri

We arrived in St. Louis late, as we hoped - hoping it to be cool enough to set up camp. It wasn't. We didn't even unhook the trailer! We just plugged in the power so we could have air conditioning for the night!

 

(There were, tragically, reports of heat related deaths, from power failures or air conditioning malfunctions... :( very scary. I've heard of that before, but never been so near. Poor people. We decided if the power went out during the night, we'd have to just get in the truck and keep driving.)

 

 

We planned to get up early the next morning and go up the St. Louis Arch. (http://www.stlouisarch.com) I've heard that it's best to go to the Arch early, anyway, before the school kids get there (the sight seeing windows are still relatively finger print and nose print free early in the morning!!)

 

I was also told to be aware that the elevator lurches and creaks as it goes up, at an angle, to the top of the Arch. I guess that makes sense, and I'm glad for the warning, because I imagined the elevator moving more like the glass elevator in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367594/) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4bydZrQzYA)

Again, with the heat! Because we were pulling a trailer, we had to park about 1/4 of a mile away, which might have been ok (although the temperature by 8am was already around 104 degrees), but we had the two little puppies and they would've had to sit in the trailer, with no air conditioning on, during the time we walked to the Arch, took the elevator to the top, looked around & took pictures, and walked back... so, we had to skip it.

We did drive around and around the Arch, though - partly because we wanted to, partly because some of the roads were closed due to the Fourth of July celebrations, and partly because we ended up lost when we detoured.

.

In fact, we crossed the Mississippi river... 5 times!

 

Later, in Wyoming, we met a man who lived in St. Louis, and he told us if we wanted moderate weather, the best time to go visit is between November and February...

 

Wish we could've done more there, but I'm happy with the sights we saw!

 

Just outside of St. Louis a couple of miles, at Laumeier Sculpture Park (still considered part of St. Louis) on 12580 Rott Rd (another find on roadsideamerica.com), is a sculpture of a Giant Eyeball. (There are many sculptures there, but that one was the reason we went out of our way.)

 

Once upon a time, when Evan was maybe 7 years old (see previous posts about Evan), he was mad at all of the adults (us, and his parents). I forget what the problem was, but whatever it was was causing him to be sassy, and he wasn't getting away with it. Or something like that. Bottom line is: he was making me giggle, which made him more mad.  

He finally said in his angry little 7 year old voice: "STOP IT! OR I'M GOING TO HIT YOU WITH MY EYEBALL!! uhhhh I mean ELBOW!!" So so funny! That was it - hysterical laughter. (He didn't think it was funny at all, until finally, after he saw this picture, he appreciated it - of course, as I found out in the last blog - he's 10 now, so that probably helps.)

We went out of our way to take THIS picture for Evan! That being said, it's pretty impressive, if you ask me! It was really worth the trip!

 

Sunday's post will be about Kansas City, Missouri.

Springfield, Illinois, and Abraham Lincoln's nose

Our original plan was to leave Jellystone and stay the night in Springfield, IL. That would give us a chance to do all the things I wanted to do and see all the things I wanted to see... But, as is becoming a common thread in all of my blogs, it was way too hot!

 

In fact, the headline that ran in the State Journal-Register was "Springfield sweats through hottest day in more than 40 years"... The last time the temperature was that hot (104 degrees Farenheit/40 degrees Celsius) was July 13, 1966!! (http://www.sj-r.com/archive/x537696878/For-Springfield-could-be-hottest-day-in-more-than-50-years)

 

We arrived around 4:30pm, I think, and it was so hot, there was no way we could even set up camp, so we decided to stop and see one or two of the sights I felt I would regret not seeing, and then head off to St. Louis (hoping to arrive there after the weather had cooled down a little.)

 

I chose the Tomb of Abraham Lincoln.

 

Lincoln (who was born in Kentucky in 1809) moved to Springfield in 1837, where he worked as a lawyer for Illinois State Legislature. He and Mary Todd got engaged in 1842. (Mary was born in Kentucky but had moved to Springfield in 1839 and lived with her sister.)

 

They lived in Springfield, until 1861, when Lincoln was elected President (actual election date of Nov. 6, 1960), and they moved to Washington DC....which, as we know, is where he lived until his assassination, April 1865.

 

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, and lived through a very important part in history. I could never say everything that had to be said about him in one tiny little blog, so if you didn't study all about him in school, you should look him up! Fascinating history! (Also, there's a movie just released this year called "Lincoln" starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham and Sally Field as Mary, and directed by Steven Spielberg! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/ I haven't seen it yet, but I assume it'll be factual enough to get the basics of this part of history in a 120 minutes.)

 

Since Springfield's biggest claim-to-fame is (or should be) Abraham Lincoln, I THOUGHT finding his tomb would be easy. (We couldn't find it on GPS and we had our phones turned off because we didn't want to pay international roaming charges.) So, we made an "educated" guess, that we would find his tomb at the National Cemetery (Camp Butler National Cemetery, to be precise). There were signs for the National Cemetery for miles, so THAT was easy to find!!

 

We arrived at the cemetery and, although it was interesting, and under different circumstances, I would've liked to have walked through, but I was trying to find the Tomb. Again, you'd think it'd be easy, but I saw nothing but row after row of white headstones.

 

I went to the information center, but, of course, it was closed. There was a computer index, so technically, you could type in the name of the person's grave you wanted to visit, BUT it was out of service...

 

However, they still had a pre-technology book with actual worn pages! Someone else was examining it, so I waited..and waited... Finally, I just went to ask if they happened to know where Lincoln's tomb was and they did! Well, they had a general idea, anyway. And it wasn't at the National Cemetery. It's at the Oak Ridge Cemetery....(I don't think I could've guessed that.)

 

Anyway, it was too complicated for them to explain, so despite the fact that they were at the National Cemetery for a reason, they offered to leave and drive to the Tomb, so that we could follow them! We (eventually) accepted their offer, and it's a good thing that we did, because the route was a labyrinth of streets. We would never find our way without their help.

 

Can you imagine such nice people? After we arrived at the Tomb, they were worried we didn't have a good enough map to navigate without GPS (we had GPS, it just didn't find "Lincoln's Tomb"), so insisted we take their roadmap! (Also, a cold compress... it was so hot and they were kind of used to it.) They were so insistent, that we started to feel ungrateful, so accepted!

 

Oak Ridge Cemetery is a beautiful cemetery! (http://www.oakridgecemetery.org/) There are small markers and beautiful old carved monuments, an abbey, a chapel, gardens... apparently, it's the second most visited cemetery in the United States (the first being Arlington National Cemetery.)

 

My focus was Lincoln's Tomb, but I think you could probably spend a whole day there.

 

A plaque outside the Tomb tells us that this structure marks the graves of Abraham, Mary, and three of their four sons (the oldest son is buried in Arlington). The site was chosen by the Lincoln family in May 1865.

 

Down the hill (on the north side, is the old receiving vault. (The vault held remains that awaited burial, either during the winter while the ground was frozen, or while burial plans were being made. It also briefly held the remains of Abraham and one of his sons.)

If you arrive at the right time of day, you can actually take tours and go inside the Tomb. Of course, we didn't. It was closed by the time we arrived. If ever we are in the vicinity again, though, I will go back.

(www.illinoishistory.gov/hs/lincoln_tomb.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Tomb)

 

 

Also, at the entrance of the Oak Ridge Cemetery, is the tomb of a man named Roy Bertelli (1910-2003), also known as Mr. Accordian. In the background, you can see Lincoln's Tomb.

 

Apparently, the story goes something like: Roy Bertelli was an entertainer and really wanted to be buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery. However, the cemetery was for "posh" clientele, and he didn't qualify. He decided to go inquire anyway, and found out that there was actually a burial plot available, near the entrance. He bought it!

 

 Shortly after his purchase, the people in charge realized who had purchased the plot and wrote him that a mistake had been made, and he couldn't, after all, be buried there. They were rude about it, so he absolutely refused to give up his spot. Not only that, but he built this above ground crypt, so it'd be impossible to ignore it, when coming into the cemetery.

 

In the end, he kept his crypt, but it's empty. He requested to be buried in a different cemetery, outside of town.

His tomb is listed under RoadsideAmerica as "The Defiant Tomb of Mr. Accordian".  http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/19409

 

Wednesday - St. Louis, Missouri.