Trip to Springfield, Ill to see Lincoln shrines

One nice thing about owning Oft's Bed and Breakfast is when business drops off, you can take off.  Last weekend were the last of our reservations for a while so we packed the car and headed to Springfield, ILL for our 39th Anniversary.  Gordon started his career at Lincoln's Home and John was born there.  This was our first time back in 34 years. 

We had driven by Hannibal, Missouri a dozen times and never stopped, this time we did.  We stayed at Lula Bells which was build next to the river in 1917 and served as a brothel in those early days.  Today, it's a restaurant and bed and breakfast.  The surrounding olde town is really neat and its interesting visiting buildings and drinking coffee in a coffee shop built before the Civil War.  We walked the Mississippi shoreline where Mark Twain grew up and worked before moving out to Nevada.

In Springfield, we stayed in the Pasfield B & B built in 1847.  Its located downtown and is owned and operated by Tony Leone, a very interesting and leading historian in the Springfield area.  This year he won the honor of the leading historian preservationist.  He is a fascinating guy and has a beautiful facility located downtown.  It was a great place to spend our anniversary.



The Pasfield Inn

 We have had several people stay with us that told us we simply had to go see the new Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.  We did and boy was it worth the drive.  It really drives home the extraordinary man that Lincoln was if you get a chance, please go.  The President and his family even took time to allow a photo with us.  That is special! 

Tall Men Marry Short Women

 We did a lot of walking in Springfield, parking the car and hoofing it around.  The weather was beautiful, sunny and 60.  It was about 6 blocks down to the Lincoln Home and it hadn't changed much.  Today, you have to have tickets to get admitted to the home.  In my day you simply had to knock on the front door.  Today a ranger takes you through on a personal tour, there were only the 3 of us, it was nice.  He was curious how much the home had changed in 34 years.   Afterward, we asked him to do what a hundred Home visitors asked me to do 34 years ago.  Some pay back!

Lincoln's Home and Tourists