10th Anniversary of the Lincoln Presidential Library

Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on April 19, 2015

Other special anniversary events planned all year

Springfield, IL – The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield is turning 10 years old, and the museum has planned events, performances and commemorations to mark this special occasion.

On April 19, the museum officially turns 10 and will offer free admission and special activities all day including the “Last Living Witness to Lincoln’s Funeral,” talk in the library at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, continuous showings of Lincoln’s Eyes and Ghosts of the Library theater performances, various living history characters and three special exhibits, “Undying Words: Lincoln 1858-1865,” “A Fiendish Assassination,” and “A Decade Ago.”

Other special programs, performances and events are scheduled throughout the remainder of 2015. Programs include frequent family-friendly activities from parties on the birthdays of Lincoln’s sons to a concert of Civil War music to a “Pets in the White House” event that welcomes your pets to Union Square Park.

A complete list of special events at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in 2015 can be found at www.tenyearslincoln.com.

To book your stay in Springfield to experience the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum visit www.visitspringfieldillinois.com/Where-To-Stay.  For more information about everything there is to see and do in Springfield call 800-545-7300.

Why I travel

You may have noticed I have changed the title of my blog slightly. The reason I changed it is that honestly, it was too long. It made it hard to tweet it and Google no doubt was cutting it short anyway so I decided to get to the heart of the matter. Travel for me has always been an adventure. 

The first trip I remember is going to Canada when I was 4 years old. I was very sick right before we left so I was feeling quite droopy at least in the beginning of the trip. I did perk up later on. My uncle Henri drove my mother, my brother Alan and me to Montreal to visit my Uncle Alcide and Aunt Janine and then to Cap St. Ignace to stay with Aunt Madelaine. 

My love of adventure and travel was born on this trip in 1954 and has never waned. 

Now you may say, I have small children or I can't afford to travel. I say nonsense. Travel doesn't have to take you far from home and children are very adaptable. If you believe that they will be able to sleep in a hotel bed, they will sleep. Don't hold them back or yourself, let adventures happen. 

If a hotel is too expensive, camp. Many history sites are free. Some of the first places we took our children other than Canada were to Gettysburg, Lancaster  and Washington DC. If you live in New England, how about an overnight to Easton, Pa and the Crayola Factory. Perfect place for children. Lake George and Fort Ticonderoga are good for two nights. Kasey and I took 2 month old Jack with us on a tour of the mansions in Newport. 

Consider this my first musing. I promised that I would muse and so I will from time to time. I encourage you to develop a love of travel in your children or like me, in your grandchildren. It makes everything just a little more interesting to see it through the eyes of a child.

This is Al and Christian at Montmorency Falls

Belgium: Brussels Discovery Tour

Taking a city bus tour is a great way to get to know a city. Brussels is a large city, it can be very confusing. There is a lower city and an upper city. If your hotel is in the lower city where many of them are, you will be within walking distance of the Grand Place. Most of the museums, however, are in the upper city and the connection between the two can seem obscure at best.

Taking a city tour is one way to help get your bearing. In this particular case, while it did introduce us to all the main points, the relationship between upper and lower never became totally clear. Brussels is not one of the easiest cities to become familiar with and the tour is the perfect solution to how to become familiar with the landmarks that are important.

The "Grand City Tour" cost 30 euros for adults, 15 euros for children and 27 euros for seniors and students as of winter 2014. Other bus companies offer the hop on hop off options which would make a great way to travel on the second day of touring as it will get you to the areas that you like which may be quite distant from each other.

The bus picks you up at most major hotels and drops you back at their De Boeck Station. It’s a good idea to know where that is so you don’t get totally lost. Some of the buses have an open-top, and in the good weather, this might be a good idea. In January, it had a canvas cover to protect from the weather, this cover sounded at times as if the wind was going to blow it right off.  I opted to sit in the front seat on the upper level of the bus.

#brusselsdiscoverytour

We almost got off at Centenary Park and it’s a good thing we didn’t, because on the Discovery Tour if you get off, there is no getting back on. This is just a tidbit to help you understand the differences in the tours. We had a live tour guide, but we also had headphone tours that we listened to for most of the trip.

I highly recommend this tour, because the Atomium is one of the stops, and actually, it is quite a distance from the Grand Place and all the museums. You also get to drive by the Royal Palace, where the family actually lives, and you get to see the Chinese Pavilion and the Japanese Tower as well. 

You cover quite a bit of ground, and it will give you a good idea of what you might want to come back and visit. The audio also gives you quite a lot of Belgian history, which I’m sure most of us could use a refresher course on.

For more information check out their website. 

There are a variety of other tours available including ones that geared toward those who love chocolate or beer.

North Carolina: Replacement China Greensboro

I was not quite sure what to expect from our tour of Replacement China in Greensboro, NC. Whatever it was, my expectation were surpassed by a long shot. They have the most amazing collection of china patterns and pieces it was quite overwhelming but let me just say if you are missing a piece from Grandmas treasured set of china, they probably have it here.

Flashback Thursday Hildene Manchester, Vt

Robert Lincoln, the only surviving son of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln built Hildene in Manchester, Vt. in 1905 as a summer home. He visited the area in the 1860s with his mother and his brother Tad, and found the area very attractive. He purchased 500 acres of land and had his house built in the Greek Revival style. At the time it cost $63,000.

The house remained in the Lincoln family until 1975 and in 1978 it was purchased by the Friends of Hildene who set about restoring the property. There are no surviving descendants of Abraham Lincoln, which I found very sad.

Your visit begins at the Welcome Center, which is in the old carriage barn. An introductory video familiarizes you with the history of the house and some family history as well. Hildene is located up a very long driveway: it is a full mile. The location is very scenic and depending on the time of year, the views range from amazing to spectacular.

#hildene

Entrance to Hildene is $18 for adults and $5 for youth. There is no brochure or map to guide you around and it is a self-guided tour. During the summer there are guided tours offered twice a day. Your admission also gets you entrance to the farm, eight miles of walking trails and the Pullman Car.

There was someone who welcomed us into the house and he was also more than willing to answer any questions we had. He told us a lot about the Aeolian Organ, which is in the entrance hall and was a gift to Mary Lincoln by her husband Robert. It is a pipe organ with a player attachment and 242 rolls of music. It has all been digitalized, and the organ plays on a regular schedule. We were afraid we would miss it but have no fear, if you are anywhere inside the house you will hear it; it is quite amazing. Robert paid $11,500 for the organ, which is about 1/6 of what he spent to build the house.

#hildene

The 24 room house was modern from the moment it was built. It had electricity and modern plumbing and was really state of the art when the Lincolns moved in. There were 15 servants who kept things running smoothly at Hildene, and of the 15, six remained here in Vermont and the other nine moved with the family to and from Chicago, where they lived the rest of the year.

It was interesting to walk into the butler’s bedroom and see how simply he lived. In the butler’s pantry, there is a call box with all the rooms marked so he would know where he was being called from. There are plaques in each room giving you some basic knowledge about what you are seeing.

On the second floor, a room is dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and it is here that you can see his stovepipe hat and the sculptures of his hands. They are big, and you are encouraged to touch them or compare your hands to them.

The gardens are quite spectacular and well worth a walk especially in June when the peonies are in bloom. With its setting in the Green Mountains, it is obvious that the fall leaves would make the views even more spectacular.

For anyone who has an interest in Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, this is a very interesting place to visit. You will learn some interesting facts about both Robert and his mother and their relationship. With the house’s convenient location outside of Manchester, Vt. there are plenty of places to stay, dine and especially shop in the area.

A Charming Dublin Hotel Pembroke Townhouse

When we are in Dublin we do have a favorite hotel. It combines a very nice location with warmth, charm, and comfort. What more could anyone ask? Reasonable price? Well, it offers that too along with a delicious breakfast. 

Pembroke Townhouse is within walking distance to most everything you will want to see in Dublin. On our first visit there I was able to walk to Marion Square and the Catherine McCauley Center easily. Now, however, with my terrible knees, I need to take a cab but that is easily arranged and well worth the effort. 

#pembroketownhouse

You do however need to be able to walk up some rather steep front stairs carrying your luggage unless you happen to be driving and then you can take the elevator from the car park in the rear of the hotel. The hotel does not have a bell boy but the desk staff will assist you if you have a problem. I just felt awkward asking a young girl to tote my heavy bag. But obviously, we managed and not only managed but return time and again. 

This is a small hotel, only 48 rooms. Actually, I am surprised that it has that many, it often seems more like a bed and breakfast. Because it is small, the staff gets to know you by name and greet you when you come and go. It does feel like your home in Dublin. 

Rooms are European in size so smaller than what we are used to in the US but comfortable and well appointed with ensuite bathrooms and the usual amenities. There is a small store of food available for purchase from staff as well as drinks in the lobby. 

Speaking of the lobby, there are comfortable sofas and chairs for gathering in front of the fireplace and tea and biscuits will be served to you in the afternoon on request.

Try to choose a rate that includes breakfast, it is lovely. There are the usual continental items to help yourself from and then you chose your cooked meal from a menu. You can have a traditional Irish fry, steel cut oatmeal and even pancakes. We never miss breakfast. 

I am quite sure you will love this hotel as much as we do and this is the sort of treasure that you almost hate to tell anyone about because they might get so popular you won't be able to get a room next time you want one. 

All I can say is we love Pembroke Townhouse and wouldn't want to stay anywhere else.

London: Churches I Have Visited Photo Tour

Since this is Good Friday, I thought it might be appropriate to so some pictures of churches that I have visited in my travels. 

St. Martin in the Field London

Westminster Cathedral London

St Mary Le Strand Church London