Monday and Tuesday, September 24-25.  Enjoying the Illinois countryside.

On Monday, Andrea and Ellie first returned to the Lincoln Museum.  After lunch, we drove about 1.5 hours to the village of Arthur, the center of the Amish community in Illinois.  We spent part of the afternoon at The Great Pumpkin Patch.  Fall colors and produce are hard to find in Arizona, so Andrea enjoyed all the pumpkins and other fall displays.

On Tuesday, we followed a CD tour of the Amish area around Arthur -- beautiful farms and country scenery.  We then drove back to Ann Arbor, and Andrea flew home to Arizona on Wednesday.  We are already planning our Road Scholar adventure for next year!

Sunday, September 23 -- The program ends, but the exploration continues

The Road Scholar program concluded with a final talk, this one again given by the Lincoln Land Community College history professor.  This talk centered on the emancipation and race relations following the Civil War.  Prof. Squibb is an excellent speaker, and this was a good end to our very busy week.

There were so many parts to this program that required careful planning and accurate schedules -- speakers, tours, audio-visual presentations, transportation, pre-ordered lunches, dinners both at the hotel and at other venues.  The program coordinators and Lincoln Land Community College did an amazing job of coordinating all aspects in order to present this program.  If you are a fan of history, and particularly if you have an interest in the Civil War and Lincoln's role in the conflict, you will not be disappointed in this program.

The Capital dome seen from the lobby of our hotel.

Andrea and another program participant spent Sunday afternoon at Lincoln's New Salem.  The village, located about 20 miles north of Springfield, has been reconstructed so that visitors can go back in time as they walk the streets of the village where Lincoln lived as a young man.  If you can extend your visit by a few hours, New Salem is definitely a good addition to your itinerary.

Saturday, September 23 -- Lincoln Presidential Museum

This was our day for exploring the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library.  The museum opened in 2005 and uses multimedia displays to give visitors an understanding of the life and work of Lincoln.  In contrast to many other presidential museums, the Lincoln Museum uses almost theme park like theatrics to present the information -- holographic images, whispered voices in a room filled with political cartoons of the day, full scale dioramas depicting scenes such as the first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.  We first viewed the two marvelous shows, one an almost magical presentation of the "Ghosts of the Library" and the other the multi-screen presentation "Lincoln's Eyes."  After a short orientation to the layout of the museum, we were free to do our own exploring. For lunch we met in the Subway restaurant in the museum, where we enjoyed our pre-ordered sandwiches.  For the remainder of the day, we had more time to explore the other parts of the museum, or we could choose to return early to the hotel.  There is so much to see -- a full size replica of Lincoln's boyhood log cabin, realistic wax figures of his family and others important events in his life, Mary Lincoln in her stunning gown, many displays of his early life and the events that shaped Lincoln's life and the history of our country, and a collection of original artifacts associated with Lincoln and his family.  One could easily spend even more than a full day at the museum.

Andrea chats with John Wilkes Booth.

Although Ellie did not return to Springfield until Sunday afternoon, Ellie and Andrea went back to the museum on Monday so that Ellie could also enjoy the experience.

Andrea and Ellie join Lincoln's family at the museum.  

Van rides were offered in the afternoon for those who wanted to return to the hotel.  However, Andrea chose to walk back to the Old State Capital to experience the reenactment "Civil War Days" with the 114th Illinois Volunteer Infantry.

Dinner tonight was at a very lovely small inn, followed by talks centering on the African American experience after the Emancipation Proclamation.  We had a very full day and did not get back to the hotel until almost 10:00.

Friday, September 21.  Travel by Trolley

When we gathered at 9:00 in the hotel lobby, we saw our transportation for the day -- a bright red trolley!  Even though the seats were pretty hard, it was a fun way to travel to all our sites today.  After a short narrated tour of the downtown sites, we drove to the State Military Museum where we saw presentations and exhibits on soldiers and the Civil War.   Our lunch today was an excellent meal at a local seafood house.

We learned about each item of the soldier's uniform and equipment. 

Next stop was Camp Butler National Cemetery, a cemetery for veterans and their dependents.  More than 20,000 are buried here, including 1,600 Union and Confederte soldiers.

Rounded tops on Union graves

Pointed tops on Confederate graves. 

Note the shiny nose from all the rubbing!

Our final stop of the day was at Lincoln's Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery where we learned about Lincoln's burial sites, his final resting place being a cement vault, 10 feet below the surface of the burial room inside the memorial.  Lincoln's wife and three of his sons are also interred in the tomb.  It is a tradition to rub the nose on Lincoln's bronze face for good luck.









After returning to the hotel, we had a very good talk about the development of the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, in preparation for tomorrow's visit to the attraction.  After dinner, the presenter from Camp Butler provided more information on the camp.  This was the end to a very, very busy day!

Thursday, September 20.. Exploring the Lincoln sites.

Each morning our group enjoyed the "All American Hot Breakfast Buffet" at the hotel -- many choices including cereal, waffles, eggs, bacon, breads, fruit, and juices.  Our day of exploration began about 8:45 when we gathered to either walk or ride in the van to Lincoln's home, located in the downtown historic district, about 3/4 mile from the hotel.  The program coordinators did an excellent job of offering transportation to any participants who did not want to do all the walking required during the days' programs.  The historic district is actually part of the National Park Service and the area around Lincoln's Home is being restored to be just as the area was it when Lincoln moved to Springfield in 1837.
         After viewing two films and hearing a short lecture at the Lincoln Home Visitor Center, we were given a very complete tour of the Lincoln home.  It is easy to imagine Lincoln and his family during their years in Springfield.

The Old State Capitol

 Our next stop was the Old State Capital Historic Site, located several blocks from Lincoln's home.  Upon our arrival we enjoyed a pre-ordered Panera Bread box lunch, before listening to a talk on Lincoln as politician and debater, given by the site manager.  We then had a tour of the Capital, followed by two to three hours of free time.  Some participants explored additional historic sites, while others took van rides back to the hotel.  The van was also available later in the afternoon to give rides to those with tired feet!  Several of us visited the restored Lincoln Law Offices, where one of the volunteers provided us with a very complete tour.  A large school group arrived at the same time, so our tour was a nice combination of teenagers and our mostly senior group.

Inside the Law offices

We had many chances to get
acquainted with Lincoln and his family.

After another dinner at the hotel, we listened to an excellent lecture on the Lincoln-Douglas debates and the 1860 election, given by a history professor from Lincoln Land Community College.  We were all looking forward to another lecture by the professor on the program's last morning.

It was very evident that the program coordinators have put together an excellent program that weaves together lecture, films, tours, and explorations.  All aspects seem to flow together but clearly took a great deal of planning.  It would be very difficult to have all these experiences if one were trying to plan this trip independently.   

Wednesday, September 19.  In Springfield.

Andrea arrived in Michigan on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, we drove to Springfield, Illinois, for the start of our Road Scholar adventure.  Unfortunately I was only able to attend the first two days of the program, due to an unexpected family obligation.  However, Andrea attended the full program, and I rejoined her in Springfield on Sunday, after the program ended.  Therefore, this blog is actually a combination of our observations about our time in Illinois.

We arrived in Springfield a little earlier than we expected, thanks to the change to Central Time.  So before checking into our hotel, Andrea and Ellie toured the Dana-Thomas House, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's largest and most elaborate Prairie-style designs.  The house has many pieces of original furniture and lovely art glass windows.

We then drove the short distance to our hotel in downtown Springfield.  After checking in, we met in the lobby to meet our fellow Road Scholars.  Our group of 19 included participants from many states, including Indiana, Illinois, Arizona, Minnesota, California, Washington, and North Carolina.  We enjoyed getting to know the group better during dinner in a meeting room at the hotel and when we all introduced ourselves afterwards.  The program coordinators reviewed the week's program and acquainted us with the "listening devices" that we would use during the program.  Each participant was given an earpiece connected to a receiver, worn around one's neck.  Speakers use the microphone, allowing every participant to easily hear and understand everything -- even when guides spoke to the group as we walked to locations.  These devices seem like an excellent addition to the Road Scholar programs.

The Next Adventure

Next week, my friend Andrea arrives from Mesa, Arizona.  Andrea and I were college roommates at Miami University, a significant number of years ago.  We have kept in touch over the years and have taken trips together in the fall for the past three years.  On Wednesday, we will drive to Springfield, Illinois, where we will participate in Road School Program #15326, A House Divided:  Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War.  While there, we will be part of the commemoration of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln in 1862.  The Union victory at Antietam was a determining factor in the timing of the Proclamation, so the program is a good continuation of my Maryland trip.

Friday, September 7 -- The Antietam National Battlefield

This morning's program included a drive through the nearby Antietam Battlefield, with stops at several of the landmarks.  Our guide was the Shepherd's Spring Administrator who provided us with a lively account of the very bloody day in American history.  We also walked for about 2 miles on the trail next to Antietam Creek, ending by the historic Burnside Bridge.  It was a good introduction to the site, but if one takes part in this program, it would be good to give oneself an extra day for a more complete exploration.

The program concluded with an excellent lunch of a variety of homemade pizzas.  We were able to then shower and check out after lunch.  We appreciated the late check-out so that we could be refreshed before starting our trip home.

Thursday, September 6 -- Our West Virginia history day

On today's hike we hiked the entire West Virginia section of the AT -- about 4 miles -- plus a couple of Virginia miles.  Our guide was a volunteer with the Harper's Ferry park service and AT whose passion and knowledge was in local history and anthropology.  We started the hike in Loudon Heights, one of the high places very important in the Civil War.  We "bushwhacked" and hiked on a side trail until we reached the official AT.  Along the way our guide pointed out the sites of charcoal hearths and cart roads, dating from the early 1800's, where settlers earned money by producing charcoal and carting it to the iron works in Harper's Ferry.  If we had been hiking without a guide, I would never have realized how much history we were hiking past.

Our historian guide points out sites of local history

After we joined the AT, we passed rock walls that were part of the encampments of Civil War soldiers and other walls that were part of early homesteads.  It was nice to have a more relaxed day, filled with so much history.  Our guide also showed us paw paws and chestnuts along the trail.

As we neared Harper's Ferry, we crossed the Shenandoah River on the US-340 bridge.  The trails climbs up to the bridge and crosses on the pedestrian walkway, before continuing on to Harper's Ferry.

When we reached Harper's Ferry, we ate our lunches outside the offices of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, with time to explore the displays and to purchase books and AT t-shirts.  From there we hiked the short distance to Point of Rocks, where the view inspired Thomas Jefferson to set in motion the American policy of expansion.

Most of us then hiked across the railroad bridge connecting West Virginia to Maryland and thus completing the West Virginia section of the trail.  On the Maryland side, we could see the C & O towpath below us -- a bike adventure for another day!

Looking into Maryland

For dinner at the center, we were surprised with a beautiful farewell banquet, complete with tablecloths, goblets, and centerpieces.  The delicious dinner included baked salmon, potatoes, broccoli salad, veggies, the usual salad bar, with pecan pie for dessert. Still waiting at the end of the day was our evening listening to a group of local musicians playing music of the Appalachian region at the General Store in nearby Shepherdstown, WV.  A Thursday evening tradition of over 30 years, the rotating group includes people of all ages, from college students to senior citizens, playing a mix of instruments, ranging from guitars to a harp to hammered Dulcimers.  None of us wanted to leave!

Wednesday, September 5 -- The Rollercoaster!

Our day began with a delicious breakfast that offered scrambled eggs made with eggs from the Center's own chickens and potatoes from their veggie garden.  For lunch I packed a rolled sandwich with salami, humus, cheese, and veggies -- plus a brownie, granola bar, and fruit.  I knew that I would need the energy for today's hike!

This hike, our Virginia adventure, was definitely the challenge of the week.  The designation as part of the Rollercoaster section of the AT is definitely appropriate.  We only hiked for 7 miles, but the multiple steep ups and downs totaled about 1400 feet of vertical gain and an equal amount of vertical descent.  Plus switchbacks don't seem popular in the East, so most sections seemed straight up or down.

Looking out across the Shenandoah Valley from Bears Den Rocks, about 1/2 mile into the hike. 

Rock hopping across one of the creeks.

With temperatures in the 80's and extremely high humidity, we all went through a lot of water.  With such high humidity, one's perspiration doesn't evaporate well, and therefore the body loses one of its primary sources of cooling.  Because of the difficult hiking, we got very spread out today, and it was pretty late by the time we all got to the waiting vans.  The kitchen staff was great and kept our excellent meatloaf dinner hot and ready for us when we finally got back to the conference center about 7:00.

Happy to finish the hike!

The program does an excellent job of giving us an understanding of the AT "culture" -- the tradition of taking trail names when one is a thru-hiker, the shelters along the trail, the opportunity to talk to thru-hikers who acted as our trail guides, visits to the AT Museum and later the AT Conservancy headquarters in Harper's Ferry.  As part of today's hike, we had a tour of the privately run Bears Den Hostel.  For about $12, a hiker can get a clean bunk, an inside bathroom and hot shower, the use of a fully equipped kitchen, and comfy couches for relaxing.  Perhaps just as important, there is a small store area that sells typical backpacking food such as Lipton Noodle mixes, plus pizza and Ben & Jerry's ice cream (evidently the most popular food for AT hikers).

The shelter

Bunk room

 For the evening's entertainment, we had the option of watching a National Geographic DVD about the AT.  However, most of us opted for an early bedtime.  One more day of hiking!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Our second day of hiking!  Many of us gather in the lounge a little before 7:30 to chat and look at the day's newspapers.  It is nice that the staff provide three different papers for us and even make extra copies of the daily crossword and Sudoku puzzles.  Today's breakfast is pancake, sausage, freshly made scones, hard boiled eggs, plus breads to toast and a variety of cereals.

Today is our Maryland hike -- a long and challenging 10 miles, from Washington Monument State Park to Gathland State Park.  Lots of ups and downs and many, many rocks underfoot.  Good boots are a necessity on these hikes.  We had two great guides who met us at the trailhead -- both women work as Ridgerunners and both are thru-hikers.  It was fun to hear from women who had hiked the trail.  We started by climbing up to the top of the Washington Monument, a tower built by the local people to honor the first president.  The clouds kept us from seeing the full view from the top of the tower.

Then it was on to the trail.  The day stayed pretty dry, and we even had a reasonably good view from the White Rocks viewpoint, the day's highest point that came after lunch and at the end of a very, very long uphill climb.  We had lunch at The Rocky Run Shelter, a newer and very nice structure.  Even the privy was quite fancy!

The park at the end of the hike included this historic monument, built to honor the newspaper correspondents and artists of the Civil War.
 We stopped for an ice cream treat in Sharpsburg on the way home -- a nice surprise after the very long hike.  Our after dinner speaker was John Clatterbaugh, a retired biology teacher who showed us lots of edible plants that served as a major part of the diet of the Native Americans and the early settlers.

The fancy shelter -- and even some sun!

The privy

The group enjoying the view.

Lots of rocks!

Memorial Arch

Beauty along the trail.

The Hiking Begins!

I had planned to write the blog entry each day during our hiking trip, but between a very slow wireless connection and being very tired, it quickly became clear that I would need to jot a few journal notes to myself and do the entries when I got back to Michigan.  So sorry for the delay!

Monday, September 3

     At breakfast, we discovered that Shepherd's Spring practices "meatless Mondays" as part of their commitment to healthy living and being good to the earth.  So the breakfast included three different kinds of vegetable quiches -- excellent!  After the 7:30 breakfast, we packed our own trail lunches.  Today's choices included PB & J or roasted veggies with hummus.
       Each day two vans transport us to the day's hiking location.  We left at 8:30 (everyone on time -- this is a good group!) and drove for about an hour, stopping at a Pennsylvania state park for restrooms and then continuing a short distance to the start of our hike.  This was our Pennsylvania hike -- about 8.5 miles, mostly a slight downhill on a wooded and very rocky trail.  As the literature said, there is a difference between walking and hiking, and this is definitely in the hiking category.  We were guided on the trail for an AT "Ridge Runner" -- a person who works for the AT Conservancy in the area and basically patrols the trail during the busy part of the season, mostly educating hikers on "Leave no Trace" practices.  Thanks to Isaac, we started the hike in drizzle and had a couple of hours of very heavy rain near the middle of the hike.  Fortunately we ate lunch in one of the AT shelters.  The shelters are three-sided structures that provide shelter and sleeping space for the hikers.  Some hikers try to use the shelters each night but others prefer to set up a tent in the near-by designated areas.

Our lunch shelter. 

     
A highlight of today's hike was the half-way point of the over 2000 mile AT Trail.  I can imagine how excited a through hiker must be when she/he reaches this point!  The 15 of us got very spread out over the trail, and it is clear that we hike at different speeds. But we had two AT volunteers who acted as "sweeps" and made sure that we didn't miss any turns.  The trail is marked by white rectangular blazes on the trees, and any upcoming turn is marked by a double set of blazes.

The half-way point.

          The hike ended at Pine Grove Furnace State Park where there is an AT Museum, with displays about some of the early through hikers and other trail info.  The vans were waiting to transport us back to the conference center.
          Dinner was corn soup, a delicious lentil salad, and polenta with salsa, plus cake for desert.  We certainly won't go hungry on this trip.  In case we didn't get enough, they also provided root beer floats after the evening program.
           Our evening talk was given by Ben "Stretch" Hammaker, the author of "Northbound:  The Daily Account of an Appalachian Trail Thru-hike."  It was fun to hear more of the AT culture -- trail names, mail drops, staying in hiker hostels, "zero" days when one simply needs a rest, and just what it means to hike for six months.  He was a great speaker, and his book is definitely worth reading.