2026 GREAT AMERICA 250 ADVENTURE - HUDSON VALLEY PRESIDENTS

 

SUNDAY - JULY 5, 2025: I Spent the night at the Comfort Inn just off of Interstate 84 in Fishkill, New York. I use to stay almost exclusively at Choice Hotel Properties, but after COVID the cleanliness and service at their properties deteriorate and since then I have stayed mostly at Drury Inn, Holiday Inn or Hampton Inn. 

I still have a significant amount of Choice Loyalty points; I chose to cash in some of those points for a free stay at the Fishkill Comfort Inn. I must say this is an excellent hotel. The employees were outstanding and the hotel was very clean. If all Choice Properties were like this one, they would still be my primary choice for lodging.

One of my goals is to visit all of the Presidential Libraries and Museums and visit all the presidential graves. Currently there have been 45 men who have served as President of the United States, 5 of them (George W. Bush, Barak Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump) are still living.  There are currently 39 presidential gravesites and of those 39 at the end of this trip I will have visited 28 of them.

On this trip alone I plan to visit Grover Cleveland, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Van Buren, Franklin Pierce, Calvin Coolidge and Chester A. Arthur.

 I still must Visit Both John and John Quincy Adams, Millard Fillmore, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.

From my hotel in Fishkill, it was a short 30-minute drive to the Village of Hyde Park. Here I visit the Franklin Roosevelt National Historic Site.  The site is home to Springwood, President Roosevelt’s Birthplace and lifelong home, and his Presidential Library and Museum. President Roosevelt, his wife Eleanor and his pet Scottish Terrier, Fala are buried in the rose garden.

Because I was visiting on the 4^th of July weekend, admission to the property was free. The guided tour of the home was somewhat abbreviated with our guide giving us a short overview on each floor. Then were left to explore each room at our leisure.

After finishing my tour of the house, I was free to explore the rest of the property. Between the house and the presidential museum is the rose gardens, which is undergoing extensive renovation.

The large marble monument is still in the rose garden is still there but the white marble ground stones that mark the actual graves of the President and Eleanor have been removed to protect them from damage while the side is renovated.  Also, the sundial that marked the grave of President Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier Fala has also been removed.

The FDR Presidential Museum has a large collection of artifacts relating to every aspect of President Roosevelt’s life. One of the more historical artifacts on display is the original draft of President Roosevelt’s “Day of Infamy” speech that he delivered to Congress the day after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

I arrived at the FDR National Historic Site just a few minutes after it opened at 9 a.m. and spent a little over 3 hours on the grounds.  There is one more site in Hyde Park that I want to visit before moving on up the Hudson Valley.

Val-Kill is officially known as the Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site. Val-Kill is a small stone cottage where Eleanor Roosevelt would spend most of her time whenever President Roosevelt was at the White House or at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia.

Following President Roosevelt death in 1945, Val-kill became Eleanor’s primary home as she and the family made the decision to donate Springwood to the National Park Service.

Wrapping up my visit to Hyde Park, it was time to head north toward my next stop in the Village of Kinderhook, New York. The drive up along the Hudson River from Hyde Park to Kinderhook took about an hour and fifteen minutes.

Just south of the Village is Lindenwald, which is the Home of President Matin Van Buren. It had been my intention to take the guided tour of the house and then walk around the grounds.

But a couple of nights ago a line of very sever storms passed through the area with 80 mph winds and baseball size hail and several locations up and down the Hudson Valley have suffered some rather significant damage.

That was the case here at Lindenwald.  Several tree on the property were either completely blown over or received significant damage. As a result, the National Park Service closed the property.

So, I was unable to tour the house or even walk the grounds. Since I could tour Lindenwald, I made my way to the Old Dutch Reform Cemetery just north of the Village of Kinderhook to visit the Grave of Martin Van Buren, who served as the 8^th President of the Untied States from 1837-1841.

From Kinderhook, it was a short drive to the Holiday Inn – East Greenbush just east of Albany, New York. After a quick supper at a new by Cracker Barrel, I settled into my room, which had a great view of the Albany Skyline in the distance

Today, was a little disappointing because I didn’t get to tour Lindenwald, because of all the storm damage. But the FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Sites were excellent.  I only have a couple of stops scheduled for tomorrow as I need to head across Massachusetts which will set me up for a busy next couple of days.

2026 AMERICA 250 ADVENTURE - CEMETERIES OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY

SATURDAY - JULY 4, 2026: Well, Today didn't go as planned. I spent the night at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Hawthorne, New York.  I decided to stay here because had planned on driving over to a nearby train station and takin the Metro North to the Northern Part of Manhattan and walking over to visit Grant’s Tomb on Riverside Avenue. I got up a little early and went to purchase my train ticket. But went I started to enter my information an alert came up that the station that I needed to get off a was closed “due to police activity.”

So, I walked down and had breakfast and came back to my room and once again tried to purchase a ticket. But once again I was met with an alert, only this time it was “service interruption,” which I think means that the train I needed is not running at all.

I still had plenty of time before I had to check out of the Hotel, so I set about replanning my day. This Hotel is only about two miles from two really large cemeteries that have a lot of notable people buried in them. So, this is going to turn into a cemetery day.

After checking out of the Holiday Inn I drove around to the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. This is a very large Catholic Cemetery. When I large cemetery, I mean more than 250 acres large and has more than 200,000 graves.  Because it is so large, I logged on to Find-A-Grave and used the coordinates listed for individual graves.

Immediately upon entering the cemetery from Stevens Avenue there is a large group of crypts situated around what appears to be a large chapel. It is here that I find the first person that was on my list. Academy Award winning actor James Cagney rests in one of the end crypts.

James Cagney is regarded as one of the finest actors that ever to appeared camera. He is best remembered for such films as “Public Enemy,” “Angels with Dirty Faces,” “The Roaring Twenties,” and “Taxi.” He won an Academy Award for his role of George M. Cohan in the 1942 Musical “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”

He was 86 years old when he passed away from a heart attack on March 30, 1986.

Gate of Heaven cemetery is the final resting place of a number of notable baseball figures, and I was able to visit 4 of them during this visit. 

First I stopped and visited the grave of long time National League Umpire John McSherry.  During his 25 years as a National League Umpire, John worked Two World Series, Two National League Division Series and eight National League Championship Series.

Big John as he known around the league was very popular with the Players, Managers and fans. On April 1, 1996, John was scheduled to work the plate for the Opening Day Game between The Cincinnati Reds and Montreal Expos at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Seven pitches into the game, John Called time and started to walk toward the tunnel that leads to the Umpires Dressing Room behind home plate. John collapsed and was immediately tended to by trainers and medical staff.

He was taken from the field and transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. John McSherry was 51 years old.

Next up I visited the grave of the man who gave up one of the most famous homeruns in Major League Baseball History. Back in 1951 the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers ended the regular season in a tie. The National League order a three-game playoff to decide the National League Champions.

With the Dodgers ahead 4-2 in the Bottom of the 9^th inning Giants third baseman Bobby Thomson stop to the play to face Dodger Pitcher Ralph Branca. With two runners on base, Thomson sent Branca’s pitch over the outfield fence for a three-run homer, giving the Giants the National League Pennant.

Today, here at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, I paid my respects to Ralph Branca, the man who gave up that three-run homer that has come to be known as “The Shot Heard around the World.”

Just around the corner from Ralph Branca are the graves of two of the great New York Yankees.  First, I stopped at the grave of Yankee Player and Manager, Billy Martin. 

Billy who wore uniform number 1, was a scrappy second baseman for the Yankees and a lifelong friend of Yankee Greats Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford. After his playing days were over, Billy turns to managing. From 1969 through 1988 Billy managed the Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers, and Oakland A’s.

But his is best known for being the Manager of the Yankees on 5 separate occasions. Some people joked that the only reason George Steinbrenner hired him was so he could fire him. Billy’s fiery temper that he showed as a player followed him as a manager. Not only did he have some well documented dust up with Yankee Owner George Steinbrenner, but he and Yankee Star Reggie Jackson came close to coming to blows in the the Yankee Dugout and had to be separated.

Billy was still a special consultant to Steinbrenner when he was killed vehicle crash on Christmas Day in 1989. Some say that Steinbrenner was prepared to name Billy as the Yankee Manager for the 6^th time before the team reported to spring training in 1990.

Just a short walk from the grave of Billy Martin is the grave of, George Herman “Babe” Ruth, one of the greatest and most beloved Yankees of all time. During his career he had a lifetime batting average of 342 with 2,873 hits and 2,214 Runs Batted In. His 714 Home Runs stood as the Major League Record until it was broken by Hank Aaron in 1974. The Old Yankee Stadium was known as the House the Ruth Built. 

Babe Ruth passed away on August 16, 1948, from the complications of Cancer.

After finishing up at Gate of Heaven, I moved next door to Kensico Cemetery where I wanted to visit the grave of another Yankee Great. But first I stopped at the Memorial Bench where the Cremains of Singer/Actor Danny Kaye are interred. 

Danny Kaye starred in 23 films, including Wonder Man in 1945, The Kid from Brookly in 1946 and The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  But he is perhaps best remembered for co-starring with Bing Crosby in the 1954 Holiday Hit, White Christmas.

From the Danny Kaye Memorial Bench, I made my way to the gave of the man baseball fans know as “The Iron Horse,” Yankee Great Lou Gehrig.

Lou was named as and All-Star seven consecutive times and won the Major League Triple Crown in
1934. He had a career 340 batting average, 2,721 hits and 1,995 runs batted in. He played in 2,130 consecutive games. A Major League Record that stood until broke the record by playing in 2,632 games.

Lou Gehrig died on June 2, 1941 from the complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

My final stop of the day was at the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York. This area was the setting for Washington Irving’s Story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” featuring The Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane.

Washington Irving is buried in this cemetery along with a number of other notable people. But due to it being the 4^th of July, I couldn’t get to his grave because of a private function that was being conducted by the historical society.

So, I spent the next hour or so driving around the cemetery admiring some of the elaborate private Mausoleums. It is hard to believe that some of the private mausoleums are more than 10 time more expensive that the Average American Home.

In addition to William Rockefeller, Walter Chrysler and his family are resting in the Chrysler Mausoleum. My last stop of the day was at the mausoleum that holds the remains of Harry and Leona Helmsley.

The Helmsley’s were successful real estates executives and hotel operators. Leona was often referred to as “The Queen of Mean,” for the way she treated employee, family and friends. One former employee said following her death, “there won’t be many mourners at her funeral. Nobody liked her and nobody is sorry she is gone.”

Finishing up at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery it was time to make the 35-mile drive up to the Comfort Suites just off of Interstate 84 in Fishkill, New York.

I cashed in some Choice Hotel Point for a free night stay. After a good supper at the 84 Diner, I settled into my room for the night. But about 10:30 p.m. my phone started going off with severe weather alerts. Severe storms with 80 mph winds and baseball size hail were approaching the Fishkill Area.

After looking at the weather radar, I decided to hustle down and move my car under the hotel’s entrance awning.  Just before the storm hit a couple of other people had the same idea.

This turned out to be a good move. Five minutes later the storm hit and it was a humdinger. I have never been in a storm this bad. The wind blew over two trees across the road from the hotel and the area was peppered with grapefruit size hail for about 10-minutes. Most of the car windows were busted and the vehicle bodies were pretty much destroyed. The next morning most of the hotel guests were accessing the damage and on the phone with their insurance.

 I am so thankful that I was able to get my car under cover and avoided damage.  The hotel clerk told us that we could leave out cars under the cover for the rest of the night, Which we gladly did. Even though no more storms passed through, that kind gesture allows me to get a fairly good night’s sleep.

For the last several day temperatures have been in the High 90’s and into the 100’s, but with the passing storms, the temperature has now dropped back into the lower 70’s. Tomorrow promises to be a much cooler day.

2026 GREAT AMERICA 250 ADVENTURE - WHEN YOU COME TO A FORK IN THE ROAD, TAKE IT.

 

For the second year in a row, I find myself traveling over the 4th of July Weekend.  I usually avoid travel on any of the Major Holiday weekend, but for the second year in a row some real life issues have force me to travel over the 4th of July. 

I actually left home on Thursday, July 2, 2026 and made the 400 mile drive to my Hotel in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  The only real stop I had scheduled for today was at Buc-ee's in Mount Crawford, Virginia, where I had lunch an picked up a few snacks for the next couple of days. 

FRIDAY - JULY 3, 2026 - Well, my Great America250 Adventure got into full swing today. Although it actually began yesterday, I didn’t have anything major planned except miles. I spent the night in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. My hotel was only about a mile from the Wind Creek Casino. So, I decided to head over and try my luck. I was here several years ago with my friend Pete and Valerie Ramey, so I had players card. When I arrived, I renewed my Players card which got me free admission to the Steelworks Buffet and Grill. Nothing like a free supper. So, I was already a winner. That was the only thing I won. No luck at the slot machines.

This morning I made the hour and 15 minute drive down to The Princeton Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey.  What better way to begin my America250 Adventure than a visit to a cemetery that is older than our country. It was founded in 1757. That’s 269 years ago, and veterans from the Revolutionary War are resting here.

I started my visit to this historic cemetery by visiting the grave of our 22^nd and 24^th President, Grover Cleveland.  Until President Trump was elected, President Cleveland was the only President to serve two non-consecutive terms. He was the first democrat elected president after the Civil War 

Just a short walk from President Cleveland’s grave is the obelisk that mark the grave of Civil War General David Hunter.  Now General Hunter is not very well thought of back in Virginia, especially in Lexington and Rockbridge County. 

In the summer of 1864 General Hunter executed a scorched earth campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. He hit Lexington exceptionally hard as he burned down VMI on June 11, 1864, in retaliation for VMI sending cadets to fight at New Market.

Hunter also ordered the home of former governor John Letcher burned in retaliation him having issued "a violent and inflammatory proclamation that incited the population of the country to rise and wage guerrilla warfare on Union troops.” Hunter also wreaked havoc on Washington College in Lexington, later Washington and Lee University. According to Fitzhugh Lee's who was the nephew of General Robert E. Lee, Hunter had no respect for colleges, or the private dwellings that were occupied by only women and children during the three days he occupied Lexington. General Hunter later served in the honor guard at the funeral of Abraham Lincoln and accompanied his body back to Springfield.

Just about 50-yards from President Cleveland and General Hunter is the grave of the 3^rd President of the United States, Aaron Burr.  He served as Vice President under President Thomas Jefferson but is perhaps best remembered for his duel with Alexander Hamilton, on the morning of July 11, 1804. Hamilton was mortally wounded during the duel and died the Next Day. Aaron Burr was uninjured.

After his term as Vice President ended, he moved to the west and many thought that he was attempting to raise a fight force to challenge Government of the United States. He was arrested and tried for treason but was acquitted. 

Just a few yards from Aaron Burr is the grave of the man who some say established the gold standard of political polling. In the 1960’s and 70’s George Gallup and the Gallup poll was featured in every political campaign and used by every major broadcast and print media. 

My last stop was at the grave of Pete Carril, the Hall of Fame Basketball Coach who led the Princeton Tigers for over 30 years. 

Leaving Princeton. It took me about an hour to make it up to Montclair, New Jersey to visit the Yogi Berra Museum. 

Growing up my dad was a Yankee fan and his two favorite Yankees were Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra.  Through the years, I as a Dodger fan came to share my dad’s love for Yogi. I must say that the Yogi Museum is small but is packed full of Yogi history including Yogi’s 10-World Series Rings.

 I couldn’t leave without paying my respects to Yogi who is resting with his beloved Carmen at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in nearby East Hanover, New Jersey. 

 Then it was time to head across the Hudson River to the Holiday Inn Express in Westchester County, which is a few miles north of “The City.” Tomorrow, the adventure continues.

2025 PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY ADVENTURE - WELCOME TO INDIANA BASKETBALL

 

I enjoyed another good stay at the Drury Inn & Suites in Indianapolis, Indiana. I am kind of on the Northside of Indianapolis and last night I looked at things to do this morning in the Indianapolis Area. 

I dropped several pins on my my Google of sites that I could visit before continuing my journey east.  This morning while I was having breakfast, I looked at the Traffic and quickly decided to pretty much stay away from the downtown area. 

I am only about 10-miles away from Crown Hill Cemetery and even though I have visited this cemetery before, there are a number of graves there that I still haven’t visited. So, after another good Drury Inn Breakfast, I headed off to Indianapolis’s largest and most historic cemetery.

Crown Hill is a privately owned cemetery that was established in 1863. Today it encompasses 555 acres and is the final resting place of more than 225,000 people. It is the third largest nongovernmental cemetery in the United States.

Crown Hill is the final resting place for individuals from all walks of life, from political and civic leaders to ordinary citizens, and a famous gangster. President Benjamin Harrison along with Vice Presidents Charles Fairbanks, Thomas Hendricks and Thomas Marshall are resting here.

But perhaps the cemetery’s most visited grave is that of the depression era gangster known at Public Enemy #1, John Dillinger.  

In a previous visit to Crown Hill, I stopped at the grave of President Benjamin Harrison, who served at the 23^rd President of the United States from March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1893. President Harrison is resting here with his two wives, Caroline and Mary.  He is also the Grandson of William Henry Harrison who served as the 9^th President, who served for only 30 day before becoming the first president to die in office.

There are three Vice President’s buried in Crown Hill Cemetery.  The first grave that I visited upon arriving at Crown Hill is that of Charles Warren Fairbanks who served as the 26th vice president of the United States from 1905 to 1909 under President Theodore Roosevelt serving from 1905 to 1909. Fairbanks was serving in the United States Senate.

Resting near the Grave of Charles Fairbanks, is the grave of Vice President Thomas Hendricks, who served as the 21^st Vice President under President Grover Cleveland.  Vice President Hendricks has one of the shortest terms as vice president, serving only from March 1886 until his death on November 25, 1885.

On November 24, 1885, Vice President Hendricks complained of feeling ill and went to bed early that evening. He passed away in his sleep in the early hours of November 25 at the are of 66.

Thomas Hendricks also served as the 16^th Governor of Indiana from January 13, 1873 – January 8, 1877

The third Vice President buried in Crown Hill is Thomas Marshall, who served as the 28^th Vice President from 1913 to 1921 under Woodrow Wilson. He also served as the 27^th Governor of Indiana from 1909 to 1913.

One of the more controversial figures buried here is Rober Irsay who was the owner of the Baltimore and later Indianapolis Colts. Irsay assumed ownership of the Baltimore Colts on July 13, 1972, and immediately became one of the more disliked owners in the NFL. Reports state that he was abusive to staff and players alike.

City officials and even Baltimore fans clashed with Irsay. This all came to a head when negotiations with Baltimore officials over improvements to Baltimore Memorial Stadium broke down. On March 27, 1984, Irsay accepted a deal from the City of Indianapolis and under the cover of darkness, moving vans backed up to the team’s Headquarters and moved the franchise to Indianapolis.

Robert Irsay was perhaps the most hated man in Baltimore, as his midnight move to Indianapolis left Baltimore without a NFL Team until another controversial move in 1996, when Art Modell Moved the Cleveland Browns to Baltimore, naming the team the Baltimore Ravens.

After Robert Irsay died on January 14, 1997, ownership of the Colts Passed to his son, Jim who retained control of the team until his death on May 21, 2025. Jim Irsay is buried in this same cemetery, but during my Visit his grave had only a temporary Marker.

Just up the hill from Robert Irsay’s Grave is the tomb and monument to poet James Whitcomb Riley. There appeared to be some kind of memorial service being conducted, so I moved on so I wouldn’t intrude.

One of the Graves that I hadn’t visited during my previous trips to Crown Hill is the grave of Richard Gatling, the inventor of the Gatling Gun. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Gatling was living in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was here that he devoted himself to the perfection of firearms. In 1861, the same year the Civil War started, he invented the Gatling Gun. A year later, he founded the Gatling Gun Company, which was hugely successful.

While Richard Gatling is best known for the Gatling Gun, he was also quiet the inventor. After the success of the Gatling Gun, he patented inventions that improved toilets, bicycles, steam-cleaning of raw wool, just to name a few. He was elected as the first president of the American Association of Inventors and Manufacturers in 1891.

In his final years, Gatling moved back to St. Louis, Missouri, and form a new company for manufacturing his steam plows, and tractors. While in New York City to visit his daughter and to talk with his patent agency, Gatling died suddenly at his daughter's home on February 26, 1903.

Perhaps the most visited grave at Crown Hill Cemetery is that of Depression Era Gangster, John Dillinger, who was born here in Indianapolis. The site of his boyhood home, at 2053 Cooper Street is nothing but a vacant lot that is used as a community garden with a few picnic tables.

John Dillinger’s reign of terror during the years of the Great Depression made him the Number 1 target of J. Edgar Hoover and the F.B.I. In fact, his was listed as Public Enemy #1.

On Sunday, July 22, 1934, Dillinger accompanied Ana Cumpănaș who was also known as Ana Sage, to the Biograph Theater on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. Cumpanas, tipped off the F.B.I. that she and Dillinger would be at the Theater. She told the agents that they could recognize them because she would be wearing red.

At approximately 8:30 p.m. F.B.I. Agent Melving Purvis and his men observed Cumpanas and Dillinger enter the Theater. When the movie ended, Purvis stood by the front door and signaled Dillinger's exit by lighting a cigar. Both he and the other agents reported that Dillinger turned his head and looked directly at Purvis as he walked by. reached into his pocket and ran into a nearby alley. It was there in that alley that John Dillinger was fatally shot. The reign of public enemy #1 was finally over.

After visiting the Grave of John Dillinger, it was time to move on. There were a couple of sites in downtown Indianapolis that I wanted to visit. I kind of figured that morning traffic would be over and I could get downtown without too much of an issue.

Well, I was wrong. Many of the streets in the downtown area were red on Google Maps and there were several streets around the Capitol Building that were listed as closed due to protests.

Before you ask. I have no Idea what they were protesting and really could care less. All protesters are pure breed idiots, and I stay as far away from them as I can. Just as I was pulling out of the Cemetery I heard on the radio that protesters were attempting to shut down one of the Interstates. I ended up tweaking google map to route me around that problem area.

Finally, at 11:50 a.m. I pulled out of Crown Hill Cemetery and set my sights on Dayton, Ohio.

One of the things that I overlooked on Google Maps was a pin that I dropped in Knightstown, Indiana. So, while I was stopped at the Greenfield Indiana Rest Area I set my destination as the Hoosiers Gym in Knightstown.

The Hoosiers Gym is a combination Gym, Museum and Community Center that is famous for being the filming location of the 1986 Movie “Hoosiers,” that starred Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper.

In the movie, the gym was the home court of the Hickory Huskers which was a team based on the 1954 Indiana State Championship which was really won by the Milan High School Indians. 

In 1954, Milan had an enrollment of just 161 students, and they defeated the much larger Muncie Central in the Championship Game. This was known as the “Milan Miracle.”  In the movie the Hickory Huskers were coached by Gene Hackman and the gym in Knightstown was used at the Husker’s home court.

In 1966 school district built a new high school and gym and the old gym sat empty for the next 19 years. But in 1985 Hollywood came calling and restored the gym so it could be used in the movie.

Today, the Hoosier’s Gym is not only a historic venue that host close to 80 high school basketball games each year, but it is also a major tourist attraction.

When I arrived at the Hoosier’s Gym, I was greeted by a volunteer who was more than happy to take me on a little informal tour. He pointed out various sites that were prominently featured in the movie.  I was impressed that the Gym appeared just as it did in the movie.

On the way out of town, I stopped at Love’s Travel Center to make my hotel reservation for the night.  I had planned on returning to the Drury Inn & Suites in Dayton. When I attempted to make reservations I found that the hotel was sold out.

A couple of nearby Holiday Inn’s had rooms available, but they were over $200 a night. So I decided to just head east and see how far I could make it. Gallipolis, Ohio and Charleston West Virginia were my backup destinations.

It was a little after 3 p.m. when I arrived in Dayton and thanks to very light traffic I zoomed round the city and headed East on U. S. Route 35. I crossed the Ohio River at Point Pleasant at a little after 5:30 p.m.

It was here that I decided that if I didn’t get bottled up in Traffic on the West Virginia Turnpike, I would just head home.

Turnpike Traffic was not a problem and after a quick stop at Wendy’s in Beckley, I made the final push home arriving at 9:15 a.m.

What an adventure this was. Without a doubt the highlight of this little adventure was my Stop at Historic Auto Attractions. So much history in one place was a little overwhelming. I could have spent multiple days here and would love to go back.

I also enjoyed the Rutherford B. Hayes Historical Site and the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum. Finally, the Hoosier’s Gym in Knightstown was really more than I expected and was a great way to end this weeklong trip.

This was a longer day than I had anticipated. From Indianapolis to Home saw me drive 489 miles bringing the final total for this adventure to 1,979 miles.

2025 PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY ADVENTURE - IT'S ALL ABOUT LINCOLN

 

Well, today is day #6 of this little Midwest adventure and it is off to a rocky start. I spent the night at the Comfort Inn near Route 66 here in Springfield, Illinois, and while the hotel was just fine, I can’t say the same for some of the guests.

When I was checking in yesterday, I noticed there were a lot of kids in the hotel, which is never a good sign. It seemed most of them were somewhere around 11-12 years old and were players on a couple of youth baseball teams that were playing in a tournament here in Springfield.

Thank goodness I was on the top floor of the hotel, and they were all on the lower floors. So, thankfully noise was not really a problem. But this morning, a little after 6:30 a.m. I was awakened by the hotel fire alarm.

I was tempted to ignore it and just stay in my room but all of the other guests on my floor seemed to be taking it seriously and were leaving their rooms and heading downstairs. So, I joined everyone else and made my way out through the lobby and into the parking lot.

The fire department was already on the scene and was in the process of resetting the alarm and giving all clear. It seemed on of the kids had left a waffle in the waffle iron and it burnt, setting off the alarm.  It took the Fire Department about 15 minutes to clear everything and give the ok for us to return to our rooms. 

Once back in my room, I packed up and prepared to check out. The breakfast area was nothing but chaos as it was overrun by a herd of kids, making it almost totally impossible to even get a cup of coffee. So, I decided to check out and hit the road.

I pulled out of the parking lot at 7:55 a.m. I need gas so I headed to a nearby Casey’s to fuel up and grab a much-needed cup of coffee. I had planned on making Oak Ridge Cemetery my last stop before heading out of town.

But it was only 8:15 and none of the other sites that I wanted to see here in Springfield were open. So, I made the 10-minute drive to the north side of town to visit the tomb of President Abraham Lincoln.

Contrary to what many people think, Lincoln’s Tomb is NOT a National Historic Site and is NOT administered by the National Park Service. Rather, it is a State Historic Site that is administered by the State of Illinois.

The tomb was dedicated on October 15, 1874, and is the final resting place of President Lincoln, his wife Mary Todd Lincoln and three of their children, Eddie, Willie and Tad. Robert Todd Lincoln is the only child that reached adulthood and he is resting in Arlington National Cemetery.

At the front of the tomb is a bronze recasting of President Lincoln’s Head that was created by Gutzon Borglum. It is said that if you rub his nose, you will encounter good luck. From the looks of the shiny nose, a lot of folks have tried it, including me. What could it hurt. The Borglum's original marble bust is in the U.S. Capitol, in Washington D. C.

Inside the tomb's ground level entrance is a rotunda, visitors are greeted by a reduced scale reproduction of the statue by Daniel Chester French that is in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.

A connecting hallway of the rotunda leads you to the burial chamber where President Lincoln is resting in a lead lined casket that is encased in concrete some 10 feet beneath the red marble monument.

Entombed in the wall across from the President’s Burial Monument are the remains of Mary Todd Lincoln, and their Children, Eddie, Willie and Tad.

Before leaving the Cemetery, I made my way down the hill, behind the tomb to the receiving vault where the bodies of President Lincoln and his son, Willie rested from May 4,1865, until December 1865 when their remains we moved to a temporary tomb that was constructed about halfway up the hill. That temporary tomb was demolished after the Current tomb was built.

After leaving Oak Ridge Cemetery, I made the short drive back into Springfield to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. I have been here once before, but it was late in the day and I was kind of rushed to finish my visit before closing time. Today, I am going to be able to take my time and enjoy the visit.

Once again, most people think that the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum administered the National Archives. It’s not, it is controlled and administered by the State of Illinois.

Upon entering the Museum, visitors are greeted by life-size wax figures of President and Mrs. Lincoln along with their children, Willie, Eddie and Tad. Behind these statues is a façade of the White House which contains the exhibits pertaining to the Civil War and his life in the White House.

The other side of the statues is a log cabin which highlights Lincoln’s early life as a “Rail Splitter,” and Circuit Lawyer.

The museum contains life-size dioramas of Lincoln's boyhood home, areas of the White House, the presidential box at Ford's Theatre, and the settings of key events in Lincoln's life, as well as pictures, artifacts and other memorabilia including the original hand written Gettysburg Address, Emancipation Proclamation, his glasses and shaving mirror.

I have been to several of the Presidential Museums, and this one has to rank right up there as one of my favorites.  I still think that the Eisenhower and Truman Museums are my favorites but this one along with Bush 41 and Bush 43 are a close second.

After Finishing up my visit to the Lincoln Museum I started to make my way back into downtown where I had intended to revisit the Old Statehouse and the Current Illinois State Capitol. But for some reason traffic in downtown Springfield was basically at a standstill.

I pulled over into a Casey’s for a closer look at Google Maps which should solid red throughout the downtown area. After grabbing a cup of coffee, I quickly decided to leave Springfield Behind and begin my trek back east.

Back on Interstate 74, I am once again reminded just how bad Illinois roads actually are. Leaving Springfield, I have no Idea just how far I will make it. It’s just a little after 12 noon when I head est on I-74 and there is a remote possibility that I could make Indianapolis tonight, which is almost 250 miles away. Bust a more Likely destination will be Crawsfordsville, Indiana.

It’s a little after 2 p.m. when I stop at the Love’s Travel Center in Oakwood, Illinois. From here to Indianapolis is only about 100 miles. So, I decide to make a hotel reservation at the Drury Inn & Suites on the Northside of Indianapolis.

I was happy to leave the horrible Illinois Roads behind, only to find that Indiana Roads are just as bad. But despite the horrible roads and loosing an hour when I crossed from Central Time back to Eastern Time, I arrived at the Drury Inn at about 5:15, Just enough time to check in, and get settled in my room before heading down for supper at the Drury 5:30 kickback.

The Kickback tonight was especially good, featuring pulled pork sliders, baked beans, coleslaw and a baked potato. Like I keep saying, I have yet to have a bad experience at a Drury Inn.

Today was kind of a hit or miss day. The Misses were getting woke up by the fire alarm at the hotel, the heavy traffic in downtown Springfield, and the horrible Illinois and Indiana roads. The hits were Lincoln’s Tomb and the Lincoln Presidential Museum. Even though I have been there before, I enjoyed visiting again.

Today’s journey from Springfield, Illinois to Indianapolis, Indiana covered a total of 223 miles, bringing the total miles for this trip to 1,490 miles.

Tomorrow I will continue my trek east and start thinking about bringing this adventure to an end.