Day 3 & 4 - Springfield, Illinois

Day 3 (28 Jun) - We left Dayton and drove through Ohio and Indiana with some threatening weather overhead. The weather only delivered some light rain and by the time we crossed into Illinois the skies were clear. The differences between the various states is becoming more obvious and we are enjoying looking at the landscapes, traffic, billboards and listening to the local radio. The agricultural influences combine with flat long roads so that some stretches verge on being pretty boring, though we understand the really boring drives are ahead of us. Yikes. The further west we travel the further apart are the rest areas, amenities and gas stations. We are now making sure the fuel gauge does not get too far below half-full. If there is ever a motor-cycle accident out here then I will bet that although the rider's head will resemble a dropped watermelon, the seat bar will be fine because that's where they secure the helmet. Each state has different rules, so if riders don't have to wear their helmets then they don't, however they keep it handy on the rear seat bar for when they cross the state line. The gun lobby is alive and well in these parts. There were a variety of mini-billboards with a series of rhyming slogans such as: first billboard - Here's a thought to Ponder; next billboard - An Armed Citizen as First Responder; next - Guns Save Life.com. We listened to 'Abe FM' as we drove into Springfield. I quite like this station because they played some INXS and the The Church's Under The Milky Way as we entered the town and drove around the beautiful Lake Springfield to the campground. We are mostly staying in KOA sites (Kampgrounds Of America) and they are proving to be a pretty good facilities and you know what you are going to get - I guess the Australian equivalent would be like the Big 4 chain.

Day 4 (29 Jun) - Another lovely day and the weather is being very kind. Springfield essentially exists for Lincoln and by hanging onto being a stop on the old Route 66. Springfield is Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home and where he grew and lived as an adult (pre-White House). A visit to the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is compulsory. It is excellent. The 'Ghosts of Library' presentation is worth the price of admission alone and is simply outstanding. The use of holograms and special effects make it truly wonderful and informing. This is a must-see. The remainder of the Museum is very well developed and informative. What a life Lincoln experienced - he had more ups and downs than all the competitors in a national trampoline contest and he still emerged the champion. He is inspiring. We really enjoyed the visit so much that next stop was his Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery. For good luck, many visitors rub the nose of Lincoln's bronze bust which is in front of the Tomb. His nose really stands out now. There are plenty of Lincoln associated attractions in Springfield and most are done pretty well.

Route 66 stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles and has been endeared in songs and movies - you know, "I get my kicks on Route 66". Springfield was on that Route, which was de-numbered in the 1980's, and some businesses are really working that association. For lunch, we visited the Cosy Dog Drive In whose owner it appears invented the 'Corn Dog' - for Australian friends it is essentially the battered hot dog on a stick you get at your town show. It was full of old Route 66 signs and propaganda. It was not unexpectedly just another greasy diner, though their fries were pretty good. We stopped outside the Route 66 Gas Station Museum - a tribute to gas stations along the route, but couldn't bring myself to pay the small entrance fee to what looked like a junk yard.

Next stop - Omaha Nebraska