After leaving the Udvar-Hazy Center we drove a few hours, crossing into Maryland, before staying in LaVale, Maryland for the night.
We enjoyed using the exercise equipment for a bit before leaving the next morning.
Matthew, intent on walking fast.
Maryland wants us to come visit again :)
We spent most of the day driving.
Crossing into West Virginia (state 46 for Me).
Into Pennsylvania, which decided to welcome us this time (unlike when we drove into Philadelphia).
Back into West Virginia.
Into Ohio.
We stopped in Cincinnati for dinner, to get an oil change on the car and for the kids to do the Lego mini build. They built an octupus.
We drove into Kentucky (state 47 for Me). We spent a little extra time there as the kids fought in the car. U and Me enjoyed looking at a purple house and a cardinal. Once things settled down, we headed back into Ohio.
We then drove into Indiana (state 48 for Me) where we stayed the night in Indianapolis.
The next day, we headed into Illinois.
Notice how Kentucky is the "Birthplace of Abraham Lincoln," Indiana has "Lincoln's Boyhood Home" and Illinois is "The Land of Lincoln." Clearly we had to do something Lincoln-related so we stopped in Springfield to visit Abraham Lincoln's home. (This was actually a planned stop on our trip unrelated to all the states claiming Lincoln.) The kids did the Junior Ranger program to earn their 10th badge of the trip.
On our tour of the Lincoln home. The ranger said that 90% of the home and much of the furniture is original since the Lincolns sold it to friends and relatives when they moved to Washington DC. People held onto them and have donated them back to the Park Service.
Climbing the stairs. The handrail is original to the home.
Lincoln's shaving stand and mirror are the originals.
Some games and toys in the children's room.
The kitchen.
Matthew, Megan, Me and Sarah in front of the Lincoln home.
We then drove to Carthage, where we toured Carthage Jail.
Living quarters of the jailer's family.
Me, Matthew, Megan and Sarah in the jail.
Door to the room that Hyrum and Joseph Smith were in before they were killed. The bullet through the door is original.
Matthew, Me, Megan and Sarah in the room.
The second story window is the one through which Joseph fell.
Our family in front of Carthage Jail.
Matthew and Megan with Joseph and Hyrum.
The brothers with the jail behind them.
This bird decided to hang out on our mirror for a bit.
We had a yummy dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Me with steaming fajitas.
U's dinner was really good. It was kind of like fajitas but all the meat came in a bowl with a really good sauce.
We then headed over the Mississippi into Iowa to our hotel in Fort Madison.
