June 13, 2010 Day 53 We See Three More States IL, IN, KY

We leave early, of course so we were able to dump our tanks. We get on the road so we can go through the center of St Louis while everyone else is in bed or at church today. We make it out of Missouri before most people were up. Into Illinois we travel but we cut straight across on I-64 and there were no major cities so we got through IL in about 2 hours. Then into Indiana were we gassed up about 25 miles in and then after another 25 miles we drive to the Lincoln Boyhood Home NHS. This is where Lincoln lived from 8 years old until he was 21 years old. It is also where his mother was buried.

We pull in and the only RV parking they have is back ins. Since we can’t back in with the toad attached we pulled up to the curb. I went inside to get PTCC her Jr Ranger book so she could work on it while we ate lunch. After we ate we went inside and the movie was starting so we watched that and then toured the displays inside. On one side they have a large room with a fireplace and the other there is an auditorium much like a church set up with pews.

Back outside there is a trail to follow to see Lincoln’s mother’s grave and his father’s farm that has been reconstructed. We walked the path and it led to the area that the original log cabin was built, the CCC had reconstructed the fireplace and footings. They had an interpreter inside the cabin who told us a little about the set up of the farm. We walked inside the smokehouse and carpentry shop that Thomas Lincoln had. There was also a small chicken yard, sheep, goats and a kitchen garden. We walked down the path until we came to the well they used for water. And then we walked the other path back to the RV which had 12 stones that played roles in Lincoln’s life. Some of them were the stone from his birthplace, where he worked when he left home, Mary Todd Lincoln’s home, and the place where he stood when he delivered the Gettysburg Address.

After we finished the walk we got back in the RV and headed out. We thought we were going to stay at Singing Hills RV park tonight but I saw a Jellystone park on the same road that it was on so I asked CC if he wanted to camp there. Mostly because they had a waterslide. He said he always wanted to try a Jellystone but they were never where we camped so we decided to stay there. So about 2 hours later and finally in Kentucky we stop for the night at the Cave City Jellystone.

After dinner we changed and got to try out the huge waterslide. Unfortunately by now the sun is setting so it was not as hot as it was earlier and the bugs were out and biting while we waited to go down. CC videoed his ride and then took pictures of me and PTCC as we went down since he received his Olympus water camera back from the fix it place. This was a good opportunity for him to use it to see if it still works. After the slide ride we went to the pool but it was very crowded and no one seemed to follow the rules posted on the walls of no jumping, running, diving or horseplay. I had always seen the reviews of Jellystones so I kind of knew what to expect but it is very crowded and golf carts are whizzing by pretty quick without looking around them. Kids and adults walk in the center of roads so it is hard to maneuver large vehicles here. Most of the sites are very unlevel as well since it is built near a mountain. We are about 20 foot away from the sewer hookup and it is uphill from the RV. But we won’t be here most of the day tomorrow as will we be touring Mammoth Cave and Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace.

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