Our trip to Springfield IL

On our way through Springfield, IL we stopped to see Abraham Lincolns home (this is the most famous view of his home!)
Although is was really cold it was fun! We walked down his street with wooden sidewalks and gravel roads. Us four younger kids got to be Jr rangers for the day.

We got a tour of Lincolns home and got to see his bedroom and where his boys played. This was the only house he owned.

We went in to the tomb of Abraham Lincoln where his family (3 sons and Mary his wife) are buried except for his son Robert. There were flags from all the states at the time of his presidency.

Here we are in the front of the house. Mary Todd his wife never returned to the house after he died once the funeral was done.

Lincolns home looked a LOT different then our home it had VERY BRIGHT carpet & wall paper because it was the "style"

We also went to New Salem, a small town were A.Lincoln first worked:)

Abraham Lincoln was an honest man with a very hard job to do. He did a great thing giving all people their freedom!

By Ria

Aboard the Mayflower 2!

Not sure what you picture when thinking of the Mayflower but it was WAY smaller than we had thought! Again the weather was wet and on the colder side. But much more realistic of what the voyage would have felt like! (we went back the next day which was sunny for some better pictures!)

The boys peeking out the back window. All the windows would have been shut on the voyage, as musty and dank as it was when we were there I can't even imagine WANTING to travel for months shut up in bottom of a boat like this!!!

They aren't really sure what the "cabins" were, they may have stacked beds like this or they may have just all lined up on the floor. There were 102 passengers which likely didn't get above deck until they had crossed the ocean!

a HUGE anchor rope

They look like a pretty good crew!!! The boys wanted to climb the rigging I was glad that wasn't allowed!!!

The girls look over the ship from the dock.
This was the closest we got to the ocean; plenty of shells and treasures at low tide! The official plimoth rock :) At least we can say we saw it!
Not really sure its the real thing but it was neat!

On the road again...

So after the Fort Mc Henry stop, we continued on up the East coast to MA.

We spent a few days in Plimoth (or Plymouth for you moderners!) It was not the best weather but made it all the more amazing to think of the terrible conditions those at Plimoth endured!!!

First stop: the Wampanoag Indian site - very neat to see what Indian life is like, preparing the fields, cooking lunch, building summer homes etc
They had burned out a new canoe (the one in the background) but it was too wet to "scrape" it the one the boys are admiring actually was taken out to the ocean by modern Indians and returned safely! This hadn't been done in well over 50 years! amazing in such a small boat!
the boys favorite -- an Indian with a hatchet!
Let go in and see whats cooking!
Walking to the English village you feel as if you are walking back in time. Each actor plays a person that lived in the village and tells you about life in their time. This is a view of the village from the fort/church buildingMending her husbands jacket - just going about "normal" life was fascinating to watch!
Lunch time - chicken with some rice. The children had played old fashioned games with Peregrine and Samantha before they had to go eat!

A dining area -- the houses are so small there is no such thing as rooms! some had attics where the indentured servants may live.
The girls got to try their hand at old fashioned cleaning!
a cradle would sit next to the parents bed which was the only bed the older childen would sleep on the floor maybe on matsSuch a fun experience to see what life may have been like at Plimoth plantation!!!
Next stop -- the MAYFLOWER!!!

next stop...Fort McHenry

We left Frederick MD Sunday and headed toward MA. As we were driving we saw a sign for Fort McHenry, I talked the driver into making an impromptu stop (that isn't always so easy!) It was a great day and turned out to be a great stop! Here we are at the entrance.
Cannons pointed out to the Bay. The boys were thrilled with all the battle stuff cannons everywhere how COOL! ( superman somehow got in our picture ?!?!)
As we are now "southerners" we got put in jail :( This weekend happened to be a civil war reenactment weekend which made it all the more fun!

How about some hard tack for lunch? or maybe not!

replica of the flag hanging when "Star Spangled Banner" was written;
as well as cannons that had hit the fort
Soldiers marching into fort. What a neat way to see history!
We enjoyed our long lunch stop that day! And have a bigger appreciation of all those who have fought for our freedom!!! THANK YOU!!!

Buckle up...

It was a LONG ride! but well worth it for all the history and fun we were able to squeeze in with work! We headed toward the East Coast and the beginning of our country.

Our first stop was Washington DC.

This is a view of the city from Arlington National Cemetery.
We ended up here first just going with the flow!
It was amazing to see the sacrifices that have been made for us to be free Americans!

Huge beautiful grounds and much was in bloom, bright green reminding us of springtime and our freedom to enjoy it!

We arrived around the cherry blossom festival time and everything was beautiful!

Even got to enjoy TULIPS!!!

Once we found parking by the plaza, we began at the Roosevelt Memorial (but failed to get pictures).

We then walked (we thankfully had 2 scooters along which worked great to keep the younger two moving along!) to the Lincoln Memorial a very stately sight (no pun intended for the construction barrel!)
Very amazing to be there and grasp the hugeness of it!
As you can see the younger boys are wondering if this is all there is????
The view from there was incredible especially considering our drive the day before had been alot of raining/foggy weather! THANK YOU LORD for a sunny, dry warm day!

Next we walked by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Seeing all the names made all of us realize how many have given that we may be free -- THANK YOU!!!

The kids were impressed with all the notes, flags and flowers left by the wall.


As we walked around the WWII memorial we found a nice spot for a picture!

Right between two M states!!!The kids were getting warm at this point and thought the fountain looked pretty good!

We pulled them away and continued down the mall making our way to the Washington Monument.



We really took this picture!
it looks like a postcard with such a beautiful blue sky the monument looked incredible!


hard to get the kids and the monument this worked pretty well
down and up all at the same time!


Brought up our study of obelisks from a few years ago :) always learning!


from there we could see the capital buildings to the East (behind the girls, but we were starting to slow down so didn't attempt to walk that far!) To the north we could also see the white house from there so we headed that way.


Since we didn't get our background checks in 6 months ahead, we weren't able to go into the white house. It was ok, the kids feel sorry for the Obama girls being in the middle of a city and yet a yard that everyone watches. Always having to have secret service with you or watching you didn't sound too fun to them either!
A picture through the fence then it was time to head back.

We finished up at the Jefferson Memorial to the South of the Washington monument. Once again the size of the statues is amazing!
Part of the Declaration of Independence.


That is it NO MORE PICTURES!!!

They were really tired out!
we likely walked between 4 and 5 miles!!! Z said "really mom I CAN'T walk anymore!" so i said "good thing we have your scooter!" he said" but my "scooter foot" (i love that!) doesn't work either!" then he tried pushing with his left foot and found that to be a distracting of enough challenge that he carried on not realizing he was moving again :) and this guys ALWAYS has energy :) yes he was running up the stairs!!!
the big sister who was willing to carry the scooter when we couldn't ride them.
The other sister was just taking it all in, she enjoyed seeing so many of the things we read about this year.

well this one about sums it all up -- a nice cold drink of water and rest the feet! we got a good night sleep and then were setting up the convention the next morning!

Well more to come!!!
the traveling Quaks