2015 Road Trip, Day 7 - Moving with Abe Lincoln

 Yesterday, our travels took us to the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace Memorial.  Today, we traveled to Indiana to where young Abe grew into adulthood.  We think we may have figured out why there were only fourteen pillars on yesterday's monument when all of the other architecture featured sixteen repeats.  Luke realized that Abe spent from ages seven to twenty-one in Indiana; fourteen pillars would tie together the birthplace to the Presidency!  We're not sure if we're right, but it makes more sense than his thinking yesterday.

We left Kentucky behind and headed for Indiana.

The kids have become fans of John Pinette, and are incessantly quoting him, "It's KFC, we got chicken.  Know what else we got?  CHICKEN. Do you want chicken or chicken?"  We got a good laugh when I pointed out they probably had tacos and pizza, too.

And here we are back at the Ohio River.

After seeing this sign, they're ready to pack for next summer.  I have no idea where we're going -- IF we're going anywhere -- but so far they have about seventeen cities on their itinerary, and we're only 1/3 of the way through our trip.

Once we got through here, the time changed and we were on Central Daylight Time.  The good news is we got an extra hour of daytime.  The bad news is our stomachs can't tell time. Jude couldn't understand why he was hungry when the clock wasn't at dinnertime yet.

This one is for Grammy.  She's got a whole town named after her?

Yes, you can imagine the excitement that this sign triggered.

Finally, our actual destination, the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial.

When Abe was seven years old, his father moved the family to Indiana.  Their new home was about 80 miles, as the crow flies.

This monument was erected in 1879 and stands in the general vicinity of Nancy Hanks Lincoln's grave.

Further

Further down the path was a working reproduction farm, including this copper cabin foundation.  

Along the path back were twelve stones that were all markers of important events in Lincoln's life.   The first one on the trail is a stone from Hodgenville.  Bricks from Mary Todd Lincoln's childhood home mark their marriage.

Celia completed her eighth Junior Ranger program and was sworn in as a Junior Ranger for this park. 

After our visit, we drove across the highway and down a few miles into the town of Santa Claus.

I collect tree ornaments when we travel, so this was perfect!  Each of us got a new keepsake ornament, and we got a new angel for our tree.  Jude loved the Nutcracker display.

We also got to meet someone very special...

Santa!! 

The boys wanted to know where his hat was.  Santa told them he left it home -- it was too hot for a fur hat.

Each boy had a turn talking to Santa -- and Celia did, too.

and after a few hugs...

 

...we were on our way to Nashville.

Well, after Santa went back to the kitchen.  Somebody tried to bring him home with us.

Back on the road, we headed south to Nashville, arriving just as the sun was setting.  After yesterday's rainstorms (and hearing how they appear to have made it to New Jersey), the gorgeous sunset was very appreciated.

It's off to bed to practice sleeping for when Santa comes, and to rest up for our visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame!

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