Our family was looking for a trip to take - and we came up with Memphis, Tennessee. I am going to share a few of our highlights of our trip from Memphis leading our way back up Illinois, stopping in Springfield, IL for the night.
We went to Graceland. This was one of the things on my "bucket list". It was AMAZING!!!! Here is his living room with the custom stained glass. Can you imagine what people thought when they walked into his house and say these windows? Really impressive. There were all kinds of costumes and awards. His tuxedo from his wedding, Pricella's wedding dress - and that black leather outfit he wore in that televised concert. You know the outfit - he was SO handsome. And did you know he was an avid reader? That he had a twin brother that died at birth? That he sold billion records - and never toured out of the US?
The Memphis Zoo was incredible. Here is one of the twin hippos they have there. I like to call this picture "Inspiration". The animals were so active and close to you. They had some pandas also. They look fake - they are just SO cute.
This was a sculpture in the entrance to the Civil Rights Museum. See the people carved into these dark blocks. It was an amazing museum. I learned as much from the people around me at the museum than from the exhibits. Listening to people talk as they walked through the museum reminiscing about times they remember. An older lady talking about the garbage strike in Memphis that made the city so smelly and dirty. A mother saying to her young son "This is how your grandma lived. See how lucky you are to be born now. Don't forget that."
We took the kids to St. Jude's. Before we did, we went to Target and bought stuff to donate - books, dvds, art supplies, action figurines.....each family member had things in particular they wanted to give. Though we weren't allowed into the hospital (you have to be over the age of 16 to get a tour), we were allowed up to the front desk, where we dropped of our bags. Just seeing the people in the waiting room there - the kids walking in, the families leaving. You knew you were at a special place.
On our way from Memphis to Springfield, IL, we stopped in St. Louis just to pick up concretes at Ted Drews. Worth the extra driving and very worth the calories.
In Springfield, Illinois - we drove past the capital (the kids really weren't into getting out of the car and going inside). They were "done". But we were able to get them out of the car for one more touristy thing...New Salem, Illinois. This is were Abraham Lincoln lived for about 6 years - his early twenties.
It was a village of log cabins - different styles. Each cabin was a short, written explanation of what lived there and what they did in the village. Lincoln lived in a bunch of different homes, working to pay his way. He eventually owned and ran the local shop. Some interesting facts - none of the cabins are original to the village. In fact, when people left, they took their homes with them. Taking apart the cabins and loading them onto their wagon and off they went. They learned where to recreate the log homes by maps original settlers drew and archaeological diggings. Pretty cool -
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