We are getting good at this . We are getting good at this . Up at 7am, showered, breakfast and on the road by 9am. Well done us! Today we head back into Springfield for the Abraham Lincoln historical experience. First up though we have to see the 3rd giant brother. Glenn has opted for the table/ office area today after a few navigational blues yesterday, even with Dashboard Daisy and the iPad he still managed to have us heading the wrong way! None of us can be too critical as my little typo today had us stop short of our first attraction , Milton momentarily mixed up left and right but realised just in time and avoided the on coming traffic! Springfield Illinois is where The Lincoln's met, married and had their family. The original house still stands and the neighbouring houses have been preserved and some are open free of charge to the public. The Lincoln house is a guided tour and the ranger guide is very informative. Some of the items of furniture and knick knacks are originals are some are reproductions but the layout has been set up as it was from sketches that had appeared in newspapers . We are walking through the rooms where Lincoln walked and lived, we have climbed his stairs and stood in his bedroom. We cross the street to see another 2 houses then as we are about to head back to Harvey, the man himself Abe Lincoln strolls down the street to his front door. Wacky wowsers how would have thanked that would to continue to Lincoln's tomb. The Oak Ridge cemetery sits at the top of monument drive and the tomb is on a hill at the end of a flag lined road. Before we go into the tomb its morning tea so the coffee pot and kettle is on and the buns (2 for $1) are cut up ready to go. The tomb is a magnificent memorial to Lincoln and his family. Only his oldest son Robert is not buried here, he and his wife are in Arlington cemetery in Washington DC. It was sad to read that only 1 son lived on and that there are no living direct descendants of Abraham Lincoln. History lesson complete we head for a different cultural experience in the midst of Amish Country. Arthur is a small town in central Illinois where a large percentage of its occupants are Amish. We go to the visitor centre run by an Amish gentleman. He points us in the direction of some places of interest and explains that the Amish people originate in Germany so they speak to each other in German, high German in church and low German in daily life. We go to Yoders for lunch, again at great expense.. $28 for all of us! We take a drive up and doesn't some of the narrow country roads and stop at a blacksmith's house and then the bakery house . The Amish people appear to lives simple life without machinery or vehicles. They have horse and cart to get them around and into town. The children go to school, some i their Owen community and some in the town school. In the playground we saw little girls in ankle length dresses with the white bonnets on their heads, this is a carbon copy of what their mothers are wearing. The men wear plain black pants, coats and vest and white shirts, they have beards but no moustaches. The people request not to be photographed but don't have issues with photos of their homes or wares. From what we see they make good furniture and farm crops, dairy and fruit and vegetables and if course with the importance of the horses in their daily life there is the need for a blacksmith and harness and buggy makers. They run the shops and businesses in the town or from the farm gate. It was a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon. Back on the road now to St Louis. We probably won't cross the border tonight opting to stay in Granite City Illinois. ETA 7 pm. Actual arrival more like 8.30 for a number of reasons including our daily trip to Walmart for supplies and the fact that now that it was dark we couldn't find the RV park even with the assistance of Daisy and google maps! Finally found it down a lane-way. Not the most picturesque place we could have chosen but apart from the raccoon raiding the bin, we haven't seen anyone else. Another good day on the road. Goodnight Harvey xxx