It’s me again!
I went on an amazing bus trip with 4 Seasons of Albert Lea on Oct. 22-27, 2019 with Glen Parsons as our tour director.
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, we traveled to Davenport, Iowa for lunch at The Machine Shed. We ran into road construction and an accident in Illinois, so we were unable to tour the David Mansion in Bloomington, Ill., as we arrived too late, so we did a drive-by of the mansion instead.
On to the Hampton Inn in Normal, Ill. Interesting name! Enjoyed dinner at Logan’s Roadhouse close to our motel.
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, we were up early to put our luggage outside our door at 6:15 a.m. Ugh! Went down to eat a good breakfast at motel.
My friend Julie Ehlers is my traveling companion as our husbands “don’t do bus trips that are longer than one day,” so they sent us off with their blessing!
Back to Oct. 23. We arrived in Petersburg, Ken., to tour and have lunch at The Creation Museum. This amazing museum is a bit overwhelming. It gives a chronological walk through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It includes animatronics, a planetarium, a 200-seat 4D special effects theater, nature trails with beautiful gardens, a petting zoon, and much more. I would go again!
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Riverfront in Covington, Ken. And enjoyed a lovely supper at the hotel’s My Old Kentucky Home buffet.
On Thursday, Oct. 24, we enjoy breakfast at the hotel and then departed for Ark Encounter. This was so awesome and there was so much to see. The Ark is a full-scale, all-wood replica of Noah’s Ark based on dimensions provided in the Bible in Genesis 5. It was 510 feet long, 50 feet tall and 85 feet wide! Two football fields would fit inside it. It has three levels, all accessed by wide ramps, so it’s very handicapped accessible. Even this old woman could navigate the ramps. So much to see, Noah’s family on the third floor. Some of Noah’s family is animated and surprise you with dialog of life on the ark. There were lots of animals in cages, birds and plants. I would love to go again and again!
In a large building we ate at a huge buffet. This was by the ark. In the buffet we were surrounded by wild animals done by skilled taxidermists.
After lunch it’s on to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Ken. It has 81-foot vaulted ceilings, beautiful stained glass windows and wonderful mosaics on the walls made of porcelain and mother-of-pearl tiles. The organ has 4,576 pipes. Its largest stained glass window is 67 feet by 24 feet, the largest stained glass window in the world.
That evening we went on a dinner cruise aboard the River Queen, with wonderful night-time views of Cincinnati and North Covington.
Our bus driver, Marty, was so good, he navigated that bus in tight places and found routes to venues when construction, etc., came up unexpectedly.
On Friday, Oct. 25, we left at 7 a.m. for Springfield, Ill., changing the time back to Central Standard Time. Cracker Barrel was our lunch stop in Decatur, Ill. I love to eat there — and shop.
On to Springfield, Ill. to tour Lincoln’s home. It was a small cabin with a loft when he purchased it, later enlarging it for sleeping and two active boys. We had a very good tour guide there.
Drury Inn, Springfield, our home for the next two days. They have a nice breakfast and at night serve a light supper and popcorn on site. Very good!
On Saturday, Oct. 26, we toured the Dana Thomas house built by Frank Lloyd Wright with many steps, stairs, levels and beautiful windows with cut glass designs of the Midwest and Prairie. It has its own library that Ms. Dana opened to children and the public.
Every day we had enjoyed warm, sunny weather. Today it was an all-day rain! I was the only one with a rain poncho. A few had umbrellas. A hearty bunch, we trudged on.
Our next stop was the Lincoln Presidential Museum, which also had its own Subway for lunch. The museum features the world’s largest collection of documents and possessions belonging to Abe Lincoln, his family and friends. It combines state-of-the-art technology with authentic artifacts and historical commentary. It tells the story of Abe Lincoln, America’s greatest president, whose incredible legacy is so inspiring even today.
The rain began to pour just in time for us to go to Lincoln’s Tomb, where Lincoln’s family is all buried except for his oldest son, Tad, who is buried at Arlington Cemetery. Son Willie died of typhoid while Abe and Mary were at the play where Abe was killed, and Eddie died at 3 of typhoid earlier in 1950.
We gladly returned to Drury Inn to dry off and enjoy supper.
On Sunday, Oct. 27, those who wanted to go to church boarded a bus at 8:30 for Calvary Church. We enjoyed a very joy-filled service with a good message: “What are you willing to do?”
Then it was back to pick the rest of our “cousins.” Glen told us we had become like a family of cousins, with many new friendships and wonderful memories. We got home on time at 7 p.m.
‘Til next time, Genie.
P.S. This is all fact!
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.