Staycations are vacations spent at home or day trips to nearby destinations according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
The very fact that you can now officially find the word in the dictionary indicates that the staycation has become an accepted part of our culture.
Most people these days don’t have the discretionary income to travel long distances so I thought about what the short drive to our State Capitol has to offer.
First, I visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum which occupies an entire city block in downtown Springfield and features a state-of-the-art, full-immersion experience into the life and times of our sixteenth President.
The chronological “Journey” from Lincoln’s boyhood log cabin through his presidency and assassination is emotional as well as educational.
There are two multi-screen, multi-media surround sound theaters in the Musuem.
“Lincoln’s Eyes” is a presentation that reflects the views of both supporters and detractors and “Ghosts of the Library” is an SBC Holavision show that mixes a live actor and special effects to highlight the library’s world-renowned collection.
The experience at the Museum is well worth the drive to Springfield alone but I chose to stay overnight at the Hilton Garden Inn just off Interstate 55 near Lake Springfield and explore the Lincoln Memorial Garden and Nature Center.
After checking in at this conveniently located, comfortable modern hotel, I took the scenic route along East Lake Drive to the living memorial of Abraham Lincoln.
Walking along its shady paths on the eastern shore of Lake Springfield, I stretched my legs while enjoying the inscriptions on the many benches along the trail inscribed with quotes from Lincoln.
The restored natural prairie setting at the adjacent Ostermeier Prairie Center provides visitors with a chance to see why Illinois was nicknamed the Prairie State.
It was alive with purple coneflowers, Queen Anne’s lace, and tall Big Bluestem prairie grass.
The friendly folks at the Springfield Visitor’s Center had also informed me of the Chatham Sweet Corn Festival nearby and a short drive south and west around the lake brought me to their Community Park where I chomped down on some of the sweetest corn in Illinois under pleasant, sunny skies.
The glorious weather continued the next day and I chose to pay my final respects at the Lincoln Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
This magnificent granite structure is a fitting final resting place for our greatest president and is free and open to the public year round.
