Lincoln's New Salem Field Trip with Gran & Gramps

Gran & Gramps (my mom & stepdad) came to visit us last week.  This was a fun, scenic and educational outing for us.  The weather was beautiful and the hour drive was easy.  Thank you, Pauline, for the idea!
During the warmer months, they have more homes and buildings open with animals and people dressed in period clothing.  We just missed it by 3 days.  It was still neat to see it and read all the information on each building about it and it's owners.

Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site is a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. The six years Lincoln spent in New Salem formed a turning point in his career. Although he never owned a home there, Lincoln was engaged in a variety of activities while he was at New Salem. He clerked in a store, split rails, enlisted in the Black Hawk War, served as postmaster and deputy surveyor, failed in business, and was elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 1834 and 1836 after an unsuccessful try in 1832.  

Gran, Gramps, Sutton, Kerrigan, Lincoln & Hudson

inside one of the houses

 there were many beautiful trees with some fall colors left

 The Lincoln-Berry Store

 

 inside the Lincoln-Berry Store

part of the town

the tavern

Gran

Sutton

 our little nature girl examining some bug

the Buddy :) 

Kerrigan

 thinking she's funny by running away from me while I try to take her picture.

Kerrigan and her buddy.  She grew very attached to Gramps and his belly :)

 

 on the way out there was a neat old cemetery with dates back to the early 1800s along with many of the people who lived in the houses we'd just seen in New Salem during the time Lincoln was there.

how we often find Sutton (or 'wormie' as we affectionately call her) :)