A Slaven-Certified Guide to the Midwest- Part 1

It’s traveling season! As we kick off the busy autumn months, we may experience lags and disruptions in our regular blog publishing schedule. This post is one of those disruptions! Last weekend, we took a Slaven-certified trip to three Midwest states.

What makes a roadtrip Slaven-certified? Well, it must involve at least one Slaven (duh). The involvement of Slavens often leads to side effects such as breakneck schedules, early mornings, at least one mishap, and lots of fun. Our roadtrips often read like a choose-your-own-adventure story. Like this one! 

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Featured photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Wy1JByJWSppyfAwg6

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Day 1: Gateway Arch National Park 

Pretend you’re a postcard inside a giant mailbox in Casey, Illinois. Want more giant things? Ring the world’s largest windchime, search for a giant key, and walk around the world’s largest rocking chair in this iconic small town.

Progress to the Lincoln Log Cabin, where Abraham Lincoln’s father once farmed the rolling hills. Be sure to pet the sheep! 

Uh oh, you just hit your head on the loft of a historic cabin. Better pretend like nothing happened. That’s what you get for being too tall to experience history properly!

Treat yourself to an ice cream cone as you take a walk around the St. Charles historic district. Wipe the sweat off your forehead and contemplate melting into the cobblestone streets. It sure is hot out here!

Enjoy the air conditioning in the underground museum of Gateway Arch National Park. Be sure to watch the documentary film about the construction of the arch!

Straddle the Missouri-Illinois state line with a riverboat ride down the Mississippi River. Shield your eyes against the bright sun as you look up, up, up at the 630-ft arch. Imagine being one of the construction workers in the 1960s. No safety harnesses- yikes! 

Cram into a tiny “space-pod” with a couple from South Africa to rocket up to the top of the Arch. Try to forget the claustrophobia and enjoy the city-wide views instead. Oh look, there’s a baseball game going on! 

Wrap up the night on the river, where people dance to blues music in the park. A cool breeze finally slices through the humidity as a riverboat glitters on the river. You’ve survived your first day of a Slaven-Certified roadtrip! 

Day 2: Abraham Lincoln 

You’ve woken up to your second day of a Slaven-Certified roadtrip. What sort of adventures will you get into today?

Begin your morning on the doorstep of a creamy-yellow home in Springfield, Illinois. Step through the same door that Abe Lincoln once ducked through. Linger in his wallpapered bedroom, ponder the dining room, and contemplate the kitchen. When he left home in 1861 to become President, he never returned. Neither did his grieving widow.

Come face to face with a dead President as a historical reenactor plays baseball in the historic neighborhood. The likeness is uncanny. He invites you to join his game. Do you?

Tour a Lincoln museum, where wax figures depict all aspects of the icon’s life, including his death. A t-shirt reads “I Miss Abe,” and suddenly, so do you.

Step into the museum’s theatre to watch a production about the value of historic documents. The mysterious smoke and sound effects give you pause. Do you believe in ghosts?

Voices echo in the halls of the old Capitol building, following you to the elegant new construct that replaced it in 1888. The new Capitol building is a gilded, lavish thing, topped with a dome that makes you think of Heaven. It’s a lovely place.

Exchange the quiet cabins of historic New Salem for the chaos of Chicago. Good luck finding a parking garage! Your SUV scrapes the height indicator on a 6’2” parking garage; eliciting concern and confusion from a security guard. You’re on a tight schedule, but he doesn’t care. You have to go somewhere else.

Plunge back into the blaring traffic of Chicago. Whiz from stoplight to stoplight with growing concern. Will you make your Skydeck reservation in time?

You managed to park your car, but that’s only the first issue. You’re still ten minutes from your destination. Better start sprinting down the nighttime sidewalks of Chicago!

Whew, you made it! Soak in the views of the glittering city. Stand on a glass platform 103 floors above the street. You aren’t afraid of heights, right? 

Phew, it's been a breakneck two days already! Our adventures will continue in our blog post next week. Stay tuned!