Covid-19 lockdown: remembering March 2020
This is a post we published in March, 2020, after the Indiana Governor’s Executive order to shut down the state.
When the sound of a mower is relished
Our local NBC station showed a video on their noon news of the city of Indianapolis. The video was in black and white and showed scene after scene of the city with no people, cars, buses or any sign of life. Totally empty streets and parking lots made the shots look like they came right out of the last scene of the movie “On the Beach”, an apocalyptic movie from 1959.
Carry out only
Sher and I and our son were commenting on the video which led to the discussion of the quiet nature that has become our neighborhood. It seems as though most of the neighbors are paying attention to the Indiana declaration of “stay at home and work from home”. Very little traffic, even the guy with the extra loud Harley is not to be heard recently.
Then we heard someone starting up their lawn mower. Wow who would ever think that the usually obnoxious noise from a Briggs and Stratton engine would provide a twisted sense of normalcy to this COVID -19 pandemic abnormal situation. Thus the title of this post.
At times the pandemic lockdown feels like years ago, at times it seems like yesterday.
Honeysuckle flowers in May, berries in October
Flowering on May 18th
Berries on October 21st
Honeysuckle has both good and bad features, depending on the type of honeysuckle you have. We’ll be trimming this one back as it has spread considerably this year. Honeysuckles are known to take over an area.
The Lincoln Memorial Bridge over the Wabash River
One of two pylons on Indiana side of the bridge.
This bridge carries U.S. 50 Business across the Wabash River from Vincennes, Indiana to Lawrence County, Illinois. The east end of the bridge is in the George Rogers Clark National Historic Park. At this entrance to the bridge you will find two large pylons made of granite, each with a raised sculpture depicting a Native American Chief.
The bridge is what is called a deck arch design, and has two traffic lanes and wide pedestrian walks on each side of the roadway. It was opened to traffic in September, 1933, the same year that the George Rogers Clark Memorial was completed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the monument in 1936.
View from the George Rogers Clark Monument
Wabash River walk, Illinois is on the other side of the river
Parked after crossing the bridge
This was one of the attractions we enjoyed on our trip to Vincennes, Indiana in August of 2020, during the height of the pandemic. We had a spot at a nearby RV Park, and were able to maintain the then acceptable “social distance” and had masks available.
Chief Tecumseh statue
It is always fun when travelling to come across an interesting attraction. We found this striking likeness of the famous Chief Tecumseh near the Wabash River levee in Vincennes, Indiana. The statue is the creation of Peter “Wolf” Toth, a Hungarian artist, and is the most recent addition (the 74th) to the “The Trail of Whispering Giants” series of statues scattered across the country.
Abe Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois
The formal parlor in the Lincoln home
During our travels we have enjoyed some of the sights and historic attractions in Springfield, Illinois. The only US National Park in Illinois is the four block area that includes the home of Abraham Lincoln and his family. Lincoln only owned one house during his life, and it was this one in Springfield.
Today the home is completely restored including what is touted as original Lincoln family furniture and other items. You have to go on a guided tour of the Lincoln home. Tickets are free but you do need a ticket. The tickets are available at the information center. There were not a lot of people there today but there were a couple of bus loads of tourists. We did have to wait a couple of hours before our tour. On a real busy tourist day it might take a while to be able to take the tour.
The tour was quick, maybe a half hour at the most. I would have liked to really look at some of the furnishings of the house, but those NPS Rangers kept you moving, and by golly you better not even touch the walls or even the door jambs! I understand not wanting things worn out but to yell at a fellow who puts his hand on a painted wood door jamb? Oh well, it was still fun to see the Lincoln house.
A ‘classic’ view of the home
These parlor chairs are said to be Lincoln’s in this house. The NPS guide said they went into storage after Lincoln moved to DC. and were recovered.
Lincoln’s desk in his upstairs bedroom. Legend says he wrote his debates with Douglas at this desk.
Lincoln’s dresser with wash basin and pitcher and shaving gear.
When it is too cold to go to the outhouse…
The four block historic area around the Lincoln home on the left
There are lots of displays in the info center as well as a couple of short films. And of course the gift shop was packed with just about everything Lincoln you could imagine.
Some squirrel scenes
Here’s some squirrel action we observed on the tree in our backyard.
This nut tastes pretty good, glad I found it.
There must be something to eat around here
The squirrels were out in force this afternoon enjoying the sunlight, even though it was chilly and windy with a definite feel of fall in the air.
Hannibal, Missouri, home of Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens
Statue on the riverfront of a young Sam Clemens as a riverboat captain
During one of our trips from Indiana to the west coast we stopped in Hannibal, Missouri. Famous for being the home of Samuel Clemens, also known as the author Mark Twain, Hannibal is a really interesting and very historic small town on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.
Mark Twain is of course everywhere, both in name and in picture. One local restaurant proudly proclaims that it has Mark Twain fried chicken on the menu. Hmmm I didn’t know that Twain had scooped the colonel.
” the extensive view up and down the river is … one of the most beautiful on the Mississippi.”
The original homes of Clemen’s family and those of other real life people who became the fictional characters in the Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn books are open for tours.
Clemens’s (Tom Sawyer’s) home and that famous white-washed fence
Tom Sawyer’s first love, Becky Thatcher, who existed in real life when Clemens was but a young lad
In addition to all the Mark Twain attractions, this river town is filled with some magnificent old Victorian homes, some restored, some in the midst of restoration and some in need of immediate attention.
Lincoln’s Tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois
Lincoln’s tomb is in the huge Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, Illinois. This is a State historic site, not a National property. The impressive structure is on top of a hill in roughly the center of the cemetery grounds.
You enter the tomb into a small round room. There were two volunteers in the room answering questions. The tomb itself is reached via a marble lined hall way with different bronze statues of Lincoln along the way.
You enter the tomb via the small door seen on the lower right of the structure.
The entry room has a small version of the Lincoln Memorial statue in Washington DC
Not a clear photo, but this shows the hall leading to the tomb.
One of several depictions of Lincoln in various places in the walkway.
Once you have seen the marker for Lincoln and the internment wall behind which are Lincoln’s wife and children you continue out another hallway. This was a very somber and, for me, emotional time. All of Lincoln’s history, the tragedy of the Civil War and his untimely death seemed to rush to the forefront of my thinking.
Lincoln’s casket is actually behind and 10 feet below this massive marker. It is encased in steel reinforced concrete.
Lincoln’s children are also here next to Mrs. Lincoln
One of four statues representing the Infantry, Cavalry, Artillery and Navy that fought in the Civil War, and that Lincoln commanded.
The photos do not really do justice to the magnificence of the exterior and the interior of tomb. This is a true must visit site if you are near Springfield.
National Road “modern improvements” in Ohio in 1916
Photo on the Eagles Nest Interpretive Marker showing travel on the National Highway
The Eagle’s Nest monument on the National Road (US 40) was erected around 1916 after a 29 mile stretch of the then unimproved and often nearly impassable road was replaced with concrete. The stretch of highway ran from Zanesville to Hebron and is east of Columbus. It is at the highest elevation of the road in Ohio.
Eagle’s Nest Monument, Interpretive Sign on right
The monument is a large granite rock with some interesting inscriptions carved into the surface. The photos show some of the details of the inscriptions, including a Conestoga wagon and mileage to Cumberland, Maryland, the starting point of the road. The completion of the experimental concrete stretch of the road led to a large parade when it opened.
Conestoga wagon etched into the granite
Ironically the day we stopped here the conditions were very muddy and wet. What a reminder of some of the early muddy conditions that the early travelers faced as they traveled across country.
You are 220 miles from the start of the National Road in Cumberland, MD.
A large interpretive sign was installed next to the monument in 2000. A well attended ceremony was held in a church near the site. You can visit the record of that ceremony here. This page displays the entire interpretive sign and other details.
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