Takes ‘bout as much strategy to finish 50 states in 3 years, as it does actual running. States like Delaware, Rhode Island & Connecticut have only one or two marathon options a year. ALSO – Spring (April) & Fall (October) are PRIME TIME…change of seasons sport multiple competing events.
Never expected #49 would happen in Illinois but this state provides a whole lotta running options. With Chicago off my radar, registered for the Illinois Marathon in Champaign-Urbana. [not a fan of crowds, already ran one major: NYC] Located only an hour-half east of Springfield, allowed me to visit the Land of Lincoln – place where our infamous 16th President started his family & political career.
Friday morning flight – met up with Stephen, who landed 15 minutes earlier from New Hampshire. Rental car pick-up, lunch at a highway-exit Subway, 2pm in Springfield (Illinois’ capital city).
Arrived just in time (4 minutes prior) for the ranger-guided Lincoln Home tour, watched 10 minutes of two National Park films, then drove to the Lincoln Presidential Museum another 10 minutes away. This museum is a MUST – time-challenged, chose to visit ‘Lincoln-White House Years’ & caught both recommended movie events.
Stepped out of ‘Pre-Presidential Lincoln’ 15 minutes early to auto-breeze thru the artifacts gallery. Lincoln’s stovepipe hat. Check, done.
Visited Lincoln’s burial site at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Arrived 15 minutes after close so settled for a self-guided tomb drive-by. Hard to fit a full day-vacation into 4 hours.
Autobahn’d to Champaign-Urbana. Another just-n-time arrival (8 minutes to spare) – University of Illinois, home of the Fighting Illini – for tomorrow’s marathon bib pick-up. Yikes, that as close.
Early to bed, early to rise. 100% chance of rain…it is what it is, my last 50 State weekend. Tomorrow Illinois, Sunday Colorado 🙂
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- Lincoln’s home for 17 years
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- Lincoln Home: Formal Parlor
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- Lincoln Home: Family Room
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- a room in a room (Abe & Mary’s sleeping quarters)
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- Lincoln Home: Kitchen
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- Illinois State Capitol
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- Old State Capitol (1839-1876)
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- Presidential Museum & Library
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- the ‘White House Years’ (lurking background: John Wilkes Booth)
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- Battle of Fort Sumter
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- Civil War in pictures
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- the Gettysburg Address
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- Lincoln’s famous stovepipe hat
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- Lincoln Tomb: marks the graves of Lincoln, his wife Mary & 3 of their children
Over the past 12 months – thanks to an overactive marathon schedule – have managed to see almost every relative ever this past year, no matter where in the States they live. Back in DC this weekend, would get the opportunity to see two cousins I missed in October when marathoning in Baltimore – PLUS lucked out with accommodations (stayed with my Aunt Joyce). LOVE LOVE family!
Arrived in rain…and it would rain all day Saturday. Nothing you can do about the weather – just grin & make the best of the situation 🙂 Parked right beside the Washington Monument – score! Rain was relentless, kept pouring all day (luckily, monsoon weather kept lotta tourists away). Ultimately, decided to make it a Smithsonian [indoor] day.
Which Smithsonian? American History Museum of course (my minor in college). I’m a nerd that way.
Stalked cousin Denise at her workplace (hair salon owner in Leesburg VA), shared dinner with cousin Chuck & family (in Frederick MD), then settled into bed at my Aunt Joyce’s home (in Martinsburg WV). Yep, 3 states in 4 hours – let’s how I roll.
5 hours shuteye, ran my DC marathon – then hobbled 2 hours around the National Mall, before catching a return flight home to Colorado. Time challenged to fit in multiple Monuments (on my only sunny DC day), used Dulles [airport] for dinner & a much needed [restroom sink] splash bath. Not easy livin’ B-I-G with work week constraints (Monday morning’s gonna come around fast). LOL>
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- Washington Monument
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- rain day, Smithsonian day
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- Revolutionary gun boat
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- actual Star-Spangled Banner inside (no photos allowed)
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- closest I got to the actual White House (rainy day, long walk, been before)
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- stalked cousin Denise at her salon – LOVE LOVE my family!
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- Lincoln Memorial
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- our 16th President
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- National Mall
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- World War II Memorial
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- Jefferson Memorial
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- MLK Memorial
11:25pm – boarded my last red-eye flight ‘til August, when I travel to Kathmandu 🙂 Landed in Boston at 4:45am EDT, hour half later caught my connection to Washington-Dulles. Rental car pick-up, 30 minutes to Leesburg to see my Aunt Joyce – before the 2-hour trek south to Charlottesville, this weekend’s marathon destination.
IHOP breakfast, hot chocolate at Starbucks – think I talked out my dear Aunt. LOVE, LOVE time with family. 50 State Quest has been great for seeing family & friends in 2015 🙂
Late start to Charlottesville, compounded by heavy Good Friday traffic – lotta folks travelling home for Easter. Starting to feel sleep-deprived, channel surfed ‘til I locked on a local bluegrass station. Nothing spells Appalachia like bluegrass – FAAANNNTASTIC!
Bib pick-up in historic Court Square, 15 minutes further to today’s pre-race destination: Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
Thomas Jefferson has long been my favourite American President, expanding our shores from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean. Having always been enthralled with the American West, Jefferson best supports my present day life – commissioning the historic Lewis & Clark expedition, exploring modern day Colorado. Jefferson was a mega-mind, a thinker, an inventor, an agriculturist.
Entering iconic Monticello, one is immediately impressed with the dome architecture – first of its kind in Colonial America. Jefferson’s Grand Hall greeted visitors with exotic North American treasures – Native American art, buffalo hides, elk/bighorn/antelope/moose antlers, mastodon bones PLUS maps of all known continents (surveyed portions of Africa & the Americas).
Absolutely incredible all this existed in early America – before roads, before D.C. was built/created as our nation’s capitol. WOW!
Took the tour – Jefferson’s Book Room, his gardens, Parlor, Dining Room, bedchamber, wine cellar & Monticello Graveyard. What an amazing journey! Grounds closed at 7:30pm – yikes, time to go.
Quick shut eye, tomorrow will come soon enough. Marathon Day.
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- Look who I found in Virginia? My beautiful Aunt Joyce – LOVE time with family!
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- Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, Charlottesville VA
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- horticulturist: Jefferson grew 330 varieties of some 99 species of vegetables & herbs
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- wine cellar & French-style kitchen under Monticello (where pics were allowed)
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- everyone remarks of Monticello’s flowers; my best shot in early Spring on a rainy, overcast day
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- penned USA Declaration of Independence & expanded our borders West
bluegrass road-trippin’
