2023 Road Trip: The National Road: Illinois and Indiana (5/29/2023)

Monday, May 29, 2023

On 5/13/2021 we visited Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, but did not climb Monks Mound. Since we would be passing by, we decided to finish our tour of Cahokia Mounds, and climb this last site.

Monks Mound is the largest pre-Columbian earthwork
in the Americas at 100'/30 m high, 955'/291 m long,
and 775'/236 m wide (as seen from the parking lot)

Our first series of steps: the mound was constructed almost
entirely of layers of basket-transported soil and clay,
about 900-950 CE by the Mississippian culture and
completed around 1100 CE

Heading across to the next series of steps,
for a total of 154; several people were repeatedly
climbing the steps for  exercise, one fellow was
even carrying a 40-pound weight in each hand!

Reaching the top, we could see for miles ...

... hey, we can see the Gateway Arch in St Louis

The top terrace would have had a building from which
the paramount chief ruled, and where important rituals
and ceremonies were held

Looking south towards other mounds

Looking east down where our car is parked

Now we were on the National Old Trails Road again. Route 66 followed that route from about Albuquerque, NM to its original end in Los Angeles. From Vandalia, IL into the state of Pennsylvania, it would be The National Road, essentially along the route of I-70.

Kaskaskia Dragon and Knight (1995,
moved closer to the highway in 2001) in
Vadalia, IL (a Roadside America attraction)

For $1 you purchase a token to make the
dragon breathe fire (KSS)

You are warned to have your camera ready, as
the fire-breathing does not last long (KSS)

Vandalia Statehouse (1836); Vandalia was the second
city to be capital of Illinois, and this was the third
statehouse in Vandalia (until 1939 when the capital
moved to Springfield, IL)

Madonna of the Trail (1928, by
August Leimbach) was one of 12
monuments, one placed in each state along
the route of the Old National Trails Road

We have already seen the Madonnas in Bethesda, MD, Albuquerque, NM, and Upland, CA.

Across the street from the statehouse
was Lincoln Park (2001); Abraham Lincoln
served in the General Assembly at the
statehouse beginning in 1834

Sitting with Lincoln (2001, by John McClarey),
note that this is a young Lincoln

Larry "The Legend" Bird (2013,
by Bill Wolfe) honors the lifetime achievements
of Indiana State alumnus Larry Bird, both
at Indiana State University and in the NBA

We had an overnight visit with David and Adienne R in Spencer, IN.

A small part of the property where David and Adienne
grow just about everything they need to eat, with just
about every kind of fruit tree, several kinds of berries,
potatoes and a wide variety of vegetables, plus
medicinal herbs, and some flowers

They also are raising turkeys and chickens (mostly for eggs), and they used to have goats. They are still adding to their list of crops, when most of us are slowing down! Nevermind that they are also active volunteering in their community!

We are very grateful for their feeding and bedding us, and spending some time with us out of their busy lives.

Adienne & David R (5/30/2023) (KSS)

Next: The Westcott House.