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Central Illinois

Days of cheap gas, no TV, Abraham Lincoln and The Hippie Memorial: The Road Trip hits Springfield and Central Illinois.

View "Wild" Video Outakes

Join Ben in the Capitol City as he visits the legendary gas pumper and service station historian Bill Shea for a tour of his Route 66 museum.

After that, it's the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum like you've never seen it before.  (Prepare to have your mind blown.) 

Finally, Ben heads east for the quaint towns of Arcola and Arthur in the heart of the Illinois' Amish community.  Witness a simpler way of life as Ben winds down at The Flower Patch B&B before exploring the Amish back roads with local authority Theresa Binion, plus a little furniture shopping along the way. Oh, and what IS that Hippie Memorial doing in the middle of town?

Shea's (Route 66 Gas Station Museum)
2075 Peoria Rd.
(217) 522-0475

If only the prices on Bill's decades old pumps were still good.  No matter.  Poker-faced octogenarian Bill Shea will give you more than your money's worth in laughs, wisdom and appreciation for days gone by.  Clean bathroom too. Read more in Ben's Blog.

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
212 North Sixth Street
Springfield, IL 62701
(800) 610-2094 or (217) 782-5764


Emancipate yourself from any old ideas you may have had about historical museums -- this place rocks!  State Historian Tom Schwartz' commentary illuminates the life and times of Honest Abe in a way that tickles the funny bone and breaks your heart.  Required attendance for all lovers of freedom. Read more in Ben's Blog.

Amish Country around  Arcola and Arthur, IL
Arcola Chamber of Commerce
(Hippie Memorial info)
1-800-336-5456

Illinois Amish Interpretive Center
111 S. Locust Street
Arcola, IL  61910
800-888-45-AMISH or 217-268-3599

Flower Patch Bed And Breakfast
225 E. Jefferson St.
Arcola, IL 61910
(217)268-4876

Arthur Visitors Bureau
106 E Progress St
Arthur, IL 6191
(217) 543-2242

If you've ever considered trading your hectic lifestyle for something simpler, come visit Arthur and Arcola and learn a thing or two from these folks - the Illinois Amish.  As is frequently the case on the Road Trip, we barely scratched the surface of all you can see and do here.  (The Raggedy Ann Museum and Rockome Gardens for starters next time.)  We crashed at the Flower Patch Bed and Breakfast and had the most amazing meal before tackling the sights.  The Amish love to eat!  And there is a ton of shopping to be done too: antiques, crafts, hand made furniture, gourmet foods and those fabulous quilts.  Sorry, the Hippie Memorial is not for sale. 
Read more in Ben's Blog.

   

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

Amish Country

       
 
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