During my family’s midwest road trip, we stopped in Springfield, Illinois to visit my great aunt and the area where my mom was born. It was interesting for family reasons, but not much else stands out in my mind other than the wide open spaces of prairie and farm lands, thus the name The Prairie State.
Chicago, Illinois
I returned to Chicago, Illinois as an adult on a business trip. I didn’t have a lot of time, but I enjoyed an architectural tour by boat where I learned about the Chicago Fire of 1871 and the impact it has had on the city and I saw the enormous Lake Michigan.
I recognize there is so much more to see in Illinois and hope that one day I can return.
Madison, Indiana
As that first midwest road trip continued, we stoped to visit my great uncle in Indiana. He was a veterinarian who lived on a farm. He had goats that demonstrated that the grass is greener on the other side by eating outside of their fenced area. We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Madison, Indiana, in what seemed like a very traditional small midwest town. We also visited the Hill Forest Mansion.
The house is an old Victorian, located on the banks of the Ohio River, not too far from Cincinnati. The owners were the Gaff brothers and during the Civil War they owned a steamboat that was commandeered by the Union Army. Indiana is The Hoosier State and although there are many explanations why, none are universally accepted.
