MO to WI Epic Road Trip - Part 2: Illinois, the Land of Lincoln

What adventures lay ahead as I crossed the land of Lincoln in Illinois? Tombs, Railsplitters and State Parks draw me in to visit before bidding me farewell as I headed into southern Wisconsin.   
Some pre-planning and some spontaneity guided my day driving from Springfield up to Madison on day two of my epic #roadtrip!

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First Stop, To  Pay Homage

As he remains such an icon in our nation's history, I had to visit Lincoln's Tomb State Historic Site and learn more about him in the process.

This area is very large and contains several different cemeteries including those of Revolutionary War patriots in addition to the National Historic Landmark I was there to take in.   I opted to park outside of the main parking area and just below the monument itself so that I could begin at the original vault that held President Abraham Lincoln's remains there.  You will also see educational signs and other markers

The temporary vault held the bodies of President Lincoln and his sons Edward and William from December 1865 until September of 1871, when they were moved to the partially completed tomb.  

It was sad to encounter yet another tax-payer-funded site closed by the government to taxpayers.  When they closed it, did they lower the amount of taxes required to be paid? But I digress...  Let's head under the monument on the tour.

Inside on the self-guided tour, photos are allowed and you can take advantage of grabbing a park stamp if you are a nerd like me!

You can even take a virtual tour of this memorial, check it out here.  

If you've visited, did you rub the Great Emancipator's nose for good luck (before it was closed down to visitors)?

What is a Railsplitter?

It's a covered wagon!  Yes, cheer and reflect on your favorite childhood memories of the Oregon Trail game living out your dreams out on the trail.  I hit the road heading north up I-55 only to encounter the World's Largest Railsplitter Covered Wagon just 30 miles up the road. Who knew?!  

The Railsplitter Covered Wagon, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest covered wagon in the world, is located on the front lawn of the Best Western Lincoln Inn, near historic Route 66. A statue of Abe Lincoln reading a law book sits in the huge wooden wagon, which stands 24 feet tall."  Source: EnjoyIllinois.com
In case this chance encounter with 24 foot tall President Lincoln wasn't great enough, it happened to be the weekend of the National Railsplitting Festival in that very town!  #SayYesToAdventure 






The festival was on the grounds of the Postville Court House Site and was a lovely event complete with period piece costumes, demonstrations of wood carving, ax throwing, and much more!

Do you love small town and community festivals as I do?  They are the best!

   
Time to Hike 

Another 90 minutes up the road and it was time to stretch my legs and explore the vast Starved Rock State Park, a National Historic Landmark, and voted the #1 Attraction in the State of Illinois!

You can grab maps of the hiking trails in advance of your visit to make sure you find the best ones for your adventure here.  I enjoyed the walk up to the sandstone butte that is Starved Rock, then the Starved Rock to French Canyon Trail.  


I am sure that the French Canyon is beautiful when the waters are running, but I found it so breathtaking to walk in the empty streambed and stand below where seasonal waters would have been falling.

God's creation always takes my breath away, especially when I discover little gems like this.
#GodIsGood #AllTheTime

So much adventure in the land of Lincoln in just one day!  Now, time to end my adventure day as a foodie of course.

Welcome to Wisconsin

Y'all know I wasn't heading into Madison, Wisconsin without dreaming of Old Fashioneds and cheese curds!  Such a tough call when you only have one night to dine!  The Old Fashioned or Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.?  

I caught the Fitchburg location of the Great Dane since I was on the south side of town heading to Verona.  The last time I was in Madison, I was at the Capitol Square visiting The Old Fashioned on our 2020 Nebraska, S. Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois road trip with my friend Jeanmarie!


Cheese curds to end the day... the yummiest!

We have such fun together my friend!  I can't wait for you to check out Part 3 of this adventure coming soon.

Did you catch Part 1 of this epic travel series?
 
 Jump over there now and see what all the Springfields were about...



Information courtesy of Echo Schneider

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What is your dream? A Labor Day reflection
The Art of Homemade and DIY Gift Giving in Your Adventure Life

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Meet Echo Schneider, Chief Adventure Officer

 
Overworked, burned out, and with waning loyalty to an industry that had lost its way and was no longer true to itself.  Of course, career burnout was at an all-time high in my sector and amongst the worst in any field.  It wasn’t all even just about work, though my perfectionism often got the best of me there more than other parts of my life.  I look back and see that I was overwhelmed and questioning so many areas of my life.  Was I doing the right things? From diet to products I bought, from how I was involved in the community to time I was spending with family, and from how I was walking out my faith and showing up in a meaningful way to my world. In this craziness is where I found myself.
 
Healthcare (watch my fingers make air quotes as I say that word and use the term loosely at best) in the US had long been bought and paid for and was no longer masking their symptom management and disease maintenance focus.  It had lost its focus on health; they could give you a pill or cut you open.  But to nurture your health and foster your body’s God-given ability to heal itself, they no longer knew how to do that.  Or worse, no longer desired to be in the business of prevention and healing.
 
As so many professional people were doing in the modern economy, we, as healthcare professionals, we’re doing more with less.  Mandatory overtime, poor ergonomics, and complete lack of an environment to practice self-care were the norm.  And to make it worse?  Because of our specific industry, we added in a loss of our medical freedoms just to stay and do our jobs.  The days of job security were long gone, and I watched in fear as friends and colleagues in sectors across the board were being laid off just to help top leaders move the stock up for shareholders.  How terrifying that this could be the reward for lifelong dedication and hard work!
 
At home, it didn't feel much better.  I fought to find a non-existent work-life balance and to be present while feeling exhausted (have you ever come home from work to fall asleep on the couch and finally be awoken when your Mom calls? Tell me this isn’t just me!).  I was disappointed in myself seeing my self-care fall away, time with friends and family slipping by, and I wasn’t spending the time I wanted serving with my church family or in my community.  
 
Add to that the confusion and frustration of what should have been simple daily choices.  What foods should I be eating? Is this trendy thing something I should try?  Wait, is the product good or bad, I paid more for it, but I feel like I saw an article on them that there was a recall or they were green-washing.  So frustrating and such a time-suck trying to keep up and have the health and abundance our family deserved!  I felt like at every turn that I was running to keep up and felt like I ultimately just found more of the same lies in the name of profits, and more ways my health was ultimately paying the price, yet again.
 
How could anyone thrive in this culture when even those who were well educated and seeking out something better faced with such daunting challenges?  I know, first-world problems, but I longed to create something more, a legacy for myself and others.  To break generational chains and I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it stuck in this rat-race.
 
Set the stage for that something.  I have, for so much of my life, been interested in learning, growing, and being a student of personal development.  From an investment with top leadership development companies through their programs for years to Law of Attraction to Conscious Language and so many others, I was finding the mentorship and teaching I needed to make the changes I so desperately desired.  
 
There wasn’t an overnight shift or an immediate awareness to change, but I began to find my path slowly and as a result, was investing myself in new ways.  I was raised by a wise and visionary Mother who had shown me what it was to be an entrepreneur.  I always admired that title and was drawn to it in many ways.  As I dabbled in businesses from my youth through college and beyond, I was picking up pieces of freedom and a stage where I could work for myself to create something new.  
 
As the years went on, I kept pushing myself in that path.  I was helping others, and I was welcoming a team of like-minded friends and family to come with me.  This was possible; we were doing it!  It wasn’t easy, we were doing a side-hustle while still being full-time professionals and wives and Mothers, but we were doing it none the less.

I'm so excited to have found a platform to speak truth. To show up for others in "true health" in ways that I didn’t know could exist when I started down this path.  But I know now that we don't have to settle any longer.  Any of us, friends!  It's time to live the great adventure that you were made for.
 
Now it’s time to move beyond business beyond vocation.  Now we are building a blessing.  That has so many meanings, one being the definition of “a herd of unicorns,” in case you didn’t know.  I was given the title of ‘unicorn’ from a dear friend when she came to know me and saw what I was capable of achieving.  And now it’s my turn to see that light in you.  Join me, and together, we can create a community and movement with a vision to change it all.
 
I don't care what your background is.  What education you received growing up in business, finances, or medicine.  Those things don't matter.  We are walking a new path to freedom in all areas of our lives.
 
I'm writing a new future and destiny for myself and my family, and I won't journey alone.  A mentor taught me to carry the confidence that God has called me to rise, but I will not rise alone.
 
I'm reaching out my hand to you (don't worry, I recently used a plant-based hand sanitizer) so that you are not alone; we will do this together!  
 
You are so worthy.  
 
Your family and your dreams are worth it.  
 
Together we can do this, but you must take the first step. ðŸ‘Š

I can't wait to connect with you via text, email, or on social media!

Contact

Adventures 4 #RealLife ~ Echo Alexzander
Echo Schneider

Highlandville, MO 65669
USA
Phone: 2082415018
Email: echo.schneider@gmail.com

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