Tag Archives: #Road Trip

2022 Road Trip Part 11A

7 Dec

A Slice of Life

Bill Lites

Day 11 (5/26/2022)

This morning, after a good breakfast, I went looking for the Frasca Air Museum which is located adjacent to the Frasca Field there in Urbana, IL.  I found the hanger where the museum is, but it was closed.  So, I headed east 30 miles on I-74 to visit the Vermillion County War Museum located in Danville, IL.  This museum is situated in the old 1904 Carnegie Library building and contains over 25,000 military photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia dating from the Revolutionary War to the present.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now it was just a few miles north of Danville to where I wanted to visit the ILLINI Glider Club located at the Vermillion Regional Airport.  I had been given a wonderful glider ride with  a friend a few years ago, and since it was a good morning for glider flying, I thought I might get to see a few flying.  But there were no gliders on the field and none in the sky.  Bummer!

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

So, I just headed east 50 miles on I-74, across the border, to visit the Linden Railroad Museum located in Linden, IN.  This small museum is situated in the original old restored 1852 Albany & Salem Railroad Depot that was move to this location in 1881.  The depot served the Nickle Plate Railroad and the CI&L Railroad until 1973.  The museum has a very nice display of antique railroad artifacts and memorabilia dating from the early 1800s.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

This museum also has several pieces of restored rolling stock, which includes a very old 1837 Norris 4-2-0 Steam Engine, coal car, and open passenger car.  In another building there are model railroad layouts.  A very impressive museum to visit!

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed north 15 miles on US-231 to visit the Tippecanoe County Courthouse located in Lafayette, IN.  This magnificent structure was the third Tippecanoe County Courthouse built in 1884 to replace the second 1845 courthouse which replaced the first 1829 courthouse.  It has served Tippecanoe County for going on 138 years and looks as though it could last for another 100 years at least.  There was no museum located in the courthouse, as I had expected to see, so, I took this photo and was on my way.

Next it was northeast 40 miles on SR-25 to check out the Dentzel Carousel located in Logansport, IN.  This is another of the beautiful Dentzel Carousels that grace our country and provide entertainment for young and old alike.  This particular carousel was built in the late 1800s by the famous carousel maker, Gustav A. Dentzel, and was brought to Logansport in 1949.  It is located adjacent to the Riverside Park there in Logansport and hosts many event days throughout the year, including Carousel Fun Day.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

Now I headed east 15 miles on US-24 to visit the Grissom Air Museum located in Peru, IN.  I visited this museum on one of my past road trips and it is one of my favorite aviation museums.  The museum has an impressive outdoor static display of 27 restored aircraft dating from WWII to the present. The indoor portion of the museum displays many artifacts and memorabilia covering the life and achievements of Gus Grissom.

Photo Credit: Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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2022 Road Trip-Part 8A

26 Oct

A Slice of LIfe

Bill Lites

Day 8 (5/23/2022)

After breakfast this morning, I headed northwest 35 miles on US-68 to visit the old McCracken County Jail Museum located in Paducah, KY.  As it turned out, I forgot to add the word ‘Museum’ to my search, and I ended up at the ‘New’ McCracken County Jail.  No museum there!  I realized my mistake and drove just a few blocks to where I intended to visit the Paducah Railroad Museum, but it was closed.  So, as I was heading for the River Heritage Museum, I passed the old William Clark Farmers Market House entrance and stopped to take a photo.  This historic building, in the middle of Paducah was built around 1827, when the city was platted by William Clark, and was the city’s farmers market and gathering place for many years.

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

When I arrived at the River Heritage Museum, I discovered, it is a small museum located on the banks of the Ohio River that displays artifacts and memorabilia used to help educate and preserve the history of America’s river systems.  I have to admit that I have never been an avid American river history student, and really couldn’t tell you what rivers run thru what states. This museum was quite an education.

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

Just around the corner, I stopped to check out The National Quilt Museum there in Paducah.  This museum has three galleries which display some 600+ fiber art quilts from local artists as well as those from around the world.  The museum is also unique in that it provides workshop classes for fiber art students for all ages of children and adults.  Quite an interesting and beautiful display!

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

Leaving Paducah, I headed northwest, along the Ohio River for a while, on SR-306, picked up I-24, and crossed the Ohio River (border) into Illinois.  Then it was northwest another 70 miles on I-24 to visit the General John A. Logan Museum located in Murphysboro, IL.  This small museum is situated in the original house built by Tom Logan in 1885, and is filled with artifacts and memorabilia covering the life and times of General John A. Logan (1826-1886).  The General (at his wife Mary’s suggestion) was instrumental in the creation of our Memorial Day holiday (originally known as Decoration Day).  A mister Christopher C. Buller purchased the house in 1890, where he and his wife, Anna, raised 15 children.  In 1908 General Logan’s wife, Mary Logan, turned their ‘Calumet Place’ home in Washington, D.C. into a museum honoring the general, and later she donated the general’s furnishings to this museum.

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

Now I headed north 30 miles on SR-13 to visit the Old Perry County Jail Museum located in Pinckneyville, IL.  This museum is housed in the original 1871 Perry County Jail, which replaced the 1833 Perry County Jail, and served as the only correctional facility in Perry County until 1987 when it was replaced by a new jail facility.  The museum displays prison artifacts and memorabilia describing prison life as it was in the 19th and 20thcenturies in southern Illinois.

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

Next, I headed west 40 miles on SR-154 (a little out of my way) to visit the Spinach Can Collectables & Popeye Museum located on the banks of the Mississippi River in Chester, IL (birthplace of Elzie Segar, the creator of the ‘Popeye’ comic character).    This small store-front shop and museum sells and displays a large assortment of ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ antique artifacts (some not for sale) and collectables.  The museum also hosts the annual ‘Popeye Festival’ held there in Chester each July.  Popeye was my hero as a youngster!

Photo Credit; Bill Lites

—–To Be Continued—–

Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 65 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing.  He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville.  Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.

One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is:  John 10:10

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