Saturday, February 23, 2013

Springfield Illinois Redux-- Visit Springfield!

This is not your father's Springfield anymore.  I wanted to put in more plugs for a visit to Springfield Illinois--our much maligned state capital--and encourage lovers of antiques vintage and history to put it back on their radar.

There is a very easy way to make this trip from the Chicago area--take the Amtrak from Union Station that drops you off right in the historic district.  We drove this trip--but another time I would consider the train.  We stayed at the President Abraham Lincoln hotel and were able to walk to everything we wanted to see--including the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library.

This museum is a real winner  Get out of your head your idea of museums with acres of glass cases covered in nose goo and school children finger prints.  This place is light and bright and creative--with dioramas (no not like the dusty ones at the state museum) and full of life sized figures and holigrams and creative "you are there" sets.

Eating was great.  Cafe Moxo on Adams serves a fabulous lunch--you order at a counter and the offerings are fresh and creative.  We had homemade cream of tomato soup and two different salads--creative greens, nuts and fruit for Dear Husbola and for me a light vinaigrette over multiple veggies. It included a side--so one wate for one and one hub cap sized warm chocolate chip cookie for the other and we were ready for the afternoon.

Another morning while Dear Husbola was in meetings, I walked to Incredibly Delicious at 925 S. 7th Street.  It is a house in the old aristocratic district that has been converted to restuarant and bakery.  And oh what a bakery.  FRENCH to the bone.  Delicious bakery of all kinds--croissants and their daily changing individual quiches are the stuff of dreams.  Brightly natural lite rooms and french and gourmet magazines will occupy you after you order at the counter and wait for your treats.

Antique shopping?  Not so much.  Or at least we did not do any since we were too busy sightseeing and eating.

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