Bit of a sleep-in this morning as we didn't have to be on the road until 9am.
Heading south from Kalona we are still on that flat prarire that Illinois mostly consists of. Well prarire and rivers that is.
First stop Galesburg Il where we visited the charming Hawthorne Centre Craft and Antique Mall. Housed in one of the many buildings that were once a military hospital, then a university, one half of the complex of mostly locally handmade crafts and the other antiques and collectables. We were welcomed with lovely signs on the windows.
How I would like a limitless baggage allowance. When we left the centre the Lovely folks gave us each a tote filled with goodies advertising the local area. Katie & George, who have been married 61 years, have owned the centre for over 30 years.
Jimmy Johns was our stop to get fresh sandwiches for lunch, The Innkeeper for a take-out coffee and we were on the road for Peoria.
Peoria is the headquarters for Caterpillar Equipment. Unfortunately their visitor centre is closed on Sundays so we made the most of the Riverside Museum. Perfect for most of us as the featured exhibit at present is STUFF 'The Art of Collecting'. As though any of us need help with that.
Some of the collections exhibited are owned by the museum, but most are loaned by the local community. Minerals and gems collected by Mr La Fayette - an international expert, are vast, extensive, large. Get the idea?
The Christmas Tree collection is a private collection of Star Wars Christmas Decorations.
This charming group is Ty Beanie Babies.
These trading cards are all sewing related - from thread or needle companies etc.
The lady that inspired this exhibition jogs and noticed pieces of broken bicycle reflectors on the sidewalks, so started picking them up. now they are a work of art. The frame in the lower half of this photo is wristbands issued for special events at the museum that one of the members has gathered together and has used to recreate the logo of the museum.
This is old Peoria.
The interactive section of the museum is for kids of all ages. Our youngest kids on tour are forty-something, but most of us joined in playing with the challenge activities. This is like those nail things that you can press a shape into and create an image. One of these is my face, complete with glasses and the other......... Well, it's two of the forty-somethings!
Bucketing down with rain as we head south to Springfield Illinois where we will be staying for the next two nights.
Don't forget, we'd love to hear your comments.
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