JP visits Cahokia Mounds with Amanda!!

JP and I had a wonderful time enjoying the beautiful weather at Cahokia Mounds. As we drove to the national historical site, where the Cahokia Mounds are located, JP stared in awe with his head out of the window at the huge mounds made by the Indian tribe. JP and I had to stop to catch our breath as we walked up the steep staircase that leads to the top of the highest mound. When we reached the pinnacle of the mound, it felt as if we had just finished climbing a tall mountain. From this vantage point, JP and I could see the vast plains of Illinois, and realized why this was such an attractive site for the tribes to settle in the first place. Total miles JP has traveled: 1447.10 Latitude Cahokia Mounds: 38.631000N Longitude Cahokia Mounds: 89.7844W

J.P visits Metropolis (with Lacey)

This week I took J.P. home to Metropolis with me. We took advantage of the beautiful weather and visited Fort Massac State Park and the Superman statue. Fort Massac State Park is located on the Ohio River and has a very rich history dating back to the Native Americans who took advantage of the land close to the river. It is said, that in 1540, Hernando De Soto built a fort at the site to protect the explorers from native attacks. Since then, several forts have been built at the site and have been used during several wars including the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and the Civil War. During the Revolutionary War, Colonel George Rogers Clark led his "Long Knives" regiment into Illinois at Massac Creek and was able to capture Kaskaskia, 100 miles to the north, and take the entire Illinois Territory for the State of Virginia and United States. There is a statue of George Rogers Clark in the park and J.P and I had our picture made with it. In 1908, Fort Massac was officially dedicated as Illinois' first state park. The forts at the park are now only replicas but J.P. and I had a great time exploring them.

After our visit at the park, we decided to go see the Superman statue, which is what attracts most tourists to my hometown. Although Superman is not based on my hometown, on June 9, 1972, it became known officially as "The Home of Superman". Each year in June there is a Superman Celebration which attracts hundreds of people from all over the country. At any given time you can drive by the statue and see tourists posing under it. Although I tried to talk him out of it, J.P. insisted we have our picture made with the statue and pose on the Superman and Supergirl cutouts.

I think J.P. really enjoyed his short visit to Metropolis. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We enjoyed the opportunity to spend time at the park that had such a significant role in American history.

Location: Metropolis, IL Latitude: 37.15N Longitude: 88.73 W

Miles traveled: 139

Total Miles: 1184.98

Toni and J.P. Go To Springfield!

J.P. and I traveled an exhausting 343.98 miles round trip to visit our state's capital, Springfield, IL. While we were there we had a fantastic time at the Illinois Reading Conference. We received a ton of free teaching materials! After taking a break at Cold Stone Creamery, we took a walk to the Old Capital Building. We have included a picture of us there for your enjoyment! We had such a great time in Springfield and are already planning our next road trip.

Total miles J.P. has traveled: 1045.98

Latitude Springfield IL: 39.78 degrees N
Longitude Sprinfield IL: 89.66 degrees W