ISLE ROYALE trip
Aug. 27-30 2015
PART 6
We ramp from I-380 onto I-80 in Coralville, Iowa. This is where the Tea Party tried to take over the city government and got laughed out of town for it. One candidate said getting endorsed by the Tea Party was "kind of like getting endorsed by Charles Manson."
These faces along I-80 near Iowa City were an art project. At first I thought they were politicians, but there was no political or commercial message intended by these faces.
Downey Street in West Branch, Iowa, becomes 1st Street straight ahead.
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum lurks in Hoover's hometown of West Branch. As one of my high school pals used to say, "Buy a Hoover, Mr. Hooper."
North on the old Downey Street. It appears to be preserved as it was in Hoover's day.
I'm pretty sure this is south on the old Downey.
As we cross the Mississippi River from Iowa to Illinois on I-80 east of Davenport, Iowa, we see this dam downstream.
Entering Illinois on I-80. It's called the Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge and opened in 1966.
I-80 becomes I-74, as I-80 loops to another roadway.
On I-74 approaching Peoria, that I-474 shield is starting to suffer sine rot. It's interesting they'd tell us to take the bypass to continue to Indianapolis. We timed this route during my 1987 Iowa trip and found I-74 through the city to be equally quick - and therefore better, since going through town is the tiebreaker.
We needed a video on I-74 east through Peoria. A lot of people want stuff, but they don't need it. We needed this, because we didn't have one yet. And you're gonna watch the whole thing! "No I'm not," says a wimpy voice off in the distance. Oh yes you are! (To watch this video using Edge, you may have to watch on YouTube. Edge blocks it as an embedded clip, because there's music in the background. However, Firefox does not.)
On I-74 in East Peoria, I couldn't resist catching that hilarious billboard!
Illinois has a lot of Interstates. The state has a big congressional delegation, but they had to spread Interstate funds to more rural areas. Hence I-155. This is near Hopedale, Ill. The truss bridge is on the old IL 121 over the Mackinaw River.
Cook Street in Springfield, Ill. Choose a trauma leader? I bet a lot of people need a trauma leader because of accidents caused by being distracted by that billboard!
Cook Street goes under this rail line.
Another rail bridge over Cook Street, as the road approaches downtown Springfield.
Second Street in Springfield.
Bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln in front of the Illinois State Capitol.
A typical view of downtown Springfield, with the Hilton Springfield hovering atop thereon.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. This is run by a state agency and is not a part of the National Archives' system of presidential libraries. The facility was dedicated in 2005 and reminds me of the Museum-Go-Round on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
Indiana!!! Can you believe that??? Some people think there's nothing interesting in Indiana that I haven't already covered, but we Roads Scholars know better! This photo is Southeastern Avenue in Indianapolis, which is significant in that it used to be US 421, the older IN 29, and the much older Michigan Road that spans Indiana.