Destination: Springfield-Decatur
The Lincoln Home National Historic site is just blocks from the Illinois State Capitol, which is also well worth a visit. The home, the only one he ever owned, is run by the National Park Service. Tours are free, and include a collection of homes in a small section of town reconstructed to replicate life in the mid 1800s.
Lincoln's tomb, which is also the final resting place of Mary Todd Lincoln and three of their four sons, is located in Oak Ridge Cemetery and is open daily from March to October from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum could easily occupy history buffs for a full day and offers a historic experience for every visitor. Admission to the museum is also free.
Springfield lies on the early section of the famous Route 66, running over 2,000 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Today, you can drive along all but 11 miles of the original Route 66 from Chicago to Springfield, taking in many of the same landmarks and roadside stops as John Dillinger, Al Capone, and Bugs Moran.
Aside from Scovill Zoo in Decatur, however, your best bet might be to spend your off-course hours in Springfield.
Visitors dining out in Decatur would have the best luck at The Wagon for comfort food, and The Bakery for breakfast. In Springfield, Maldaner's has been downtown since 1884, and the funky Cafe Brio is probably the most exciting restaurant in town.
Golf courses in Springfield include the 1968 Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Rail Golf Club (former home of the LPGA State Farm Classic) and Piper Glen, along with four municipal tracks.
It is in Decatur, however, where golfers discover some of the finest municipal golf in the nation, including the Raymond Floyd-designed Red Tail Run Golf Club, the crown jewel of the city park courses. Also worth a visit are Hickory Point (a regular Future's Tour stop) and Scovill Golf Club.
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