Day Three

We decided to forgo the Amish cheese as it would have kept us from moving in the direction of our real desires in the west. We broke our blue highway rule to make tracks on 90 W and tonight finds us about 500 miles west in North Utica, Illinois' KOA campground where we hope to dry out the tents...if it doesn't rain again tonight! We blew through the rest of Ohio,,,

and Indiana (stopping only to eat and grab this photo (murals are big in this area).

But the big story was James Garfield's home just down the street from where we stayed last night. We visited it this morning. What a beautiful house and what an amazing man. We really had no idea. His wife was quite impressive as well. By the time of his death at 49, he had been a teacher, college principle, minister, state legislator, lawyer, civil war general, congressman, US senator elect and president of the United States. Sine he was shot just 4 months after his election and died 80 days later, he may have been the best president we never had. As is usually the case, the man who shot him was unbalanced (ok, nuts) and was angry that Garfield had not considered him for a government job. Here are some of the highlights from the house, which his wife doubled in size after the president died in her efforts to preserve his work and his memory, which she did very well.

We were blown away by the woodwork and the architecture. This fireplace is decorated with tiles hand painted by Mrs. Garfield and her five (surviving) children. The eldest and the last born died very young.

This stairway is magnificent. I'm going to see if Pete can put one just like it in our house when we get back.

These shots are from our favorite room, the memorial library Mrs. Garfield had built. The cabinet behind Garfield's desk actually closes to become "portable." Our guide likened it to the laptop of his day.

Last but not least, Garfield's study. I LOVE this chair!

So, that's your history lesson for today. We learn, you learn! Tomorrow, it's Wisconsin and guess what? Cheese!!