Traveling solo

Anyone who stops by here with any regularity knows I enjoy travel. Most of the time, I am accompanied by Wife, who not only is a good planner, but has a keen sense of direction. 

That is not one of my gifts. So, when we are traveling, I depend on her. 

Like so many, we rely on the GPS built into our phones. She also uses the one in her car. My car has one, but I have never used it. 

She and I are, of course, old enough to remember when we depended on maps. We even remember when gas stations had them. 

And I remember, when traveling with my family, how hard they were to refold after they had been unfolded. And as someone mildly anal-retentive, that just didn't work for me. I would fold and refold until it was back to its original configuration. 

We still love to look at maps and atlases. Before we go on a trip in the U.S., we'll look at the atlas to see where we're going. And often, I'll look at it again when we return home to look back at where I went. I'm odd like that. 

I think my affinity for maps is one of the reasons I so enjoyed the book "The Cartographers" last year, even though it has a fantastical element that is usually a turnoff for me. All the maps information piqued my interest.

But I digress. I started his post not to tell you about maps, but what I am doing this weekend. 

Tomorrow afternoon, I will drive to Springfield, Illinois, and Saturday I will visit the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. I have wanted to go for years, and with Wife otherwise occupied this weekend, I decided this would be a good time to do it.  It looks like it will take about 5.5. hours for me to drive there.  

I will be relying on my GPS to get there, and to get around once I arrive. I've glanced at a map, and I'm sure I will look at it again when I return to once again look back at where I went.  

I thought about asking a friend to go with me, but I decided it would not be fair to either the friend or me. I really enjoy museums, and, unlike many folks, I like to take my time and read the narratives that go along with the exhibits. The person going with me might not want to do that, and the both of us could end up frustrated. 

So, this is a solo trip, and I am 100 percent comfortable with that. I will take my time, meandering not only through the museum and library, but the streets of Springfield as well. I plan to walk around the neighborhood where the Lincoln home is located (apparently, the only home he ever owned), a nearby park and anything else I see that looks interesting. I don't know that I will have time to visit the state capitol, but I will at least go by it. 

I will drive home Sunday. It will be a short trip, and I would not want to be gone much longer than a weekend traveling on my own, but I am excited. Look for a report and pictures next week!