The Backyard Tourist

My lastest trips

James K. Polk Home & Museum

James A. Garfield Memorial

The International Museum of Surgical Science: One of Chicago’s Most Fascinating Hidden Museums

The Last Stop on the Circuit: The Last Stop (Lincoln and Pig Statue)

What Makes a Town Worth the Drive? How Small Communities Use Themes to Build Tourism and Economic Development

Hidden Museums Worth the Drive in Illinois

The Tina Turner Museum in Brownsville, Tennessee: Honoring the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll Where Her Story Began

Every President, One Remarkable Collection: Why Grouseland Is a Must-Visit for Presidential History Buffs

William Henry Harrison’s Grouseland, Vincennes, Indiana

Illinois Before Springfield: Vandalia Statehouse State Historic Site

Where Illinois Began: Kaskaskia Bell State Memorial

Introducing My Five-Year Presidential Journey

Exploring the National Road Across the Prairie State

Where the Nation Held Its Breath: Illinois Old State Capitol

Chasing the Best Hamburgers in Illinois

Springfield — Walking in Lincoln’s Footsteps

Day 3: Springfield — Where Route 66 Meets Lincoln’s Legacy

Day 2: Bloomington to Springfield — Lincoln, Landscapes, and the Living Legacy of Route 66

One Tank Trip from Chicago: Route 66, Roadside Icons, and Small-Town Stories

Gold on the Mother Road: The Museum of the Gilding Arts in Pontiac, Illinois

Route 66-Pontiac, IL

The Obama Presidential Center

Discover Pontiac’s Hidden Gem: Livingston County War Museum

Brucemore Estate

The Pontiac Oakland Museum, Pontiac, IL

Explore the World’s Largest Toby Jar Collection

Explore the Historic U.S. Grant Highway in Illinois

Powerful Memorial Art: Above and Beyond Installation

Ziplining in La Salle County

The Oldest Grain Elevator along the I & M Canal