Perrin drops by the Land of Lincoln

Perrin made her journey from the city that never sleeps to our sleepy, little town in the Midwest. We weren't the only ones who had been anticipating her visit. A sweet little mouse named Saylor, from Petit Bonbon was just finishing up his visit with our family.

Perrin and Saylor spent the evening relaxing and enjoying each other's company.

G was delighted to have two new friends in the house

Once Perrin was rested we decided to show her around our fine county. Perrin was very interested in visiting Amish country. Lucky for her, one of the oldest and largest Amish communities in Illinois, is a few miles down the road. The first Amish family settled in this area in 1865 and today there are approximately 4000 members. We took a driving tour of the homes, locally-owned shops, and farm ground. Perrin enjoyed seeing the horse and buggies, hand-crafted furniture and especially the homemade fudge and cheese.

After checking out the unique sculptures at Rockome Gardens (which is actually closed until May), Perrin agreed to go and check out one of the local folklore sites; a haunted grave. Legend has it that in the early 1900s a woman was found dead in a farmer's field, after being accused of witchcraft. She was known to speak out and challenge the Amish way of life...believing that the women were being mistreated in the local Amish community. Believing her a witch and afraid of what she may do in death, the town planted an oak tree over her grave in an attempt to keep her spirit trapped underground. If you visit today, as we did, the marker no longer shows a name or date, but the iron gate still stands around the tree and grave.

Chesterville Cemetery - we didn't see any ghosts

"Outhouses were once an important part of everyday life and their historical contribution should be recorded for prosperity" - a note at the historical site

We decided to lighten up the visit with a stop by one of the more silly sights in the area, the famous Two-Story Outhouse. You might not believe it, but this is  actually a legitimate historical site, with a fancy sign and everything! Built in 1872, this delightful potty allowed two people to "do their business." Don't worry the person on bottom is still safe, as the design is one person on the right, other on the left. Perrin and Max (Our little DFH boy), had lots of fun going back in time! We all decided we prefer our modern plumbing.

The week was drawing to an end, and we had one more gem to show Perrin before she made her journey across the country. This is one of our favorites and we really hoped she would enjoy it as much as we do...and we know you can't wait to see what we have in store for her!! There are only three in the world. It was built in 1998. It is thought to be the tallest of the three. What is it? Locally known as "The Tower of Baa, " it is one of the world's rarities, a goat tower! Goats love to climb and who wouldn't want to give your beloved goats what they desire? The great part about this tower is that you get to drive by it on your way to one of the local beach access areas. Perrin was impressed!! Success!

We loved having Perrin this past week and hope that she enjoyed her little tour of central Illinois. Lots of fun memories were made during the visit. We wish you happy travels Perrin and we can't wait to read about your next stop on this great journey!

G showing Perrin her favorite park, the "Purple" park