Maid-Rite: First Drive-Thru in the United States (Springfield, IL)

After my visit to the Lincoln Home Historic Site, it was time for lunch. And in fitting fashion, I set my sights on a local eat on Route 66 with a historical significance to the United States and drive-thru restaurants everywhere.

Lincoln Home National Historic Site (Springfield, IL)

It seems that my blog posts are just one trip recap after another. Take a few life changes that involve picking up stakes from Ohio and a 40-hour cross-country car drive and I get a chance to see a few interesting destinations on the way back home to Southern California.

As part of my exodus out of the Midwest, I stopped in Peoria to see a friend with the intention of continuing south, catching Interstate 40, and shooting across the southern part of the country to avoid as much of the snow and ridiculously cold weather of the winter storms as possible.

By just pure calendar timing, I passed through Springfield, IL on the way to St. Louis, MO on the day before Abraham Lincoln's birthday. My original plan was to go visit Lincoln's Tomb, but since it was under renovation and cleanup until the beginning of April, I took a detour and decided to go to Lincoln's House instead.

Springfield is a major city on the original US Route 66. To find Lincoln's house, all one must do is follow the signs.

The Two-Wheeled Tourist is back home with a vengeance.

I was once told by a very skeptical person that when I left California in 2009 to take a chance, start a new life in Ohio, and explore new roads that once I left the Golden State that I would never return.

I say to this person and those who believed the same thing, talk to the hand because the face isn't listening. And while I'm at it, I still got a finger that works.

The 2013 SoCal Holiday Excursion Recap: Flight Delays and Bonus Footage

**This is a recap of my vacation back to Southern California from 12/28/13-1/9/14.**

When I last left this recap, I found myself with a few extra days at home thanks to the first of what is now several winter storms that have hit the Midwest this year. I didn't mind it at all, but my [now former] boss had an issue about the delays and questioned the validity of my flight cancellations to the point that it was stressing me out. Then again, what could I do about flights that I couldn't take? As I stood outside in 59 degrees while tending to a barbecue and overlooking the mystic glow of the Los Angeles skyline, I realized that there were far better things to think about, like how I would be able to finally pick up stakes and leave Ohio once and for all.

The 2013 SoCal Holiday Excursion Recap: Part 6

**This is a recap of my vacation back to Southern California from 12/28/13-1/9/14.**

I had to make my last day on the motorcycle on this vacation count.

I joined my old friends at the Orange County Spirit Riders for lunch in Wilimington, near the Port of Los Angeles, at a floating restaurant known as the Chowder Barge. Their food definitely didn't disappoint. I went with fried clams and their signature clam chowder. Just tasty. I'm coming back here again sometime.