George and James Take a Walk

Name: James
Miles from Wham: 2.75 Miles
Coordinates: 37.730548"N, -89.227795"W
Total Mileage on the dog: 2131.95 Miles


People looked at us strange as James carried me down North Oakland Avenue toward a foreboding gray concrete building. If I had walked myself it would have taken me nearly an hour to get there, but there are a lot of mean stray dogs in this neighborhood so James offered to carry me. He showed me the old Illinois National Guard Armory. It was built many years ago by the CCC, but over the past handful of years it has sat dormant. It was recently put on bid by the city of Carbondale and was purchased for various business purposes. I enjoyed the architecture and unique design of the building. I can say that it is certainly not something you see everyday.

Teddy and Sarah visit Giant City State Park!

On April 29th 2014, I traveled to Giant City State Park with Sarah! We left the Wham building on the SIU campus and traveled to explore the beauty within Giant City. We spent the afternoon walking Hiking Trial 1. Giant City was named a state part in 1927 when Illinois acquired more than 1,100 acres of land in Union and Jackson counties. As we walked the trial, we saw many different types of animals. I especially liked the squirrels. I really wanted to chase them, but Sarah told me I couldn't do that! I was so disappointed.  We also climbed a huge rock! We later learned that these huge rocks were formed of sandstone that have been shaped by many many years of weathering and geological faulting. We also saw many plants beginning to bloom and grow! There was a ton of moss that grew over the larger rocks that surrounded the trial we walked through.




When we finished out hike, I was exhausted! Sarah took a picture of me all sprawled out on the ground! I was so tired from all the hills and rocks that we climbed! After we caught our breath, Sarah and I ate a snack that we packed before we left! Our snack consisted of apples and a granola bar! As we were eating our snack, we discovered that settlers who first moved into this area cultivated fruit trees! How cool would it be to have your own fruit tree! After we finished our snack, it was starting to get dark, so we decided it was time to go home. I had a really great time visiting Giant City State Park. I want to go back again and explore the four other trails that they have to offer. I also want to go rock climbing and horseback riding! I can't wait for my next visit to Giant City State Park!

http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/parks/r5/gc.htm

Coordinates 37.6050* N, 89.1883* W
Miles Traveled 12.1
Total Miles Traveled: 6073.83

Brady & George venture to Marion, IL.

I had the honor of traveling to Marion, IL over Easter weekend with my awesome friend Brady! On my visit Brady took me to the historic town square in Marion, IL and while we were there we were able to observe the towering clock tower in the middle of the square. On the square there are many historic buildings that give the square that "old, yet elegant" look. The Marion Cultural and Civic Center can be found on the square as well. It used to be named the Orpheum Theater building when it was first built all the way back in 1922! Unfortunately the building burnt caught fire in 1997, but the new Civic Center was built using parts of the old Orpheum Theater. There are plenty of other historic buildings on the square, but the centerpiece is the 93 ft. tall clock tower! The clock was so massive that before we left I could not help but to ANNOY

Brady and say, "but first let me take a selfie." Hehehe

Trip: 18 miles
Total miles: 2129.2 miles
37° 43' 50" N
88° 55' 37" W

Tiffani, Teddy, and those Crazy Girls visit the Coal Miner's Memorial

 

I enjoyed traveling to Herrin so much with Sierra, I was excited to go back with Tiffani and see what else Herrin has to offer! We left the Wham Education Building on Tuesday, April 22nd and headed over to learn about the Coal Miner's Memorial. Little did I know we were going to pick up two little girls on our way there! They were SOO excited to see me, they wouldn't let me out of their hands!! I did get to run around a little bit and explore all of the names of the coal miner's. Here's some history I learned about the coal miners and the memorial:

 

In the late eighteen hundreds there were several mines in the locale that accounted for the livelihood of the residents. There were many thriving communities that were totally dependent on the mines. Now there is a Memorial to honor all miners. The monument depicts a miner returning home, being greeted by his small son, after a day in the pits. Dedicated on October 14th 2000, the Coal Miners Memorial is a tribute to all Southern Illinois coal miners of the past century. The inscription at the base of the statue reads, “In memory of coal miners who gave so much that future generations may benefit with a better life. They labored, served their country, sacrificed for their families and some lost their lives. We honor and salute them so that they will never be forgotten.”

http://www.visitsi.com/poi?pid=190

 

Coordinates: 37°48′9″N 89°1′41″WMiles Traveled: 39.8
Total Miles: 6,061.73

George and Sean visit Oakland Cemetery

Sean and I  took a trip to Oakland Cemetery.  It is located on North Oakland Street in Carbondale.  The oldest recorded burial at Oakland Cemetery is that of James Roberts who was buried on March 31, 1863.  Until the 1940s, the cemetery was segregated.

There have been many supernatural happenings reported.  For example, there is a mausoleum whose doors mysteriously unlock from time to time to allow ghostly visitors to enter.  Wispy vapors and glowing balls of light have been reported along the north side of the cemetery where the railroad tracks used to run.  In 1888, there was a horrific train wreck near the cemetery.  The engineer of the train, John Chapman, was killed in the wreck and buried in Oakland Cemetery.  Also, when transients died on the train, the bodies were wrapped in a sheet or tarp and unceremoniously dumped at the cemetery to be buried the next morning.  People say that it is the engineer and the transients that account for the various earth lights and swirling mists throughout the north side.  It is for this reason that Sean and I visited during the daytime!

37º 44’ 01” N

89º 13’ 45” W

3 miles

George and Vickie visit Ferne Clyffe State Park

On April 13, 2014 my lovely friend, Vickie, and I decided we were going on a trip.  We piled in the car and traveled to Ferne Clyffe State Park.  We stopped and took a picture at the sign because it is spelled in a very weird way!  I learned that Ferne Clyffe is an Illinois State Park sitting on 2,430 acres in Johnson County.  There are so many beautiful things to look at!  There are many ferns which you may have guessed from the name!  There are also rock formations to look at and climb on.  There's even a 100 foot tall intermittent waterfall.  Some activities that are common at this park are camping, picnicking, hunting, and fishing.  Vickie and I mostly stuck to the many hiking trails.  We found out that George Rogers Clark passed through or near Ferne Clyffe on their trip to Fort Kaskaskia in 1778.  One hundred years later, the Cherokee reportedly used the area as their hunting range while on their Trail of Tears march.  We had a good time!  I was so exhausted I had to go home and take a nap!

Miles Traveled: 32 miles
Latitude: 37.5
Longitude: 88.9

George and Shelby travel to Venice Beach, FL!

Hello friends! It's me, George! I am so excited to tell you all about my trip to Venice Beach , FL over Spring Break with my friend Shelby. For the week of Spring Break, I traveled with the Pearson's to Orlando, FL for a family vacation. While we were there in Florida, on Thursday, March 13th, we went to the city of Venice for a relaxing day on the beach. While we were in Venice, next to the beach, we saw the Florida Flight Training Center. It was there that we learned about the historical significance of the city of Venice and this Flight school. On September 12, 2001, the day after the 9/11 attack, national news and the FBI descended on Venice as it was discovered that 3 of the hijackers in the September 11 attacks, Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah, had all lived in Venice for the purpose of taking flight training lessons at the Venice Municipal Airport. The trio had all enrolled in the Florida Flight Training center there in Venice. Before traveling to Venice, I did not know that such a small town had such recent historical significance. On our drive home from Florida I thought about all I had learned about the small city of Venice and how much fun I had on vacation! I can't wait to go on my next adventure! 

Round Trip: 2,076 miles
Total Miles: 2,094.2 miles


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Teddy Travels to the small town of Winnebago, Illinois with Courtney!

Hello there friends! It's Teddy again! I am having such a great time traveling around.  This time around I went to Winnebago, Illinois with Courtney.  It was about a six hour drive for a total of 783 miles.  It was my first time going to Winnebago, so I was excited to see the town.  When I first got there,  I was greeted with a big dog! He was close to 100 pounds! I think he told me his name was Bear, but I was so scared, I don't really remember.  I stayed with Courtney that night so he left me alone.  The next day I got to see the town of Winnebago.  It is a smaller town, there is only about 3000 people there. It is mainly a farming town, so it was quiet.  I took my picture next to the school.  The middle school and high school are in the same lot, so I took a picture next to the school symbol.  The first graduating class was in 1934.  That was long before my time!  Of course I got to ride on the motorcycle with Courtney and Jordan.  They showed me all around town. I had a great time learning about the town of Winnebago.  

Destination: Winnebago, Illinois

Miles Traveled: 783 miles

Total Miles: 6021.93 miles

Teddy Travels to Murphysboro with Brittany!!

On Tuesday, April 15th, 2014 I traveled with Brittany from her CI 424 classroom at Wham Education Building, to her home in De Soto, IL, then to the General John A. Logan Museum in Murphysboro, IL.  I am glad we did not stay at her house very long because her dog is a lot bigger than me.  We waited for Brittany's husband to get home from work then we traveled to Murphysboro.  She wanted her husband to come with us so he could be the one to take the picture and she thought he would like the museum.  I was excited when we pulled up to the museum.  It was an old house and there were other houses that looked even older than the one with the museum in it!  I found out that General John A. Logan was born in what is now Murphysboro. He was born on February 9, 1826.  He was a representative, a Senator for Illinois, and also a General in the Civil War.  The museum consists of lots of interesting pictures, maps, political memorabilia, antiques that belonged to his family, and Civil war items.  While we are there we found out where General Logan's birth home was located. The foundation of his birth home was uncovered in 2000 by archaeologists! Our trip to the museum was fun and I would recommend this place to anyone! After we left the museum, we went back to Brittany's house.  In the morning we left in Brittany's backpack back to SIU.  I had an awesome trip!

Miles traveled: 16.9 miles
Transportation mode: Car
Coordinates: 37.762462° N, 89.34153° W
Total miles traveled: 5238.93 miles

 http://www.loganmuseum.org/

Teddy Travels to Herrin Illinois

My journey started with Sierra when I was given to her at Morris Library on Southern Illinois University’s campus in Carbondale, IL.   I then rode with Sierra to Herrin, IL where I stayed with her overnight.  I had never been to Herrin before so I was excited to visit!  During my stay, Sierra took me to the Doughboy landmark in Herrin Illinois.  I will start by telling you what I learned about the Doughboy.  A World War I memorial stature, “The Spirit of The American Dough Boy” was dedicated on September 6, 1927 through a project sponsored by the local American Legion and VFW. The solider is in statue form, the solider is seen in his war apparel and stance. The Dough Boy is a symbol of freedom and remembrance of those who fought for our land. The Dough Boy sits in the heart of Herrin on Park Avenue Street after multiple relocations. There are only a few Dough Boys in the country and Herrin is honored to have one!  I thought the Doughboy was so cool that I asked Sierra’s mom to take a picture of us by the landmark.  After we visited the Doughboy, Sierra took me back to her house where we got a good night of rest.  The next morning we traveled back to Carbondale, IL to the Bursar Office where Sierra works.  I enjoyed my trip to Herrin with Sierra!

Round trip: 33.77 miles

Total Miles: 5222.03 miles

Coordinates: 37° 48' N / 89° 1' W

http://www.herrinillinois.com/?page_id=548

George and Erin travel to the site of Longfellow School in Murphysboro, Illinois!

George and I drove to the site of Longfellow School because he had heard there was a tornado in 1925 that went across three states and destroyed much of Murphysboro. 

On March 18, 1925 hundreds of lives ended and thousands were left homeless or injured.
It all started around 1:00 p.m. just northwest of Ellington, Missouri, where one farmer was killed. From there, the tornado raced to the northeast, killing two people and inflicting $500,000 in damage upon Annapolis and the mining town of Leadanna. Departing the Ozarks, the storm headed across the farmland of Bollinger County, injuring 32 children in two county schools. By the time the tornado reached the Mississippi River bordering Perry County, eleven Missourians had perished. 

The devastation mounted in southern Illinois, as the entire town of Gorham was demolished around 2:30 p.m. There, 34 people lost their lives. During the next 40 minutes, 541 people were killed and 1,423 were seriously injured as the tornado tore a path of destruction nearly one mile wide through the towns of Murphysboro, De Soto, Hurst-Bush, and West Frankfort. In eastern Franklin County, 22 people died as the town of Parrish was virtually wiped off the map. The tornado proceeded unabated across rural farmland of Hamilton and White Counties, where the death toll reached 65.

After taking the lives of more than 600 Illinoisans, the storm surged across the Wabash River, demolishing the entire community of Griffin, Indiana. Next in line were the rural areas just northwest of Owensville, where about 85 farms were devastated. As the storm ripped across Princeton, about half the town was destroyed, with damage here estimated at $1.8 million. Fortunately, the twister dissipated about ten miles northeast of Princeton, sparing the community of Petersburg in Pike County. In the aftermath, the death toll mounted to 695 people—at least 71 of those were in Southwest Indiana. Property damage totaled $16.5 million—nearly 2/3 of that was in Murphysboro alone.

Source: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/pah/?n=1925_tor_tt 

Round trip was 18.2 miles.
Total Miles: 18.2

Latitude:		N37.76783°
Longitude:		W89.34703°

Teddy travels to Woodlawn Cemetary in Carbondale, IL

On Tuesday, April 8th Madison took me to the Woodlawn Cemetery in Carbondale, IL.  I have been by this cemetery several times but have never realized its historical significance.  Madison told me that the first memorial service in Illinois, one of the first in the nation to honor those who had died in the Civil War, took place at Woodlawn Cemetery on April 29, 1866.  General John A. Logan who is very important to Southern Illinois spoke at this memorial service and led a precession to Woodlawn Cemetery.  There were several notable grave sites that I was able to see that include, Daniel Harmon Brush, John Asgill Conner, Dr. William Richart, Edmund Newsome, Alexander M. Jenkins, James Monroe Campbell, George W Tiffany, and Lewis Chambers.  An object in the cemetery that Madison pointed out to me was a stone coffin.  It was said to have held the body of a confederate soldier so it was removed from the ground so that Union and Confederate soldiers would not occupy the same ground.  Another sight that I found interesting was the memorial to freed slaves. I enjoyed learning more about the Civil War and its significance in Carbondale. 

Miles Traveled:  2.4 Miles

Total Miles Traveled:  5188.26 Miles

Teddy travels to Wayne County.