Welcome to the 2009 Youth Exchange Trip Site!
What luck! Our German guests were able to witness a tornado! OK, not a tornado, but they loaded onto the bus on this day just before a violent line of thunderstorms roared through. The bus did not leave until the storm had passed, but it shook and swayed as the winds blew and the rains fell. Woo-hoo! After that interesting start to the day, our group rode to Springfield, home to many Abraham Lincoln sites. President Obama is quite popular in Germany, and his associations with Illinois and Mr. Lincoln are well know. So why not show them where The Railsplitter began? Our day began in New Salem State Historic Site, where Lincoln lived as a young man. Recreations of this village, populated with tradesmen and women in period costume brought this time to life for our guests. Along with a visit to Lincoln’s home, they glimpsed into the private side of Lincoln’s life, a subject not normally covered in most historic sources. We also visited Lincoln’s tomb, a somber place of reflection and a fitting resting place for such a great man. The nose on a large, bronze bust of Lincoln has been rubbed clean, a gesture believed to bring good luck. Our final stop was the new interactive museum dedicated to the life of Lincoln. We watched movies on his life, posed with statues of the man and his family, and we even saw ghosts! It was a fast-paced day that presented a lot of regional information on the Land of Lincoln.
On a beautiful sunny day, we met at Mt. Hawley Bowl for an afternoon of fun and games. Yes, they have bowling and mini-golf in Germany, but not every experience needs to be new or special to our region or country. Sometimes it’s just fine to get together and have fun. By the looks of things, we’d say they did!
Our luck this year seems to be that whenever we have an outdoor event planned, it rains. Wildlife Prairie State Park, Springfield and now the beach party. When the first of our students arrived, it was sprinkling. But soon it was pouring! But most of our students realized they had come to get wet anyway, so what did it matter if that rain came from the sky or the lake? So we played volleyball in the rain, we swam in the rain, we played bags in the rain, and we went tubing in the rain! And the Oberlander family again went above and beyond the call of duty for us, as they have for years. Whatever we needed … extra towels, a place to dry off, a dry place to sit … they provided it with a smile. The dedication of this wonderful family to our group has lasted nearly as long as our program, and we are very grateful to them for this wonderful day. Rain or shine!!
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