Old Home Week for me - Marion, Illinois

One of the attractions of the TransAm route to me has always been its proximity to my hometown, Marion, IL.  In my plans for the ride I was really looking forward to the few days crossing through southern Illinois and the layover day in Carbondale.  Because I wanted very much to see the area, because I never got see my fellow riders after my accident, because I've got a few things I need to do around Marion anyway - for a variety of reasons I decided to travel to Marion / Carbondale this week.

The riders are riding from Marion KENTUCKY today (Monday) to Dixon Springs State Park, Illinois.  They cross the river on a small ferry at Cave-In-Rock, Illinois.  Tomorrow they ride to Carbondale and spend a rest day there on Wednesday.

Yesterday, I flew from Pennsylvania to Marion ILLINOIS to spend a few days.  The flight from St. Louis to Marion was on a 10-seat Cessna 402 twin-prop plane.  This was just the start of my old home week memories.  When I was young my dad flew single engine private planes for recreation.  He owned a Piper and then a Cessna.  He used to take us flying on Sunday afternoons from the Marion airport.  The flight from St. Louis was noisy, it was bumpy, the cabin was cramped and stuffy, there was no lavatory or drink service.  I loved every minute of it.  It brought back so many memories.

The Cessna 402 I flew from St. Louis to Marion

 I spent some time yesterday and this morning driving around Marion.  In about an hour I circled the town and saw many of my childhood memories - the house I grew up in, my elementary, junior high and high school, my dad's drugstore location, town square, city parks, places where I worked.  It's a small town and not very exciting, but it's my roots.

The house I grew up in - Marion, Illinois

 It's always amazing to me how the memories of my childhood have shrunk as I got older.  All of these places were so much larger back then, especially my house.  The front yard used to be the size of a football field for my brothers and me.  It was huge when we had to mow it with the rotary push mower.  In the intervening years someone must have zapped it all with a shrink ray.

The clock tower in Town Square, Marion.  A very large courthouse filled the town square when I was a kid.  When they tore it down they built this tower, reminiscent of the old courthouse.

Longfellow School - my elementary school for 2nd - 6th grades.

Later today I'll drive down to Dixon Springs State Park to meet up with the TransAm group.  It will be good to see everyone again.  Tomorrow I'll stay where they're staying in Carbondale.  I really wish I could be riding through with them, but since I can't I'm glad to at least be able to do this much.