8/4-6/2006 - Machesney Park, IL

Time for my final stop in the great state of Illinois: Machesney Park. Machesney, founded in 1830 (but incorporated some 150 years later) is in the Township of Harlem. If that sounds like a strange resonance to Manhattan, it's not accidental -- both areas were settled by the Dutch.

Much of Machesney Park's history revolves around its airport, which has served military, commercial and historic purposes. As of now, the city stands at a little over 20,000 people.

What is there to do in Machesney Park? Plenty! I'll mention my favorite two. My eldest and his visiting cousin, Sampson, would enjoy the 24,000 square feet of wooden interactive playground at "Project Playworks." But I would probably be found tramping along the Willowcreek Path on the other side of town.

Before I sign off, it feels weird to be leaving Illinois without one post about the man of whom I can't but think with every step I take through the state -- Abraham Lincoln. I cannot pretend that he is my favorite President, that honor is bestowed on George Washington. But he's certainly up there.

The more I learn about him, the more interesting he becomes. Hardly the monotonic slave-freer he is often made out to be, he came to office using the language of status quo. He hardly resembled the man that would go to say "house divided against itself" and "understood just as well, and even better than we do now."

He was a man of shrewd politics and amazing grit. He knew well the risk to his life, he survived plots before that of Booth's.

But in the end, what Lincoln means to me is that we still have a union. In Europe, it seems, the trend is to head in the other direction. I am proud of the land which I now traverse (virtually and otherwise) and proud of the man that once led it.

58,100 united steps over these 3 days. Cheers,