lincoln – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

My America bucket list travel in the midwest continues with a jaunt through Nebraska, Utah and Wisconsin. All my trips have a list of musts; food, hotels, adventures and now architecture. This part of the country has some unique buildings. Styles you wouldn’t expect in America.

Lincoln, Nebraska

Lincoln, Nebraska is the state capital of Nebraska and has an interesting nickname for its capital building. How could you not want to stop and take titillating photos of what is affectionately referred to as the “Penis of the Plains”? The inside of the building is as interesting as the exterior. As someone who loves libraries, the capital houses a historical library with secret bookshelves and reading lights attached to the walls. I have to check it out.

Photo provided by Jen Barnason via Trover.com

Saint George, Utah

Named after the Church of Later Day Saints (CLDS) Apostle, Saint George, Utah sits in the Mojave Desert. The landscape with its red dirt and hilly mountains make this city an outdoor paradise. It doesn’t mean they don’t have some interesting buildings. One I have to check out is St. George’s Utah Temple. They CLDS built the Temple in 1871 and has a natural disastrous past. It’s been through unstable ground, they had to pack the swamp ground with volcanic rock for it to stand. The walls fell in 1872 after being struck by lightning in 1872 and a fire destroyed the temple in 1928.

Photo provided by C G Oakeson via Trover.com

Salt Lake City, Utah

Continuing on the CLDS tour, Salt Lake City, Utah, holy ground to the Mormons was founded by Brigham Young. While I may not agree with the religious practices of the Mormons, the Temple Square is an architectural and historical landmark built-in 1928. The architecture reminds me of the great cathedrals in Europe. The grounds are beautiful and evoke peace and spirituality.

Photo provided by TravelTess via Trover.com

Park City, Utah

When I think of Park City, Utah, extreme winter sports come to mind. The city is known for it outdoor activities from hiking, biking and skiing in the mountains to swimming and fishing in the beautiful lake. One of the must-see stops in Park City is the High West Distillery & Saloon. In 1914, the Begg family built a home. The Carriage house came later, but it was a private home up until 1997 when the city bought it. The Saloon and Distillery is known for its classic western food and handcrafted cocktails, which have you reminiscing of the old west.

Photo provided by Jen – Nealys On Wheels via Trover.com

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Last stop on the midwest tour will be Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee exemplifies the midwest to me. So, the ultra modern and ultra sleek Milwaukee Art Museum doesn’t fit the mold of conservative Milwaukee. The museum with its three distinct buildings designed by three award-winning architects. The War Memorial and the gardens are unique in their own right, but the Quadracci Pavillion is a post-modern that is a spectacular sight I can’t wait to see.

Photo provided by Andy Shears via Trover.com

It was a beautifully written movie. That’s what I keep saying throughout. Beautifully written and well acted. Now, it is unclear whether the words came from the author of the book Doris Kearns Godwin, Tony Kushner the guy who wrote the screen play, or Lincoln himself. I am sure over the course of his life, the book and the movie, things have been added and subtracted from the words. Like a life/literary/film version of the telephone game. But, regardless, the combination created a very well written movie and Steven Spielburg should be proud.

I am going to share with you my favorite parts of the movie, but even repeating them here won’t do them justice.

When a situation got especially serious or uncomfortable, Lincoln was known to sit down, take a deep breath and then go right into a long and most times amusing story that may or may not be related to the topic at hand. And, much to the chigrin of his staff.

Here are a couple of those great stories from the movie:

“Shortly after the peace was signed, the Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen ‘had occasion to visit England,’ where he was subject to considerable teasing banter. The British would make “fun of the Americans and General Washington in particular and one day they got a picture of General Washington” and displayed it prominently in the water closet so Mr. Allen could not miss it. When he made no mention of it, they finally asked him “Didn’t you see George Washington in there?” they said. “Oh yes,” said Allen. “Perfectly appropriate place for him” “What do you mean?” They said. “Well,” he said, “there is nothing to make an Englishman shit faster than the sight of General George Washington.”

“I heard tell once of a Jefferson City lawyer who had a parrot that’d wake him each morning crying out, “Today is the day the world shall end, as scripture has foretold.” And one day the lawyer shot him for the sake of peace and quiet, I presume, thus fulfilling, for the bird at least, its prophecy!”

“Back when I rode the legal circuit in Illinois I defended a woman from Metamora named Melissa Goings, 77 years old, they said she murdered her husband; he was 83. He was choking her; and, uh, she grabbed ahold of a stick of firewood and fractured his skull, ‘n he died. In his will he wrote “I expect she has killed me. If I get over it, I will have revenge.” No one was keen to see her convicted, he was that kind of husband. I asked the prosecuting attorney if I might have a short conference with my client. And she and I went into a room in the courthouse, but I alone emerged. The window in the room was found to be wide open. It was believed the old lady may have climbed out of it. I told the bailiff right before I left her in the room she asked me where she could get a good drink of water, and I told her Tennessee. Mrs. Goings was seen no more in Metamora. Enough justice had been done; they even forgave the bondsman her bail.”

And, I thoroughly enjoyed Tommy Lee Jones’ portrayal of Thaddeus Stevens.

“Slavery is the only insult to natural law, you fatuous nincompoop!”

“What violates natural law? Slavery, and you, Pendleton, you insult God, you unnatural noise.”

“The modern travesty of Thomas Jefferson’s political organization to which you have attached yourself like a barnacle has the effrontery to call itself The Democratic Party. You are a Dem-o-crat. What’s the matter with you? Are you wicked?”

“How can I hold that all men are created equal, when here before me -(pointing to Pendleton:) stands stinking the moral carcass of the gentleman from Ohio, proof that some men are inferior, endowed by their Maker with dim wits impermeable to reason with cold pallid slime in their veins instead of hot red blood! You are more reptile than man, George, so low and flat that the foot of man is incapable of crushing you!”

“Yet even you, Pendleton, who should

have been gibbetted for treason long before today, even worthless unworthy you ought to be treated equally before the law! And so again, sir, and again and again and

again I say: I DO NOT HOLD WITH EQUALITY IN ALL THINGS. ONLY WITH EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW.”

Now keep in mind, Steven’s quotes all took place during the debates on the 13 amendment on the floor of the House of Representatives. It was so funny to hear them sling insults like this and in this setting.

But, my favorite quote was so well delivered by Daniel Day Lewis as President Lincoln. “I am the President of the United States of America . . . clothed in immense power.”

Have you seen he movie? What did you think?

Source: Lincoln Movie Script

Tag: lincoln

Hipmunk Hotels: Adventures in Lincoln, Saint George, Salt Lake, Park City and Milwaukee