3 Trips: Presidential Tours

Where:

Springfield

Cleveland

Mount Rushmore

History:

Lincoln was born in Kentucky and Reagan will always be seen as a California boy, but both men have strong connections to central Illinois—Lincoln lived and served in office in Springfield and Reagan was born not far from the Quad Cities. Both spots are close enough for some quality sightseeing.

Ohio, oddly enough, is home to a lot of Presidents, and three of them are from the Cleveland area. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the best luck—William McKinley and John Garfield were assassinated, Warren Harding died in office—which, arguably, is even more of a reason to visit their memorials. And Cleveland has a few other things to do while you’re there!

In 1941, the face of a granite slab in South Dakota was forever changed with the completion of Gutzon Borglum’s salute to great American Presidents, Mount Rushmore. Ever since, the citizens of this great country have flocked to the small state to see very big representations of Presidents Abe Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. What better time to see the monument than on the eve of the next election—who knows, maybe there will be room for a fifth.

Where to Stay:

Reagan’s birthplace, Tampico, is teeny tiny, so why not make your home base in Springfield at the ultra-contemporary Statehouse Inn (217-528-5100), or, for Lincoln fanatics, the Abe Lincoln Hotel (612-544-8800)?

If you’re going to check out the presidential sites, you may as well live like the leader of the free world. The Ritz–Carlton Cleveland (216-623-1300) in the heart of downtown offers all the great amenities that a Ritz usually does, including marble baths, European toiletries, and a pool and fitness center, and it is one of the least expensive Ritzes in North America.

In a log cabin, à la President Lincoln! Heart of the Hills Vacation Homes (605-574-2250) are probably a little—OK, a lot—nicer than the log homes of yore. Accommodating up to ten people, the cabins have amenities such as satellite TVs, gas fireplaces, hot tubs, and full kitchens. Not exactly roughing it. And they are all located within minutes of the area’s attractions.

What to Do:

Springfield has Lincoln’s home, a library, and a museum dedicated to him, and the old Capitol. Lincoln Site Tours (217-793-6132) will show you around. If you’re a Reagan fan, take a day trip to Tampico, about two and a half hours from Springfield.

Tour the memorials, including the Harding Memorial in Marion, the McKinley Mausoleum and Presidential Library (330-455-7043) in Canton, and Cleveland’s gorgeous Garfield Monument—his birthplace is just up the road in Mentor.

After taking in Mount Rushmore and the accompanying museums, head to one of the other many area attractions, including the still-in-progress Crazy Horse Monument (605-673-4681), the Black Hills (605-773-3301), and the 1880 Train (605-574-2222), which becomes the the Holiday Express in late November!