Late last week, Sarah and I got our first extended Oliver-free break in quite some time. My parents came into town to watch the boy, and the wife and I headed to Springfield, Ill. (not to be confused with the hometown of my parents, the Springfield down I-44 in southwest Missouri). It was definitely the Land of Lincoln, as it was the hometown and is the current resting place of our 16th president.

We had a wonderful time, and I plan to write about what we did each day. For now, I'll tell you about the place we stayed: The Rippon-Kinsella House Bed & Breakfast. Built in 1871, this bed and breakfast was full of charm ... and antiques. Yes, proprietor Roger Schmitz is a former antique dealer ("I was terrible," he told us, with a chuckle, the first morning while we ate breakfast. "I tried to keep the good stuff and sell the crap.").

Despite the creaky bed, we had a blast there. The inside and outside of the home has so much to look at. Taking photos was a blast. Below are a few to give you a flavor of the place. First, the sign:



Sarah, standing on the wraparound porch (built at least a decade after the building):



Another shot of the porch, on which we tried to spend and afternoon reading but had to give up due to mosquitoes:



The creaky bed:



Our private bathroom:



A cool ship from The Captain's Room, in which we did not stay:



There were old radios everywhere, including this one: