Cantigny

Saturday was an ideal summer vacation day.
It started early as Brigham drove to Mpls and back in the day to join in the celebration of Sean and Eden Clune's wadding. Here on the home front the world was set right as mackey returned from her EFY with Tori at Utah State.
here at home with sunshine and heat a group of us after saturday morning pancakes drove over in Cantigny - climbed on tanks and went through the museum. The museum is a great memorial to those who have gone to war for us and gives you a sense of gratitude and appreciation for those who have fought for our freedoms. Very appropriate for the fourth of july.

in the meantime Laura stopped by with a supply of sugar coated cereal - Hmmmm

Cantigny

Just down the road about 8 minutes from our home is Cantigny. We have been to the WW1 museum before and enjoyed the experience; and Saturday Rindy and I went to the McCormick mansion and formal gardens
McCormick was the head of the Chicago Tribune, WGN radio & TV and made clearly, an awful lot of money in his day. Graciously, upon his death he donated much of his wealth to the community and his foundation.

The grounds are beautiful and expansive. The gardens by them-self would be worth the trip. We enjoyed a fall day stroll. We highly recommend it; and the cost is for parking and we had that waived.

D-Day Memorial

Near by is found Cantigny park; on 500 acres it has formal gardens and picnic & camping grounds, Cantigny and two history-rich museums: the Robert R. McCormick Museum and the Cantigny First Division Museum,

We heard of the park from friends and have had it on the list of things to do. We were sparked into action when our Kite Festival turned out to be a bust and having read about their 65th D-Day anniversary celebration. They honored Veterans who took part in the largest amphibious assault - they restored a Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP), had a reenactment, flew in some major helicopters (thought of Eric) and hosted hundreds of Vets.

The First Division Museum is fantastic. Its has dioramas that you walk through that project the feeling of the battle of Cantigny WWI, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and Normandy Beach where you watch a movie from the view point of a landing craft and as the shooting begins the front of the landing craft opens and you walk out on Normandy beach. Having visited Normandy in the 70's I can attest to the somber feel of the place. My description doesn't do justice to either experience. One does feel the sacrifice made and paid by those courageous, and not, who nonetheless went and protected liberty. I walked away with increased gratitude.

And all for the price of parking - $5.
Thank you Robert McCormick.