Sweet Home Alabama

Okay, so I know we do not live in Alabama, but I could not think of any other lyrics, and I am determined to keep this up. However, there are a couple of things that are pretty local to our area and not Alabama, and some of them have gotten pretty famous, considering the area where they came from. I do not know about you, but rural America isn't really known for consistently producing the next big thing.

Here's something: Ferris wheels. There's a little town called Jacksonville in central Illinois, and that happens to be the birthplace of the Ferris wheel. I am not quiet sure who exactly (I am assuming it was Ferris...) invented and built it or why exactly they did, but look how popular they have become. There is even one in London, the world's largest. I'd say that is pretty impressive, and it comes from sweet old Illinois, home of Lincoln and lots of corn.

Of course, there is the thing that everybody recognizes - horseshoes. The infamous, calorie-laden horseshoe. For those of you who do not know what this cousin of obesity is, it happens to be a piece of bread or toast (the hoof) with a hamburger patty (shoe) on top that is smothered in fries (nails) and cheese sauce (no comment), only it is traditionally a really, really big sandwich. Those started in the capital, Springfield, though I am not quite sure where or who or when or why, though today you can get a variety of them at Fritz's.

I think that something else, or rather someone else who is rather particular to this area is our great president of old, Abraham Lincoln. While I do recognize that he was born in Kentucky, central Illinois takes much of the credit for him. After all, he did live in Springfield for a long time, and he did start his political career in Springfield. Long live Lincoln and all the tourism he brings!