A majority of the Presidential sites that I had visited had become famous long ago in our nation’s past, but the Washington Hilton Hotel became infamous in 1981. Mongo parked the Optima two blocks from the hotel and Tom carried…
Author: Thomas Watson
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
23: MR. JEFFERSON GOES TO WASHINGTON
In less than 36 hours after I had returned from Chicago, my pony tail had been re-attached and I was back in the camera case headed for another adventure. The trip was scheduled to be eight days long and take…
22: “SAVE FERRIS” ON JEFFERSON’S DAY OFF
Once we left Woodstock, we headed straight for the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, Illinois where we began what would become a pilgrimage; a pilgrimage to “Save Ferris”. Ferris Bueller that is. After a 43-mile drive, we arrived at Glenbrook North…
21: GROUNDHOG DAY IN JULY
After driving over three and a half hours from Springfield, we pulled into the driveway of the Royal Victorian Manor in Woodstock, Illinois around 6:30pm on July 11, 2014. We had reservations for a special room on the second floor…
20: LINCOLN’S LEGEND LIVES IN SPRINGFIELD
It was Friday July 11, 2014 and I was in Springfield, Illinois; just a few miles from where Abraham Lincoln had lived for 16 years before becoming President. My head was shaking with excitement as we left the motel and…
19: NO PRESIDENTIAL SKELTON IN MY CLOSET
Wednesday July 9, 2014 was a day of rest and relaxation for me as my photographer and his wife took Nashville by storm; well, maybe it was more like a slight sprinkle. I knew they had planned on winging it…
18: ROCKIN’ THE COUNTRY IN NASHVILLE
“Music City, U.S.A.” awaited me on July 8, 2014; I was up early and anxious to get into downtown Nashville. I knew of five Presidential sites there and I believed that we could walk to each one of them with…
17: JAMES K. WAS COLUMBIA’S ‘SPECIAL K’
The final Presidential stop of July 7, 2014 sent us south of Nashville for over 40 miles and into the heart of Columbia, Tennessee where we found the ancestral home of James K. Polk. Even though we drove a long…
16: I WALK THE LINE TO OLD HICKORY
My peaceful night standing alongside the TV in our Bowling Green, Kentucky motel room was uneventful, except for a time or two when a small release of ‘hot dog energy’ came from my photographer, or more likely, his wife. It…
15: WHERE GREATNESS WAS BORN
At 4:10pm on June 6, 2014, we arrived at the Hodgenville, Kentucky birthplace site of our 16th President Abraham Lincoln. It was hot, we had been on the road since 4:30am, and we had about 45 minutes to tour the…