Greetings from Slidell, LA!

This week, Alonso visited Amy in Louisiana.

On his FIRST day I took him 30 miles across Lake Ponchartrain to New Orleans to a concert I happened to be going to. (No, Alonso didn't actually GET to hear Amos Lee sing, because I feared he'd become grubby with the scent of the French Quarter...but he had a lovely ride in the car. )

He saw some fabulous old buildings, the kind that make New Orleans famous!

Alonso also had a close call with a lovely little baby named Audrey and he managed to escape drooldom.

Then Alonso hitched a ride with us to Fontainebleau State Park‎ in Mandeville, LA, about 20 miles from Slidell, where he slept for a week or so in our little home. He was a good green monster at the beach although I did catch him making eyes at some ladies... He got to enjoy the sand, sun and waves! I'm afraid he might have got a little bit of a sunburn though...hopefully he makes it on okay to his next home!

Next stop: Minnesota!

Thanks again to Amy for hosting Alonso. Make sure to check out her site:

www.mamaslittlemonkeys.com

Greetings from Sheridan, IL!

This week, Alonso visited Angie in Illinois.

Alonso sits on a monument erected in memory of the 15 victims of the Indian Creek Massacre on May 21, 1832; the site is about 10 minutes from his hosts' home. Here is a link to the story; mutilations, massacres and scalpings, oh my!: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Creek_massacre

Earlville, IL, where Alonso's host works, is home to a good old-fashioned drive-in movie theater, the Route 34 Drive-In! It was way too early to take in a flick, and Alonso was quite disappointed that he missed the opportunity to have popcorn with real butter there.

Alonso in seated by the statue of American frontier marshal James Butler Hickok, better known as Wild Bill Hickok. Troy Grove, Illinois was the birthplace of Hickok.

Alonso at the Hegeler Carus mansion, a showstopper in LaSalle, Illinois. The Hegeler and Carus family fortunes were founded on zinc and publishing.

Welcome to Starved Rock State Park! Starved Rock is named for an 18th century legend.The Ottawa tribe drove a band of Illinois tribe Native Americans onto the cliff, and they died of thirst and starvation.

Alonso went "Where Lincoln Walked" in Ottawa, Illinois. Here he is at Washington Park, by the statues of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. The park was the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate on August 21, 1858.

Alonso sits on a large Lincoln stovepipe hat in a permanent art display in Ottawa, Illinois. Alonso's host painted the hat in 2008 as part of the "Hats Off To Abe & Steve" summer-long event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate in Ottawa.

Ottawa, Illinois will be home to the world's tallest Lincoln Log structure (seen in the background). The structure was created on March 20, 2010 and is currently being certified by the Guinness Book of World Records!

Alonso thought he saw some little green friends! But alas, they were just stickers in the window of a wireless store.

Aw man, come on! Alonso just had to pose with this silly sign at an Ottawa coffee shop/provisions store.

Thanks again to Angie for hosting Alonso! Make sure to check out her Etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/LonesomeRoadStudio

(New feature: Alonso's travel map!)