There's No Place Like Home

After spending the morning at Niagara Falls viewing God's masterpiece, we headed down through Buffalo NY, then Cleveland Ohio where construction had us there for 1 and 1/2 hours, before we drove through rain into Indiana.  We went back to our favorite hotel and resting spot~ Shipshewana.  We arrived there Halloween night, which was a good place to be ~ in Amish country!  We decided to stay there two nights, spending time relaxing, eating out, shopping, walking, vegging in front of the TV, and going to a natural spring. 

Saturday morning we packed up our bags and headed home.  Thinking we were being smart, we decided to stop at the last travel plaza on the Tollway to get gas and take a break.  As I wrote before, we somehow got on I-90 heading straight into Chicago when we left that plaza.  We were upset and stressed at first, so I texted Bethany for the easiest and fastest route through the third largest city in the country!  It was really pretty easy since Saturday traffic was so light.  Once we had an affirmation from daughter dear to stay on I-90 until we got to Rockford, the rest went fine.  We did enjoy a different view on the way home.  It is very hilly and beautiful in NW Illinois ~especially the Galena area.

 

 

 

I had to laugh when we got close to home, though.  The land became more and more level.  Flat
prairie land with wind turbines that go on forever.  What a change after two weeks in rugged mountains, hills, valleys, and forested areas.  Joel often says he misses the rolling landscape where he grew up in Minnesota.  The difference was quite evident to me when we came back home to northern Iowa's corn country.   Not all of Iowa is flat, especially on the east or west borders, but where we are is definitely one of those areas where the roads are as straight as the rows of corn stalks in summer! 

Wind turbines

 

 

 

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset 

welcoming us home 

 

It was good to get home.  Sitting in our comfy chairs that evening, we felt relief and gratitude for all the hours and miles we had traveled safely.  We still are giving thanks and praise for being able to go and experience so much.  Coming home to such a beautiful sunset, we could not help but say, "there's no place like home."  What an adventure!  Only God.