After a wonderful night at the Beaumont Inn, we  had a tasty breakfast and were ready to hit the road again.    Heading northwest towards Louisville  and West on I-64.   We had a plan for a stop along the way.  Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana.   While doing some research for cousin Charles I ran across this Abbey.   In 1852 a priest serving the wilds of Indiana was searching for German speaking priests to serve the area, and reached out to the Maria Einsiedeln Switzerland Benedictine Monks for help.  They sent Fathers Ulrich Christen and Bede O’Conner to Southern Indiana.  Later they added Martin Marty from Canton Schwyz; a promising young monk.      Einsiedeln by the way is where Chris’s Grandmother was born and we have been back to visit cousins Charles and Walter and their families.  And we have been to the Mother abbey in Einsiedeln Switzerland.   A nice connection.  Father Marty went on to become a leader in the Catholic Church in the United States and his prowess in dealing with people and his business prowess led the Saint Meinrad’s Abbey to become one of two archabbeys in the nation and one of 11 in the world.  It is a beautiful campus, certainly being there in spring must help the impression.  The only thing that could have been better was if they had decided to brew beer to support the Abbey.  (Like the Monks of Nursia in Italy, another Benedictine Monastery).  So I find the history interesting and have more reading to do.  And will look for more links to the Einsiedeln links in the Cincinnati to Louisville area.   So after some relaxing time at the abbey we were back on the road.   We had not pre booked a hotel for this leg since we were not sure of the timing and how long we wanted to be in the car.   We decided we were up for a longer ride than usual and headed for Champaign Urbana Illinois.  We took the GPS quickest route which included asphalted cow paths such as crooked snake road.   But the timing was as promised and luckily we did not meet oncoming traffic on some of those roads.  It was scenic and as we made our way into Illinois and the Central time zone it became flatter and more agricultural.  Huge farm fields.   They have had too much rain here, but some corn fields are doing well.   So now we have had a meal and some cocktails at the hotel, and are preparing for tomorrow. 

Entrance to the Grounds

The Church Steeples

Inside the church and the organ

Front of the Church, built at the start of the 1900’s by the monks and local townspeople