We left Champaign Urbana on a beautiful morning after heavy rains the evening before.  We had a 5 hour drive and took our usual breaks on the way.  We came out of fields in the south that the corn and other crops were up and growing.   Now going north they were just tilling and planting.  As you go north you notice the changes in the growing season.   Even though the weather seems to have been above normal back in Wisconsin this winter the difference is still there.  It was good to see the plowed fields and trees green.  And lilacs are blooming!  We remember our lilac bushes and how my grandfather taught me to trim off the old blooms once they were done.  We do miss the smell of fresh lilacs in the house.   As we got closer we felt more anxious to see home.  An uneventful last leg, which was welcome.   The whole country is in full construction mode.  We had a number of delays on the way but nothing terrible.  Just life. Luckily nothing on the last day.  It was another great road trip.  So we are settling back into Oshkosh.  Mark and Terry took us out for a local meal and we tasted some of the great beer Mark left me from our fall brew.   And now to settle back in.  Cleaning bugs off the car and starting to stock some food.  Still saying prayers for our friends that travel and those back in Snug.   And looking forward to catching up with friends we have not seen for 7 months. 

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

2024
After a fun Night in Winter Garden we shared in a nice breakfast at the B&B. Certainly not premade eggs in a warming tray! Some coffee and conversation and we were on our way. It was warm and sunny in Florida, a little over 2 hours later the rain started and the temperatures started dropping. True to forecast there were no storms just steady rain for the next couple of hours. When we landed in Forsyth Georgia there were only a few drops, but it was in the mid 60’s and breezy. It did not feel good! But check in was easy and we took a short breather. Then 5 minutes into town we went to Fox City Brewery for a little something to eat. Located in a building that was once a yarn factory they have made it inviting with multiple drink and dining areas flanking the brew area. Nice food and drink. That set us for the night, and the next day a short ride into Atlanta. That was the plan, I wanted to visit the Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum in Atlanta and this left us less than a 2 hour drive into Atlanta. Even mid morning the Atlanta traffic is terrible. But we made it in as planned. We would say that the LBJ museum in Austin was more impactful for us, but this was still well done. Lot’s of memories for us. Then on to the World of Coca Cola Atlanta. Another fun couple of hours, lot’s of memorabilia and fun facts. And you can taste more cola products than you can ever taste. From there on to our hotel close by. A number of years ago we had a great experience at Ted’s Montana Grill in Tallahassee. So we did Ted’s in Atlanta, On Ted Turner Drive. It did not disappoint. My Bison NY Strip was wonderful. And at the hotel I had tasty smoked Old Fashioned’s. More than I probably should have!! The next morning on to one of our ‘longer’ drives, over 6 hours. We left Atlanta and headed to Harrodsburg KY. We stayed here before and it is a favorite. So we checked in after our ‘long’ day of driving. Time to switch out some clothes between our carry in bags and what was stored in the car. And then into the restaurant to start some relaxing. https://www.beaumontinn.com
They have a great bourbon collection and friendly food. A relaxing night, Now to decide on our next days ahead.

Fox Cities in Georgia

Carter Presidential Museum

Oval Office replication

The vault holding the Coke recipe

Beaumont Inn main building

the Building we stayed in

A few whiskeys and bourbons to choose from, this is 1/2

Well we decided it was time. Our Spring trip home. We had a great winter, with lot’s of social time with good friends. Golf and grill outs and pool time. Most of our neighbors have headed home already and for us to get home before Memorial Day it is time to get started. So the last week was organizing and preparing. We made it to our favorite Brewery to say good by and shared some beers with friends. Also had our last cocktails and cigars in the courtyard. So today we took our time and packed the car and prepared the condo to be empty for many months. We planned on a short ride knowing we had a number of tasks to complete. So leaving around noon we traveled to Winter Garden just outside Orlando. We are staying in the Edgewater Hotel, a historic hotel. It is full of character. Built in 1926 it has the original charm but has been tastefully updated. Winter Garden has a wonderful cobblestone street downtown full of shops and restaurants. A laid back vibe. We were lucky enough to have some Enders spend time with us to make it a beautiful evening. So breakfast in the dining area in the morning and then off for day 2.

Copperpoint Brewery

Courtyard fun

Winter Garden

Edgewater breakfast area

Our Edgewater room

Crooked Can Brewery, a full warehouse of beer and food

Can you say ICE CREAM ?