We are finally in Chicago. I am sitting under a cool fan in Tom's sister Ayrie's house. It is bliss to be in the one spot and not rushing to the next destination at 75 miles an hour down a long grey highway with the air con blasting away to counteract the blistering heat outside. I love road trips but I hate the speed of these highways and the huge looming semi-trailers. I much prefer the odd little meandering roads where you have a chance to see the countryside and towns but if we'd taken more of them we wouldn't have been in Chicago in 14 days.
And what an amazing 2 weeks it has been. We have been in our own little bubble speeding through a country, seeing amazing things, thinking deep thoughts and eating too much food. It has been both longer and shorter than 14 days - a place in its own time.
The above shot is taken in Arthur - a little town 200 miles south of Chicago. It is largely Amish, hence the young woman's old fashioned attire ... and vehicle. This was our last stop before arriving in Chicago.
Arthur was a bit cryptic for me. You had to dig deep to really get a handle on the Amish and Mennonite way of life, and time is something we've been a bit short of on this trip.
We learned a little - both religions started in Switzerland and both believe in living a very simple Christian life, often without television, radio or electricity. The men have beards but no moustaches for no particular reason. It is just the custom.

Here I am rubbing Abe Lincoln's nose - as you do.
This bust is just outside the tomb where he is buried in Springfield and apparently it is a tradition to rub the great man's nose.
I really wanted another hour or so in Springfield. The museum was great but we literally ran through it.
Lincoln's house was beautifully restored and a modest reminder of a great man. It was just an ordinary, nice home.
We saw a superb Frank Lloyd Wright prairie house with wonderful stained glass windows and copper roofing, influenced by American Indians and Japanese motifs. Unfortunately it was closed but we got to walk all around it.
We stayed in my favourite hotel of the trip - a dear little B&B  called Inn at 835 which was well over a hundred years old and had wine and cheese at 5 o'clock, cookies in a basket hung on our door knob before we went to bed, a super spa bath with candles and pink lighting and a cooked hot breakfast - all for $99.
Today we are going to see the Chicago Cubs play baseball at Wrigley Field with Jason (Toms niece's husband).  Tom's beloved Cubs are apparently the losing-ist team in America and it is going to be over a 100 degrees today -- Yay!