Although I didn’t go to sleep until after 1am central time (had to finish my book!), I slept well – refreshed and ready for the next stage of my adventure!

First, I walked around Babler State Park, location of last night’s campsite. The park, named after Dr. Edmund Babler, a Missouri physician and surgeon, encompasses many acres of natural wonders.

From Missouri, I traveled through Illinois, mainly on country roads. I saw many corn fields, farmhouses, and grain silos. Getting hungry and still in Illinois, I stopped in Casey for lunch – and viewed the world’s largest…wind chimes, rocking chair, barber pole, mailbox, and pencil! Around 2011, this small town reinvigorated its downtown with the wind chimes – and the kitsch statues snowballed from there.

For the next few days, I’m staying at Shakamak State Park, between Terre Haute and Bloomington and only two miles from a National Conference in Sales Management friend and his family. After hearing about his wonderful wife and kids for over a decade, I enjoyed meeting and dining with them. 🙂