We packed out of our hotel in Aurora, IL and left the Chicago area among a lot of traffic and 86 degrees at 8:30 in the morning. Today was actually the most difficult day of driving we have had so far along the trip. I guess Chicago is known for that, however, it wasn’t as fun an experience as the deep dish pizza or Portello’s sandwiches. But, since we can’t have one without the other, we persevered and made it to our first stop at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Lake Michigan was stunning on this gorgeous sunny day. The blue of the water was captivating; there were no winds blowing; and the summer-like sun made the whole lake sparkle. Sun bathers populated the shoreline and we enjoyed stopping at various points to appease my need to take photos.

From the lake shore we elected to move from the major roads and take state roads South and East to make our way to Ft. Wayne, IN. That move alone made the traffic more tolerable. The corn in the fields was lush and full, the lawns around farms emerald green, and interestingly, most barns were white, not red. All of this made the scenery delightful.

About the time we found the town of Plymouth along Highway 30 we decided to stop for comfort and possibly some lunch. A Ponderosa Steak House jumped out at us and the decision was made. It was about 1:30 and we felt we had made good time. As my driver went back for another trip through the salad bar I looked at my phone and was shocked to find we had been enjoying our lunch for over an hour already! It couldn’t be! Then I realized we had passed into the Eastern Time Zone and lost that hour entirely. Well, we’ll gain it back in a couple of weeks.

We took a lovely tour through Ft. Wayne and located several points of interest, including the Allen County Public Library, which is known for it’s excellent historical and ancestral records.

A few miles farther East and we were ready to make camp for the night. That hour we lost was making us tired. So, we found our motel in Auburn, IN and called it a night.