2024 Michigan Family Vacation Day 7: Home

 Home was only 4 short hours away so we spent some time in Noblesville, IN. We had coffee and walked the downtown tourist area. Aside from the cafe, nothing was open until 10 so we had a bit of a wait. 

Once things began to open, we browsed an antique shop, a board game store, and a gift shop. 

Further South, we stopped at Eagle Creek Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary wasn't that impressive compared to the one we have back home, but it was still a nice stop. We started at the visitor's center and looked through the displays and then we hiked part of the trail. It was pretty extensive and we still had a drive ahead of us. 

 It was about naptime so we got gas, filled up on snacks, and got the girl settled in her seat. Sure enough, she crashed and we were able to make it to Effingham, IL before needing to eat. We grabbed an early dinner and then had the idea to stretch our legs at a park. The only problem was that every single little league team in the tri-state area was playing so we couldn't find parking. Finally, Ben dropped off the little and I and we played for a bit while the guys grabbed one last coffee for the road. 

Oldskool

And that was that for our big family vacation of 2024. We were back home before it was even dark. 

It was a good trip overall. Little Red did pretty well for being a toddler and we certainly saw lots of interesting things. It was refreshing to see so much of one state for once. That rarely happens and I wish it could happen more often.