We left the church in Shawneetown and headed west on IL-13 toward Harrisburg. We were shocked by the sights along the way: flooded farm fields, houses underwater, closed roads, and other signs of disaster. We were so lucky that none of our roads were flooded. We made it safely to Harrisburg (about 20 miles) and crossed the 1,000 mile marker of our trip thus far. We stopped for awhile at Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies and kill some time. We knew we would be staying with our first WarmShowers.org hosts, Ann & Alan, near Tunnel Hill, IL. However, Alan worked until 4pm, so we didn't want to show up too early.

When we left Wal-Mart, we got on the Tunnel Hill State Trail, which runs for over 40 miles between Harrisburg and Karnak, Illinois. The very first part of the trail in concrete, but it soon turns into packed rock. We enjoyed riding on the trail, getting away from the traffic and being surrounded by greenery. After about 22 miles on the trail, we reached the intersection to take to Ann & Alan's house. They live in a beautiful log home that they built themselves, using wood from the forests nearby and stones from the creek to build the chimney. Alan does a lot of wood-working and has made dressers, nightstands, bed frames, etc. in the house. Rebekah enjoyed a soak in the hot tub while Emily and Michelle watched one of the many movies from Alan's collection. Then it was time to call it a night.