Why doesn’t electricity from a power plant flow directly into the ground?

I’m trying to learn how the power grid works and I’m confused by one thing. When you plug an appliance into your home electrical outlet, power flows through it and into the ground. My question is, if power plants are connected to the ground, why does electricity go all the way to your house, when there’s a ground right there? Doesn’t it follow the path of least resistance? Thanks
Aren’t power lines grounded at each pole?