Road Trip to Ohio

We were away for the past week in Ohio, and though it’s good to be back, we did have a nice time visiting R’s parents. The only downside was the heat, and it was brutal. We stayed in a hotel nearby with air conditioning, so that made sleeping bearable, and during the day we practically lived at the pool, which was a load of fun. The kids had a blast, and I enjoyed cooling off in the water. One thing about hot weather is that it makes swimming more enjoyable. There are days up here when it’s not quite hot enough to lounge in the water.

It was nice spending time with R’s folks, we don’t really get to see them that often. We missed out on seeing the Amazing PR Man and DR, but these things happen when you’re the Amazing PR Man. There are too many things that need to be done. The kids were looking forward to seeing their pup, but there will be other days.

We ended up driving out there, and it was a bit of a trek, but an interesting one at times. We drove via Buffalo to Cleveland, and then a straight shot down near Columbus. It took about 16 hours, broken up in two days, and I have to say, the kids did a fantastic job of enduring the drive, though it was murder on my back. When I was a kid we took long drives all the time, so it’s not unthinkable that they do the same. It’s just that in today’s world, kids just don’t sit idle for more than 15 minutes, so sitting in a car for that long is a test of endurance and sanity. Personally, I think it’s good for them to spend some time in their own heads and learn to entertain themselves, even if I see the merit in having a DVD player in the car.

We didn’t do much sightseeing during the trip, even though I thought Niagara Falls would have been cool to see. The kids would have loved it. I didn’t see the Falls until I was about 35, and it’s a cool landmark worth checking out. Maybe next time. Our time in Ohio was fairly quiet and mellow, we basically hung out with family, had meals, and went swimming. It’s always hard when you operate outside of your element, at least at first, but we gradually found a groove after a couple of days. Before we knew it, the week had passed and it was time to go home.

The drive back, as usual, did not seem as long, and it’s always really cool when you cross the border back into Vermont, even if you have a lot of driving to do. You can just tell when you’re back in the Green Mountain State. It’s actually rather exciting. We got home in the evening and set about unpacking and gearing up for our regular lives. It was a nice trip, we enjoyed it, but it sure is nice to be back home. The cats were happy to see us, and I was looking forward to checking out our tomato plants. Best of all, the weather is cool and nice, not to mention dry.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to tcpix for the pic.