All about Ohio! (with eleventy pictures)
So, we're back from our little trip to the Midwest!
I'd been through Ohio a lot of times as a kid on my way to Iowa and South Dakota to visit my grandparents, but this was Sonia and Zoe's first time.
(They've been all the way down the East Coast multiple times, but just not very far west at all!)
Mia, one of my best friends, moved to Ohio in January with her two kids, one of whom is one of Sonia and Zoe's best friends.
(Kinda like how another of my best friends, Beth, moved away the year before. I am not having good luck in the Keeping Friends Local department of late!)
So we thought a road trip was in order so the three of us could all see some of our besties.
We bought lots of snacks, loaded up the van, and headed down the road!
As soon as we got there, Zoe and Zoe (yep, their friend's name is Zoe too!) hopped on the trampoline. 😉
And my friend Mia and I cried because we were so happy to see each other. 😉
On Saturday morning we visited a little museum, where the rotary phone was in high demand.
In the afternoon, we visited a county fair, which my girls loved.
We skipped the pig auction and focused on rides and food, though. Ha.
And since Sonia is old enough to babysit, Mia and I went out to a little restaurant by ourselves late Saturday night. So good for the soul!
On Sunday after church, we walked through the adorable little town of Granville, which is pretty much like visiting Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls.
So, so beautiful.
On Sunday afternoon, we visited a water park/pool, which was so much fun. Lazy river, water slides, diving boards...we had a blast.
A thunderstorm rolled in a half hour before closing, which is why the pool is so empty in this photo.
But the rain cleared up and we made a fire in Mia's backyard and cooked bratwurst, hot dogs, and marshmallows over it.
Not to brag, but I think I toasted what is possibly the world's best marshmallow. It was this color all the way around and on top too.
I have mad skills.
The view from Mia's back fence is pretty lovely.
And I love how big Ohio's skies are. Here at home, we are surrounded by a lot of trees, which is lovely in its own way, but sometimes it's nice to just be able to see tons of sky at one time.
We're so glad we went to visit. We were only there for two days (with two days of driving), but we squeezed in a lot of fun!
It was crazy good to see our friends again, and it was fun for me to get some extra time to hang with Sonia and Zoe.
And I'm feeling grateful to have friends that are so dear, even a move multiple states away doesn't cause you to lose touch.
All the money in the world isn't as valuable as that, and we're so blessed to have friends like this!
I have the same problem of friends not staying local. It's doubly difficult when you're like me and not great at making them in the first place. ^_^;;
Did you explain the phone number on the rotary phone?
Also, why would you skip the pig auction? Livestock auctions are pretty interesting.
Haha, yep! I glanced at it and was like, "waiiiit." Ha. Sonia and Zoe had heard the song before, but just hadn't put two and two together yet.
How can a pig auction compare to riding on the swings and eating funnel cakes? I'm very skeptical. We had somewhat limited time, so we did have to choose, and I'm sorry to say that the pig auction lost out!
I was being mostly facetious. I actually have serious issues with heights so carnival rides and I don't usually mix. 😉
Glad you loved Ohio! On my way there tomorrow!
My husband and I lived in northeast Ohio for 11 years. We were in a small town on the shore of Lake Erie. We started our family there. Wonderful place and wonderful memories!
As a lifelong Buckeye, welcome to our lovely state! Except for our weather, there's alot to love about Ohio. Please come back. There's more to see!
The weather was so nice while we were there! Low 80s for the high and not even humid. I was a fan.
We live in Florida but have made a few trips to Ohio for family and other reasons, and it is a pretty place to visit. We once visited the Amish area, as some family lived nearby there, and the countryside was beautiful. We visited Lehman's Store and a Mennonite restaurant where the food was so good we ate twice our usual amounts. Your pictures brought back memories! I know you had a great time, and how nice to see friends again. It is sad, isn't it, when they move away?
I had to laugh at the museum's phone number - did it connect you to Jenny? (: My friends are all moving away, too, and its such a bummer, but life changes and we move on to make the best of things. And maybe a new friend or two. And it opens up travel, so there's that! Looks like ya'll had a blast!
Haha, you got the reference!
Wow it is truly a LOT of pictures hehe. I'm glad you and your family had a great time in Ohio.
Hubby and I haven't been to the Midwest before, but we've been entertaining the thought of buying farm there when we retire. We just need to check it out one day! 😀
I got it and now I can't get that song out of my head. Glad you decided to make the trip and the memories.
I've been humming it ever since, too. Now, how do we get it OUT of our heads?
The older you get, the more people whom you care about become not local. We have lived several places, plus our friends have as well, so it is work to keep connected--but well worth it.
Your daughters look so beautiful and happy. And grown up! I smiled through the pictures.
We moved to SC Low Country three years ago, and I know what you mean about seeing so much sky. Sometimes I feel like I can see 4 kinds of weather by turning my head up and around. Glad you had a great trip.
There's something calming about seeing so much of the sky at one time, isn't there?
I could just feel your refreshment!! Sooo good to just get away..quality time with the girls and best friends...an awesome way to wind down the summer season!!!!!!
The phone number at the museum!
Your trip looks like so much fun. Yay for great friends and county fairs. â¤ï¸
I know, right? I love that an employee had a sense of humor about choosing a phone number.
Good for you, Kristen! I love how you put the effort into seeing friends, even when there has to be a tight turnaround! That's really admirable. I'm now on the complete opposite side of the country from most of my friends and family, and I have to get better about making the effort (and it sure would be nice for some folks to come here, too!). You are teaching your family an invaluable lesson that making the effort to have these experiences, especially caring about and for others, is a very rewarding and wholesome priority in life! I hope you are feeling great for a long time after such a cool trip!
Ohio seemed so far away to me, but once I realized it takes less than 7 hours to drive, I suddenly realized that it was doable even for a weekend! And since I have a flexible job and I homeschool my girls, what's holding us back? Nothing!
So we think maybe we'll do another weekend trip in October. Why not? It only takes about a tank of gas in my van to get there, which is a small price to pay.
It is one of the great reasons to live in Ohio, we have all four seasons. It sounds like you visited central/east part of the state. If that is the case, head to Hocking Hills for the afternoon- it is SO SO pretty in the fall.
Granville is a lovely big sky place to visit! We lived in Marysville, Ohio (Midstate, outside Columbus) for 5 years and loved it there.
Here in Coastal Georgia we have a lot of big sky too, oh and water!!
Happy you had a great trip!
Glad you had such a nice trip! It's not easy keeping friends local; I've moved so many times in my life that I have friends scattered everywhere. Kind of nice knowing that there'll be a friendly face nearby no matter where you go, though. 🙂
It is interesting how perspective plays into things. Even geography. I have lived my whole life in California and Washington state. When I think of Ohio, I think of it being in the East. The way I look at it, The Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas - that is the Midwest. Anyway, I am glad you had a wonderful trip, and that you made a point to go. If you really want to see a lot of blue sky - go to Montana. Blue sky as far as you can see - as long as it isn't on fire.
Yeah, I googled it just to be sure, and Ohio is considered to be midwestern. But it's definitely on the very eastern side of the midwest!
And yeah, I think of Iowa and the Dakotas as the midwest. I traveled there every summer when I was a kid to visit grandparents.
Sounds like a perfect weekend! We've usually been the ones to move as we loved in Indiana for 3 years, Virginia for 3 years, and are coming up on 4 years in Michigan. I can tell you that it means the world to have a friend make the effort to visit you in your new place. I'm glad you were able to take the trip!
This is so sweet! I still keep in touch with good friends from high school, even though we're hours apart (but still in the same state--Texas is a big place!). Love the photos and so glad you and the girls had fun!
P.S. Were they marveling at that rotary phone? 🙂
Yes! They all loved the rotary phone.
You were right down the road from me! Granville is a gorgeous little college town☺ï¸. Glad you enjoyed Central Ohio.
You were in my area, we are about 30 min from Granville! Granville is a lovely town to walk around, especially the Farmers Market on the weekend. Looks like you had a wonderful, relaxing time and you visited during a good weather week!
It's just the cutest little town!
Love the phone! My Nieces and nephews love Get Smart but only know a world full of cell phones so can't understand why it's so funny that his shoe rings. So lovely to have special people to visit - I hope you have many more wonderful trips
Road trips are the BEST - especially when shared with fellow travelers close to your heart! So glad you had a happily memorable trip. I'm very impressed with your marshmallow toasting skills. You would give our daughter - The Queen of Toasted Marshmallows - a good run for her money!
Isn't it lovely how we are all unique and see different things? The rotary phone was not noteworthy to me as I grew up using one and didn't pay attention to the number until I read the comments. What popped out at me is the typewriter. I used my manual typewriter for several degrees and was so impressed with my electric typewriter upgrade for my last degree. Absolutely hilarious that a typewriter is obsolete in such a short period of time. At least my keyboarding skills from typing class have carried over and are still useful in the computer era. The advent of the computer has reshaped the world we live in for sure...
And btw, you and your girls and the friends you visited all look full of happiness and joy which is so refreshing.
My aunt still has a rotary phone in her house, (no cell service) when someone asks to use the phone and wants privacy she sends them downstairs. They usually come back to either use the phone upstairs or to ask directions on how to use it!
That's so great! We had a rotary phone when I was a kid, and it was still functional. I think they're pretty fun to dial.
I grew up with black rotary phones, and there were still party lines! Wow, I'm old. My late father-in-law had kept a rotary phone from somewhere or other, a black desk model just like the one pictured, and I recently gave it to my 12 year old granddaughter for fun for her school/office/play room. She looked at it, then at me blankly and asked, "How on earth did you use that?" Once I showed her how to dial, she loved it.
I'll remind her of that when I have to ask her, "How on earth do you use (insert any tech thingy here)?" and she laughs.
I'm glad you guys had fun!
I noticed that Sonia is sporting a darkish red lipstick in some of the pictures, and I just had to comment and say that she looks amazing! With her light hair, complexion, and eyes, that lipstick really works for her!