Weekend Trip to OH

(Click on phots to enlarge them)

Friday afternoon at about 12pm Rick called and wanted to get out of dodge. We contemplated the possibility of going to DC, but with a 4 hour drive and limited time the next day we were thinking twice. So, we looked to the West and headed out to a little town that Rick found online. It boasted great lakefront shoreline, charming little town feels, etc. Well, after getting up on Saturday morning, driving 2 hours and 1/2 tank of gas later...We arrived in Ashtabula, OH. Not quite the cute little place they made themselves out to be!! The shore fronts were strewn with dead carp (that is what Jakie is poking on the beach in the picture below), industrial factories with chimneys a-pipin blocking much of the view, and a downtown the looked like a ghost town. I marveled at the talent of the photographer that took pictures for their city web site, as they managed to miss all of that! They showed cute storefronts with flower baskets out front, shoreline, seagulls, etc. All of that was still here, just dead! Well, after a 2 hour drive, Rick and I were not to be discouraged. We had pre-planned to meet (an old companion of Ricks fromt eh Mission)Dan Linfesty and his wife Sarah there to spend time and catch up. Well, they arrived and agreed. We got the bidone!! (we got bunged). Oh well, Jakie did not care. He was thrilled to poke dead fish, run up and down the 200 yards of ocean line, carve our names in the sand, pose for the camera, play on the lifeguard chair, throw rocks in the water, chase seagulls, and watch the ships. We got in on the fun with the rock throwing and rock hunting that Sarah (Linfesty) and I do for fun and even happened upon a Rib cook off!! What luck! The smell was amazing and the food was just what we were craving. All in all, we wont be back to Ashtabula, OH....EVER, but it was a fun day with the kids and friends. I guess that is how it goes...You win some, loose some, and find a fun day anyway on the days in between. Thanks Ohio! I have not yet been wildly impressed with ya, but we will find something cool to do there some day. Well, I guess Kirtland was rockin, but aside from that, we will have to keep trying. Thanks Dan and Sarah for a fun day. It would have stung if we made the trip up alone and headed back an hour or two later like we would have without you two to hang with.
Speaking of stinging: Rick running around the car in a fit of fear from the bees that hung out at the heap of a beach was worth the drive! I wish I had my video camera out for that one.