Ohio In Review

One thing we especially love about traveling the country is the friends & family we wouldn't otherwise get to see.  Ana & I met at a Gymboree class with our firstborn babies 13 years ago and have been friends ever since.  She's been in Ohio now for years, so we were excited for the chance to visit her here.  We caught up over lunch and had a local favorite...Graeter's ice cream, known for the massive chunks of chocolate in their "chip" flavors.   

Alayna, Natalie & Alena (one of Ana's 4)

For years we've wanted to visit the Cedar Point Amusement Park and were thrilled when our Michigan friends agreed to join us there.  We both stayed at a KOA just a mile from the park and enjoyed an intense day of rides together!

Natalie & Katy on maXair... a swinging, spinning ride that reaches 140 feet!

Alayna, Christian, Natalie & Katy on Wicked Twister... a coaster that launches you forward, then backward, then forward again!

Alayna and Lily on the Antique Cars

Jim & Tim warming up with the Power Tower... being shot 240 feet straight up then bounced back down.

And the ultimate ride... the one we came for... Top Thrill Dragster.  One of the tallest (420 ft), fastest (120 mph) coasters in the world!  Tim had to force Jim to ride this one-

notice the pre-ride jitters...

...and the post-ride relief!

Jeanne & Dee

Alayna, Jim, Christian, Tim & Max

Nearly 12 hours of head spinning craziness!

Next destination was in East Sparta, Ohio and we loved, loved, loved this KOA campsite.  

We had our own private, landscaped patio and were surrounded by trees, and our favorite feature... onsite stables & horseback riding!   So we set aside a day to do just that.

Jim completed our week in Ohio with a visit to the Football Hall of Fame in Canton while us girls stayed back for a day of school work.   But had we realized such gorgeous jewels would be on display, we may have reconsidered going:)

This is an amazing place for the seasoned NFL fan.  So much history from the days of leather helmets to the glamourous Superbowl spectacle of today.  Even the novice sports fan will find interesting items here.

The only Superbowl championship enjoyed by the Kansas City Chiefs to date...Superbowl IV would solidify Len Dawson's career and life in sports commentary.  We Chiefs fans are still looking for the next break-through season!