Arriving in Ohio meant more time with special friends. These stops along the journey really help us stay in touch with the everyday and give us time to catch up. We celebrated Joe Avella on his latest big birthday in a gathering with the group of our Ohio friends. Louise, Mary, Mike, Eileen, and Jerry.  Carrie, Stewart, Abigail and of course Carole.   Get togethers like these, especially as we age, become so important and I am appreciating them so much.  One big reason why we planned out our trip to make these stops along the way. We took in some golf and a day trip to downtown Cleveland.  The weather was a bit cooler as fall is approaching in this region. After it being a somewhat hotter than expected travel weather, this cool was welcomed. As a special treat Louise took us out to dinner which was such a lovely time to catch up and have some delicious food.

Calli even had a surprise of meeting her new dog friend Dar.  This was Carrie and Stewarts dog. They would run around the yard, sharing toys, and having a blast.   Like us, these times for her are important as well. Calli has truly become the most well-behaved dog.  We are so blessed daily that she adopted us.

And as the saying goes,” time flies when you are having fun and it did.  Before we knew it, we were hitting the road again heading north west to the Sandusky area.  They call this area, “Shores & Islands.”  Situated on Lake Erie there are plenty of beaches and islands to explore.  There is one island called Cedar Point that is home to roller coasters.  It is a park completely of roller coasters. We got a glimpse from a far but didn’t visit it personally.   Port Clinton is where the one ferry will take you directly to Put in Bay.  An island town off the coast here. This can be a very busy area during the summer months, but we lucked out.  We planned a trip over to this island, and were joined by Carole and Joe who were just a little over an hour away.  We met up and took the dog friendly ferry over to the island. It was a perfect day.  And we have all seen house boats, but have you ever seen a boat made into a house.  We captured this on the ferry ride. I think I have seen it all now. We explored the small island via a golf cart we rented. There are very little cars on this island. We saw the historical areas, monuments, sights and of course a stop at Joes bar, the Round House and others for a sip and some snacks. One specific monument was the Perry Victory international peace memorial.  This column stands 350 feet tall and is in memory of the Battle of Lake Erie.   Oh, and not to forget to mention, that Calli got her very first golf cart ride too.  (so many firsts for this pup).  We had plenty of laughs along the way and before we knew it the day had flown by.   Time to catch the ferry back.  The ride presented us with the most magnificent sunset.  The perfect way to end an amazing day.   We look forward to our time again with Joe and Carole when they meet up with us in Nashville.