A little trip

T and I just got back from a little weekend trip, up to Cedar Point for a day, then taking the long way home down Route 4 through the little towns the next.

After spending a good 6 hours being hurled around and subjected to some serious G forces, I think I can officially say I've passed the window of oppurtunity for becoming an astronaut. Urgh. I felt icky after the first ride, but I powered through and rode almost everything T did. There is no way in hell I'm ever going to climb aboard this kicky little number. The 310 foot hill on the Millenium Force nearly killed me as it was. Now I understand why my mom would politely sit some of these things out when we were kids.

We passed a kind of strange night and morning at the cheapest hotel we could find - a Knight Inn down the road from the park. T went out to smoke and came back in saying it was like Melrose Place out there - a couple making out in the hottub, another arguing loudly in the walkway, trains thundering by mere feet across the road. Then around 8:00 the next morning we wake up to shouting, someone running by and a woman screaming help me, help me! We scramble for pants and by the time we get to the door, no one's there. T later found the girl in the office, crying on the phone. We never did figure out what happened, but were kind of glad to get the heck out of dodge, seeing as the police were now involved.

On the way out of Sandusky we stopped by their Carnegie library. This beautiful library was opened on 1901, and it had all the great woodwork, stained glass windows and cool reading rooms you'd expect. I love big, stand alone, Carnegie libraries. We didn't spend long, but it seemed like they had good resources and maybe a partnership with Cleveland libraries. They also had Ready to Read kits that focused on one specific skill and age level, that could be taken home. A nice idea.

We kept driving south into Bucyrus, stopping at Coopers Mill where they made fresh cider and just about any flavor of jam, jelly, relish or pickle you can think of. We hopped onto a little tour group of the place, but hopped back out again after seeing the factory end where they were making pumpking butter. Tasting stuff was frankly more exciting. We ended up getting pumpkin butter and this really, awesomely delicious Vidalia onion relish. Must be eaten with the one you love, though.

Next we stopped by the D. Picking Company, which is the last hand hammered copper kettle maker in America. They've been around since 1875, and I don't think much has changed since the advent of elecriticy.

Yes, that is a wall calendar from 1913. The whole, small factory is a reminder of what people have been accomplishing for years with a whole heck of a lot of hard work, and very little other help. Seriously, this looked like hot, hard work. By far the coolest thing we saw.

After Bucyrus, we went through Marion - tried to visit the popcorn cart exhibit at their historical society, but it was closed. Tried to visit the Warren G. Harding House, but it was closed, too. So, we had no choice. It was time to go home.