Miles: 440
Route: Niagara Falls, ON - Cincinnati, OH
In outlining the first few stops of our roadtrip across the US - Lake George, Niagara Falls, Cincinnati, Chicago - a friend remarked that one of these things was not like the others.
(Which one? Niagara Falls because it's in Canada?)
Just kidding. Cincinnati is definitely not going to be a top destination on most sightseeing treks across the country, but home is where the heart (and family) is.
We woke up Saturday in Niagara falls and were out the door by 7:30am. Crossing the border into the US from the Canadian side took about a half hour but luckily our Global Entry status expedited the process (and prevented a search in the car - we weren’t sure if we had to pay extra taxes on the case of wine we bought!).
Even though the weather was overcast, the first four hours of driving went by quickly and by lunchtime we were already in Ohio.
Home sweet home.
Skyline Chili is always a must-stop destination when Alex and I head to my hometown, so we located the nearest location and had a quick and delicious lunch.
100% marriage material. Most non-locals don't really appreciate Skyline but thankfully Alex loves it as much as I do.
By mid-day the sky had started to clear and we were greeted with endless farmland, open spaces and my favorite billboard (halfway between Columbus and Cincinnati if you ever find yourself on I-71).
We have officially reached the heartland. There are actually two billboards and the other one says "How would you spend eternity?" The Ten Commandments are also listed on the other side of the billboards!
A much nicer view.
We arrived at my dad's house by mid-afternoon, giving us time to relax, do some laundry and take a walk in the crisp weather before a big family dinner. It was really nice catching up with everyone over a home-cooked meal, especially after spending two months in South America. Also, my sister Rachel and Uncle Danny were in town for the weekend so we were able to see them too.
On Sunday, Alex convinced my dad to take us as guests to the local JCC for a quick workout. We were amazed at what a "scene" the center was on a weekend morning - definitely just as much socializing as exercising! It felt really good to fit in a little gym time before heading to the Bengals game for beers and fried food.
Getting into the stadium turned into a bit of an adventure as they now prohibit all bags / purses / cases larger than a wallet (unless a completely clear container) but we made it to our seats just in time for kickoff. We had great seats and were pretty happy to be in the shade as the day warmed up.
Great day for a football game. The Ohio University (my sister's alma mater) marching band was the halftime act.
Family shot.
After an impressive Bengals victory over the Falcons, we headed to the Cock & Bull pub to meet my friend Jenny and her boyfriend Bobby for a few drinks. Then it was time for dinner with my mom at one of my favorite spots in Cincinnati, Trio.
It was a great, albeit busy, weekend in Cincinnati and we were glad to spend some quality time with friends and family!