Mid-West Trip

Shortly after the Ocean Shores Half-Iron last July, I flew back to the mid-west for a family reunion and some capitols. My daughter, son, and I all flew into Cinncinati and got a Ford Fusion rental and stayed at a Hilton in downtown Cinncinati. The next morning I got up before the kids and ran from the hotel over a blue bridge into Kentucky and did 3 miles in Kentucky and then back over a pedestrian bridge and past Great American Ballpark on Pete Rose Way and back to the hotel. It was 90+ degrees already and I was wiped out. Checked out and headed for Frankfort to see the capitol building. First we stopped in downtown Frankfort to eat lunch at Rick's White Light Diner which has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and other travel shows. Good food and he (Rick) was very entertaining. Then to the capitol building, it was 104 degrees by then. Beautiful building and we toured everything we could and then headed for Ohio. Took back roads and crossed the Ohio river at Maysville and back roads to Columbus where we checked into the Doubletree downtown on the river. They upgraded us to a top floor 2-story suite- it was very nice! The next morning I got up and ran the river path in Columbus. Then we toured the capitol building and it had a really nice gift shop. We were going to go to the Ohio art museum, but black clouds were rolling in, so we sat in the nice huge suite and watched the storm. That night we drove to a suburb and had dinner with my ex-sister in law and her husband. The next day we drove to Michigan. On the way I saw we were passing the Ohio state highpoint, so we stopped and I got my 2nd state highpoint (Oregon's Mt Hood is the other). Then spent 3 days in Michigan visiting family and eating tons of food. Then we drove down to Indianapolis and stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown. Met up with Susan and toured the capitol (picture is inside by the rotunda). Then visited with her and her sister and went to dinner with them at an Italian place downtown. The next morning I got up and ran the river path downtown. Then drove down to Cinncinati and flew home.