Cooling off

Bernie spent today weeding out a vegetable garden for Julie. It took pretty much all day.

Mar did the laundry today. She found a tv in the house where she could watch her favorite channel, the Food Network, and disappeared for most of the day.

When Bernie was almost done with the garden, Mar picked up a pitchfork to help her finish up.

When the job was done and they were all sweaty and tired, they sat down by the pool, stuck their feet in the water, and had a margarita to cool off.

Later Julie and her nephew knocked on Bella’s door. Bernie sat outside with them as they talked about RVing and all kinds of things.

Dish for Bella

Today we had to go grocery shopping so we went to the Walmart in Ottawa OH. Now that we are trying to eat healthy our shopping list is a little different than before. Shopping takes a little longer while we read and compare labels.

Next we headed to meet new folks in Dupont OH, about 15 minutes away. Dupont is a really small town, the whole town is about 15 blocks, with one traffic light, and no businesses. Julie and Gene emailed us to offer us their extra satellite dish, tripod, and receiver that they no longer need. It is all about six months old. This is great for us!

As we pulled into their driveway the first thing we saw was their rig, it is a huge 42 feet class A motorhome. We got the tour and were amazed at how much room there is, our Bella could fit in there a few times!

The town of Dupont is having a community garage sale this weekend. We sat outside with Julie getting to know each other, while people came by for her sale. It was a nice day to just sit and relax in the afternoon sun.

Julie's teenage daughter needed the battery cables cleaned in her car so Bernie did that for her. Then Juile and Gene bought us dinner, their daughter went to get wings for everyone.

After dinner, Bernie went with them to the house of Julie's sister, two doors down, to learn how to use a land level. On the way back Gene mentioned going to get ice cream. You should have seen the smile on Bernie’s face. They went to Twister’s and brought home a chocolate sundae for Mar.

Julie and her family are all very nice. It has been a pleasure to be here and meet them. Tomorrow Julie has some work for Bernie so it looks like we will stay a couple of days.

Tolerance

Today we drove north about an hour to Wapakoneta OH and found a place called the Temple of Tolerance. We were not exactly sure what we were going to see but with that name we knew we had to check it out. www.narrowlarry.com/nltot.html

It is amazing what people can do with their backyards. This temple is a huge backyard converted through years of labor and love, into a space to slow down and explore. As you meander down pathways you find all kinds of structures made out of found objects, everything from bowling balls to a metal door once used in a prison.

Along the way there are several places you can just sit to enjoy. This labyrinth back yard is covered in some places with vines so thick you can't even see the sky and in others it is wide open. There are a series of iron gates taking you into the next section and then the next. We had a wonderful time here.

Then we drove north about an hour and half to Continental OH. As we drove it seemed the towns kept getting smaller and smaller. Once we stopped we scoped out a small park to park for the night. It was a beautiful night with a slight breeze so we decided to sit outside and eat dinner in the park gazebo.

Movie special

We went to Curves today and spoke with the owners who were very helpful and answered all our questions. They spent a lot of time explaining how things work and how things are done at Curves. It was very helpful information and much needed advice. We just need to figure out how to make it work for us on the road.

The Curves we went to is located at 4479 Far Hills in Kettering, OH, just outside Dayton OH.

To escape the heat, this evening we found a movie theater that has a Tuesday special and all movies are $1.75. At that price we decided on two, which took up our evening and the warmest part of the day. www.danbarry.com

Then we found parking in an empty lot across from the movies and stayed for the night.

Clifton Gorge

We woke today in our secret garden with the sound of silence all around us. After our cup of coffee we started getting ready to go.

Cheryl asked Bernie to show her how to use her propane camping stove and how to set up her tent by herself. Then David and Cheryl gave us some items from their garage sale, including a toaster oven. It takes up most of our counter space but may be more useful to us than the propane stove.

We were finally ready to say goodbye. We climbed in Bella and were off to see Clifton Gorge at John Bryan State Park, about twenty minutes away.

We found the stairs down to the gorge and hiked for about an hour along the river. This is a beautiful, peaceful place. We found our way to a spot near the river where Mar sat for a rest while Bernie explored the water.

After this we drove another twenty minutes to go see the Meyers Medical Clinic in Dayton OH, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. There was no mistaking his building, it bore many typical characteristics of FLW’s designs. We enjoyed identifying some of those, such as his use of horizontal lines, glass corners, and geometric shapes and angles.

Next we decided to find a gym because we want to start working out. This will be good for Bernie's cholesterol and for us in general. We found a local gym where Bernie got a guess pass, used a couple of the machines, and took a shower.

Next we located a Curves nearby. It was already closed so we parked here for the night, and will check it out tomorrow.

Raspberries and fireflies

Mar woke up early and happy, she gets so excited every time we go see a house by Frank Lloyd Wright. Last night we were able to park pretty close to the house so we just walked there when it was time for our tour.

Once there we found out we were the only ones on this tour, what a treat for us. The Westcott house is a prairie style house, much different from the other FLW houses we’ve seen. www.westcotthouse.org

The house has a slight Asian feel on the outside. The inside is done in wood and colored plaster walls. We learned about FLW’s innovative use of rainwater. He designed an elaborate system to funnel the water back to the house. This is quite interesting since this system is used today in many green buildings.

After this we drove about five miles to the home of Cheryl and David. Cheryl had sent us an email to invite us to raid their garden and park in their driveway.

We arrived in the early evening and they were very kind and welcoming. After connecting the water and electric, they took us for a walk on their ten acres of land. Then they took us to their garden, where we were able to pick green peppers, squash, rhubarb, lettuce, raspberries, beets, chives, and all kinds of goodies.

Then Cheryl showed us her secret camping place, where we could have a fire, sit and relax. Cheryl surprised us by bringing out some chicken breasts to cook over the grill with all our veggies. We sat around in this small fort like place enjoying the lovely evening while getting to know each other. The weather was perfect for sitting outside. Even the bugs didn’t bother us too much.

After dinner Cheryl and David invited us into their home for dessert. We had vanilla ice cream with fresh raspberries from their garden. It was delicious and refreshing.

Then they gave us the tour of their home, which was built in 1890. It is a beautiful house with great historic touches. They have lived here for over thirty years. Mar had started the laundry earlier and it was now done.

With our clean laundry we went back to Bella. We are parked in a small field next to the house, with pear trees and a big beautiful red barn. There are tons of fireflies everywhere and the stars are bright in the sky. Life is grand!

More fireworks

Today we woke up to drizzling rain. We took the movie back to RedBox and rented another one because we got a code for a free rental because of the holiday weekend. Then we took off towards Springfield OH, about an hour away.

On the way we stopped at an Amish store to look around. They had lots of wood furniture and lovely home decor. Then we drove through a small town that seemed interesting so we decided to stop to go explore.

We went around the block to park behind the main street shops and to our surprise there were murals on the back of the buildings. These were done very well, huge and colorful, and were quite interesting.

We then walked Main Street in Yellow Springs OH. Most of the businesses were closed because of the holiday but we found both a bookstore and a coffee shop that were open. The town seems interesting and modern, with a big emphasis on green living and artful expression. I turned out to be pretty cool for an unexpected stop along the way.

We made it to Springfield and found the Frank Lloyd Wright house where we have reservations for a tour tomorrow.

We found parking just around the corner and had a big, yummy salad for dinner. Then we heard fireworks going off and got to watch another fireworks show tonight!

Fireworks

We spent a wonderful, relaxing day in the parking lot of the plaza where we found the Joseph Beth Bookstore. The bookstore itself was amazing and so pretty. It is a huge store, with all kinds of great things to look at, not just books. We spent quite some time just looking around this store. www.josephbeth.com

Then Mar went back to Bella to do her computer work while Bernie went to explore the rest of the plaza.

When Bernie got back we decided to hit the road. Just as we left there we spotted a Bonefish Restaurant, which is where Mar had wanted to go for her birthday dinner but we could not find one before. We decided to go to this one because we have been wanting to eat more fish. The food was amazing in a great atmosphere, and it was very nice to just sit and relax.

When we left there we drove north about half an hour to Lebanon OH. As we were driving we got to see several fireworks along the way.

In Lebanon we stopped at Walmart to pick up some things. Then we decided to just get a movie from RedBox and stay in the Walmart parking lot for the night. We sat and watched the fireworks in the distance here too.

The weather has been wonderful lately, we have not needed the AC at all. There has been a slight cool breeze during the days and at night there is a bit of a chill in the air.

Burger and no salsa

Today we awoke in this tiny village with the cutest streets. The downtown is so very quaint, with beautiful buildings in older styles but with fresh coats of paint and lots of greenery. The streets are brick and the whole town makes you feel as if you've stepped back in time.









First we went to visit The Sanctuary of Nancy Noel, housed in a beautiful old church. Every wall is covered with the artist’s paintings, her specialty are portraits of children and animals. They have a restaurant that serves beautifully decorated fine chocolates and desserts. www.nanoel.com

After taking in the art we decided to walk the streets. It was a slightly chilly day, reminding us of fall weather, which makes it perfect for walking around town. We saw several small shops and then stumbled upon a coffee house.

We went in to check it out and were pleasantly surprised to find out it was their happy hour. We were able to try two different iced coffees for the price of one. We got one eagle mocha and one regular mocha. They were both very good and refreshing. www.eaglecreekcoffee.com

On our way back to Bella, Bernie spotted an art gallery and decided to peak in. Salem Art Gallery is full of vivid and brilliant colors that just seem to take you away to faraway tropical beaches. Bernie spent some time talking with the couple who run the shop, Bob and Lanita Salem. www.salemartreproductions.com

Then we left Zionsville and drove southeast for two hours to Cincinnati OH. We headed to Terry's Turf Club for the best burger in Ohio, according to the Food Network Magazine.



When we got there the line was out the door. It was almost 8 pm and when we asked how long the wait would be, they said at least an hour. We decided to wait. We figured if the locals are willing to wait for this burger, we must be in for a real treat.




We sat outside to wait. To help pass the time we sipped a Margarita while shelling peanuts. Terry’s Turf Club is a small place, with seating for only 40 people. An hour later, we got to our table.

With peanut shells all over the floor and neon lights blinking away on every wall, we placed our order for a burger with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, and a wine and mushroom sauce. We were already being bad so we decided to forgo the fries.

The place was so crowded and the noise level so loud, it was really hard to carry on a conversation. We were starving by the time our burger came. This is one big burger, and not the greatest but it was pretty good. We don't think we would wait two hours for it again.

It was just past 10 pm when we left there. We drove ten minutes to Fountain Square in downtown to see if we could catch at least the end of the salsa concert there tonight. As we drove by we got to listen to the last song of the night.

We decided go to the Staples parking lot for free wi-fi. On the way there, we passed a bookstore with free wi-fi so we stopped there instead and parked for the night. www.josephbeth.com

More Benadryl

Today we drove about fifteen minutes to City Market in Indianapolis IN. The website said they were open till 6 pm and we were disappointed to see row after row of empty booths.

Lucky for us one of the few still open was a produce stand. We purchased some arugula and an avocado. Then we walked the rest of the empty market till we made our way back out. www.indycm.com

Next we drove about ten minutes to the White River State Park and went to the visitor center there. This is a huge suburban park with lots to look at. We had decided to get our bikes down to take a look around the park, when it started to rain. We were so bummed out. It would have been a perfect place to ride our bikes. www.discovercanal.com

Bernie is out of Benadryl and since we also needed some groceries, we headed out to find a Walmart. There Bernie talked to the pharmacist about the rash on her face but she didn’t have any new or different advice.

We got the Benadryl, a few groceries, a movie from RedBox and headed out. We drove north for about 20 minutes to Zionsville IN. We found parking behind some shops, had our dinner, and watched the movie. We can't wait to go out exploring tomorrow.

One more night

The weather has definitely changed in our favor. We are able to plug in at Camping World but we don't even need to turn on the air conditioner. We were even a bit chilly during the night last night. But no complaints from us, we are happy to have the change in temperature.

We don’t know if it was the recent heat, but Bernie has a rash of some kind on her face. The itching is driving her crazy. She has taken some Benadryl and it seems to help a bit, but the rash won’t go away.

Bernie went into Camping World with some questions about the stuff we need for Bella. She looked around, got some prices, and some suggestions. They don’t have the mirror and they recommended silicone for the leak in the shower. The problem is that the last time she used silicone it only took a few months for it to start peeling off.

By then it was getting late in the day so we decided to stay in the Camping World parking lot one more night. We had to return the movie to RedBox so we did that and then came right back to our spot.

We met Jeff, the general manager for this Camping World. He was very nice and we had a nice chat. Then we settled in for the night and had another healthy meal for our dinner.

A little cooler

This morning we found out we were at the wrong post office and were given directions to the right one. On our way there we dropped off the RedBox movies at the same McDonald’s we got them from.

After getting our mail we drove north three hours to Greenwood IN. There we went to Camping World. They were already closed when we got there so we’ll stay here tonight and ask tomorrow about a replacement mirror for Bella.

The weather seems to be shifting and there is a definite coolness in the breeze. We are so happy for this.

Bernie found out recently that her cholesterol is a little high so we are trying to eat healthier. Tonight we had brown rice with squash, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms. It was pretty good.

Then we watched the movie we got from RedBox tonight and settled in for the night.

The mirror is gone

Today was a perfect day to walk around Frankfort Avenue. We just happened upon this interesting area of Louisville KY, with many small shops to visit. Bernie ventured out early to walk around.

First she went to the corner bookstore. Charmichael’s Bookstore is small and very cute with a great selection of books. Bernie purchased the Sunday paper then headed to the coffee shop next door. www.carmichaelsbookstore.com

Heine Brothers’ Coffee is an eclectic and fun place. Just like a coffee shop should look, smell, and feel like. She got an iced coffee and then went back to Bella. www.heinebroscoffee.com

A little later Bernie went back to explore some more and found a consignment shop and a wine shop. The cashier at the wine shop mentioned a restaurant nearby that had been on the Throwdown show on the Food Network. We looked it up online and it sounded good so we decided to go there for dinner.

Lynn’s Paradise Café is quite a whimsical place. Fun is written all over the inside and out. We had the Hoppin Juan, their unique version of nachos with black beans and sweet mango salsa. Mar liked it more than Bernie did. www.lynnsparadisecafe.com

When we came out from the restaurant we were surprised to find Bella’s drivers side mirror smashed. Someone from the shop across the street came out to tell us that it had been a U-haul that knocked our mirror off and also the mirror of the Honda parked in front of us. They never even stopped.

Bernie cleaned up the glass off the street and then taped a small hand held mirror in place for now, until we can figure out what to do to get it fixed.

We then drove north about 20 minutes to Clarksville IN. We got a couple of movies from RedBox, found the post office, and parked for the night. It seems to be a little less warm tonight, maybe it is finally starting to cool off a bit, thank goodness.

A second look

We took our time getting started today, we spent some time relaxing while looking up things to do in the area. Since we are so close to Kentucky, we decided to go to Louisville.

We had the address to two farmers markets that were open today till 7 pm. The first one was in the downtown YMCA parking lot, but it was already closed when we got there. So we went to the next one, about 20 minutes away and got some produce.

Then we went to W.W. Cousins, listed in the Food Network Magazine as the best burger in Kentucky. You order at the counter, wait for them to call your name, and then you take your burger to the toppings bar, with lots of goodies for you to choose from. It was a good burger, but not the best in our book.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Louisville-KY/W-W-Cousins/111120548823

Then we drove around downtown Louisville admiring the buildings and the sidewalk art sculptures. There are life sized horses in almost every corner, all painted in different colors and patterns. We saw a parked limo completely covered in red shiny stones. It was so funky, we had to drive around the block to go back and take a second look.

Then we went to Fourth Street, a restaurant and shopping complex, where we walked round for a bit. www.4thstlive.com

Then we went to Waterfront Park, a huge park right on the Ohio River, with lots of different areas. We went to the waterplay area and got in the water up to our knees, joining all the kids there who were having so much fun. www.louisvillewaterfront.com

After that we got a movie from RedBox and parked for the night behind some cute shops on Frankfort Avenue to go exploring tomorrow.