Weekend getaway - day 1

My SO and I decided we needed to get out of town for a few days. Initially, we planned to go to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, but I've already been there and it is a six hour drive. Then my SO's barber suggested Columbus, Ohio. Three hours on the road is better than six, plus we each had things we wanted to do there.

But first, we had to deal with the weather. My last two trips were cancelled, one due to illness, the other because of Hurricane Sandy. When the forecast for last Friday mentioned sleet and freezing rain, I was a bit perturbed. But we were heading south-ish, plus nice weather was to follow. And we were in no hurry, so we stopped for breakfast in Decatur.



I would have taken a picture of my meal, but we all know what eggs over easy and sausage look like (plus fried potatoes, a short stack of pancakes, and OJ - we did not stop for lunch). Oddly, the menu described my meal as having two eggs, but there were three. Maybe arithmetic is not the cooks' strong suit, or they are just generous.



The restaurant had obviously been a fast food joint in a previous lifetime; the waitress enlightened us as to which one: Hardee's. (Notice the snow - it was really ice covered slush.)

We drove slowly to Dublin, OH, but we still arrived too soon to check into the Hampton Inn. A cup of coffee seemed in order, so we stopped at La Chatelaine, where I discovered that, while I work with people from India, Latvia, and Switzerland, I found a French accent difficult to decipher.



That did not stop us from enjoying some "sugars" with our coffee.



Of course, I had to use my phone to check for local yarn shops, and there was one a few blocks away, called Knitting Temptations.



It was a little embarrassing, but I became the customer of the hour while people admired my scarf and sweater. So, of course, I had to make some purchases: sock yarn, some locking markers (I've been using paper clips), and a copy of The Spinner's Companion.

By now we could check into the hotel, where we took a little nap before foraging for supper. Despite Dublin's Irish heritage, we were not able to find an Irish pub, so we settled for the Dublin Village Tavern.



We just had to try the Irish Egg Roll, which I thought tasted a little fishy, so I am going to blame that for the heartburn that kept me awake most of the night. Ugh. An aside: My SO and I discuss traveling abroad someday, but he is a picky eater and I am not, so he would probably starve while I would be sick the entire time.

After eating, it was still light out, so we explored a bit, finding our way down to the Kiwanis Riverway Park.



It was a bit soggy down there, but enchanting and inviting.



It was made more enchanting by the letterboxes. I don't know much about letterboxing, but this is the second time in recent sojourns that we have come across them. Maybe it can become my new hobby.



(Like I need another hobby.)



On our way down to the river, we passed a house with a tidy garden on the side. They also had a bee hive in the front yard (the photo was too blurry to save).



And thus ended our first day on our trip to Columbus, which we had yet to reach. Dublin has made an effort to revitalize the downtown area, with many of the quaint buildings marked as historic sites. Rock walls abound, making everything look New England-y. We were pleasantly surprised.

More to come.