We drove into Ohio around 5 PM. We had been communicating with Martha Martha since our departure and planned to visit her in Amherst, West of Cleveland on Lake Erie. It was only a little over 100 miles as the crow flies, but Route 6 took a sharp turn South for 30 miles before heading West again.
We were being directed through Cleveland by the atlas. It had been awhile since we had been in a larger city on Route 6. I had always expected some stop and go, but East Cleveland brought so much more. We were stopping and going every block. It was taking so long that by time we were in the center of East Cleveland, it was getting dark.
East Cleveland did not appear to be a place to drive through while it was dark. Tom made note that the area appeared to be bombed out. Some buildings were vacant along the route, as well as some being in disrepair, aka condemned. If ever there was a need for urban renewal, this was one. It was sad to see. Many of the buildings that were still standing looked like they were beautiful in their day.
We kept on traveling as the clock ticked along. I must admit, this was one spot on Route 6 that we jumped off and hopped onto the interstate. I-90 was always there, following along just less than a mile away. It was the best decision as Martha was still a good hour away and we were getting hungry. Very hungry.
We found Martha's house and was greeted by her at the door. We tried to keep the dogs in the car for a short bit, as we often did at new homes, until we knew what issues may arise. They had been in the car for a long drive and they were anxious to get out. So anxious, they pushed me out of the way when I was getting something from the back seat. They were happy to be out of the car and immediately ran to the front stoop as if saying, "We're Home!"
Martha has two dogs of her own and we all felt it was best to go in the backyard for the dogs to meet. It was dark and late. All four dogs ran around and barked and sniffed, causing the dogs next door to bark and whine. Sniff, Pee, Whine, Bark, Sniff, Poop, Bark, Sniff, etc.
The humans went into the house to reconnect and have some nosh. Martha had just pulled off the stove some black bean dip and nachos. Yum! Food! We were hungry. The dogs came in and ran around the house. Kudos to a gracious host, Martha, for allowing such revelry in her home. Oh Oh! Too much revelry. Dogs outside. Whine whine. Dogs inside. etc.
Martha showed us where we would be sleeping. Two comfy beds in the basement. Perfect. We said our goodnights after more chat. We also said our goodbyes in case we left in the early morning, which has been our norm. Humans and dogs went to their respective areas and slept.
We did awaken early. I took the dogs out the side door and into the back yard for their morning pee, trying not to wake up Martha. We packed up the car with our limited amount of items we took out the night before and headed out. I wanted to have the dogs swim in Lake Erie. The lake was once polluted but after some years and a lot of work, was cleaned up.
We were not very far from Lake Erie and Route 6 traveled along the shore for some time. We were looking for some coffee and the Maps App was not helping us much as we were in a tourist spot that offered rentals but no Starbucks. We found ourselves in the City of Vermillion and I saw a sign for Showse Park.
Showse Park had lots of green and was right on the lake. The dogs enjoyed the run and the ball play. We kept on tossing the ball closer and closer towards the water, passing some benches that were used to view the water.
At the edge of the park, there was a cliff that stopped immediate entry to the lake. We had to find another way. Fortunately, there was a man there that walked towards the cliff and then disappeared. He must know where the path is.
I headed toward his direction with the dogs and found the path.
Tom stayed above and took a few shots of us on the shore.
 |
| Get the Ball! |
 |
| Luther Swimming Lake Erie |
 |
| Shot of Tom from Below |
 |
| Tom Walking the Jetty |
 |
| Beautiful Lake Erie |
It was a great morning for the dogs and for us. They got some breakfast when we returned to the car. Tom and I found some coffee in Sandusky, a short drive West of Vermillion. We were still headed into uncharted territory, but we did have a plan. Follow Route 6 towards Jim Farley's childhood home in Peru, Illinois.
P.S. Martha called us around 10:00 AM. She had thought we had slept in and made us some breakfast. Oops. Thank you Martha for a great respite for the TravelingDogs. We look forward to seeing you again, maybe here on the West Coast, so we can return the perfect hospitality.
No comments:
Post a Comment