"Foamhenge" near Natural Bridge, VA
Kathleen, Erin and Dyson enjoying the lake
Grant and Erin in Lincoln Park Chicago
Andy on "The Snowbird"
Wheeling, WV bridge over the OH River
We’re back in Doha after a 2 month vacation in the US! It was difficult to come back, but we have lots of great memories to tide us over until we move back to Virginia next summer.
So what did you do this summer? We:
-visited 9 states (Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland), seeing 2 Great Lakes (Michigan and Erie), fields of corn and newly baled hay, cows and horses in rich pastures, rolling hills, valleys, lakes, crossing Mountains (Appalachians), Rivers (Potomac, Ohio, Allegheny, Chicago) and numerous streams. The green soothed my soul.
-attended 3 family reunions (Newcomer, Bennett, Martie) and a wedding.
-ate great German food in Illinois, sausage sandwiches at the Medina County (OH) Fair, Irish Food in Chicago, the best pizza on earth at Marie’s Pizza in Wadsworth, Ohio, great Amish Food at the Amish Door in Ohio, a pig roast at the wedding, great pies at family reunions, our favorite Chinese (Tau Tau in Burke, Virginia),fantastic chocolate fondue, dinner overlooking the Ohio River at the Riverview Restaurant, breakfast at a small café in Sistersville, West Virginia (complete with colorful characters), and lots of pork (chops, bacon sausage, roast) everywhere!
-did lots of genealogy research! My thanks to the friendly and helpful staff at the:
Fairfax County Regional Library, Fairfax, Virginia
Medina County Courthouse, Medina, Ohio
Monroe County Courthouse, Woodsfield, Ohio
Mt. Zwingli Church, Sharon Center, Ohio
Mt. Olive Church and Lee Township, Monroe County, Ohio
and the nice gentleman who, seeing me looking for a grave in the Sharon Center Cemetery, came out with a map and helped me.
-saw a great show (Blue Man Group in Chicago)
visited 2 zoos (Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago and the Living Treasures Animal Park in Donegal, Pennsylvania)
sailed Lake Erie on “The Snowbird”
had pizza, and enjoyed a beautiful summer evening, on a brand new porch
stayed with two friends, two brothers, one sister, and two sets of parents – Thanks!
went diving at a Ohio quarry
visited 2 museums (Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois and Mound Builders in Moundsville, West Virginia)
stayed (and experienced a thunderstorm – complete with loss of electricity) at the Historic Wells Inn in Sistersville, West Virginia (kids thought it was spooky – I loved it!)
ran the river at Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania
crossed the Ohio River on the Sistersville Ferry
spent a great day boating and tubing in Tennessee (beautiful country!)
gambled in Wheeling, West Virginia
visited a Civil War Battlefield and a historic home (Stones River Battlefield and Oaklands, both in Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
attended a fantastic neighborhood 4th of July Celebration, complete with fireworks, BBQ, beer, and a bicycle parade
did lots of shopping (school supplies, clothes, coffee, hot chocolate, Girl and Boy Scout supplies, etc;)
visited 2 college campuses (Virginia Tech and the University of Illinois)
toured a cave, Natural Bridge, and “Foamhenge” (Natural Bridge, Virginia)
walked in the rain (we truly enjoyed it!) at the Holden Arboretum (near Cleveland, Ohio)
learned to play “Rock Band”
enjoyed cutthroat games of euchre and chicken tracks
got skunked! (skunk let loose very close to the house one night, our eyes were watering!)
had fun at amusement and water parks (Waldameer in Erie, Pennsylvania, the Steiner Rec Center pool in Wadsworth, Ohio and The Water Mine in Fairfax, Virginia)
attended the Medina County (Ohio) Fair, riding my first camel(!), seeing all the exhibits, a horse show, the swine judging and a demolition derby (think cars in a mosh pit, or Doha on a Friday night).
Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone, who know who you are, who put up with us, put us up, and made the summer special for our family. We love you all, we miss you all, and we can’t wait to see you again.
