Trip #3- Day 3.

Oh home, how I've missed you.  This is the only thing I could think of when I awoke with every single muscle in my body aching.  This bed was pure torture on me.  Once again I grumble to myself as I get out of bed and get dressed. 

We pack up the Yaris for the last time this weekend and check out.  I beg my darling boyfriend to go back to Traders World.  I know, I should of had enough the first day.  But I really wanted to get some extensions for my hair.  I'm so sick of it being drab.  So we pick up some brown lucious locks for my scalp and hit the road.  We are so exhilerated to leave the state of Ohio and cross back into Indiana, we actually may have given Ohio the middle finger.  Sorry to all the cool cities that I'm sure exist somewhere, but Dayton gives you a bad name. 

We go off route a bit to check out Philadelphia, Indiana.  I found it on my handy dandy atlas Friday night when I was checking out the route and could NOT pass it up.  It is a tiny po-dunk town just past Greensburg.  We found a beat down motel for sale and I vow to go back and build it up to it's former glory.  Jerry suggests we name it "It's always sunny."  Bonus points if you understand that.  Once back on the highway we come across a candle outlet/Ford museum.  The museum was filled with old Model-Ts, everything from a fire truck, ambulence, farming truck, snow plow, race car and camper.  It was a pretty cool gig for $2 to break up the drive home.  We pulled in the driveway about 7pm...I walked in the house, put my stuff away and relaxed with my girls.  I think a sign of Mandy getting old is that I was more excited to be home than to leave.  Let's hope this doesn't become a trend :)  Well thanks for reading once again...

Trip #3- Day 2. 5 down. 87 to go.

I lay in bed and listen to the alarm scream at me. Bastard, I don't want to be up this early. After staring at the wall for five minutes I decide to get my lazy bum out of bed, hop in the shower and get ready for the days shenanigans. We check out and head towards Dayton about 8:30. We could not stop laughing as we hit miles and miles of Tom Raper signs. This guy has RVs, homes, and truck parts. I'm not trying to be full of hate, but if my last name were Raper, I would not advertise it. Just sayin. Full of excitement, we inch closer to the next Johnny destination. In my mind I imagine Dayton as a close relative to Indianapolis, a smaller big city. When we pull into town I am full of disbelief of how quiet and bare the streets look. Now is the part where you look away if you are a fan of Dayton, or Ohio in that matter....you have been forewarned. Dayton sucks.

Seriously folks, we wandered around the supposedly "hot spot" of Dayton for about two hours waiting for the shops to open. Everything was closed and the streets were bare. We stopped in a liquor store/deli and I asked the young man what was good with Dayton. To which he replied "Nothing." Great, this trip is off to a fantastic start. Around noon the sleepy town starts to awaken, bodies appear on the sidewalks and the doors open for business. I picked up a couple new albums for my record collection including Dolly Parton, Conway Titty and Loretta Lynn duets, a Johnny album I don't currently own and and last but not least a Kenny Rogers album that supposedly has a history with my parents. Jerry picks up Aerosmith, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd and a couple others I can't recollect at the moment. We hit up a vintage 50's clothes store called Feathers, the Goodwill and decide that there is nothing else in this area. Lets wander the city.

After riding in circles for about a half hour we find the baseball stadium and take a couple pics. With this city failing to keep my attention we agree Cincinnati would be a great destination. Hop on I-70 to I-75 South. Now if you are my true friend, compadre, partner in crime, or just a really good acquaintance you know I absolutely heart anything kitschy. For those of you new to my world here's a quick definition...
Kitsch (kch) 1. Sentimentality or vulgar, often pretentious bad taste, especially in the arts.

So the plans to hit Cincinatti were slightly derailed when we crept up on this wonderfully tacky flea market. My world was turned upsdie down once I came across Traders World. This unique flea market is decorated with giant cement giraffes, ducks, buffalo, frogs, etc. The sheer "wow" factor of the outside made my toes curl in excitement. This very thing made up for Dayton sucking. Filled with generic tools, hats, car accessories, clothes, toys, sports memoribillia, restaurants, a pony ride, and a carousel among many other things. The madness sprawled over twelve different builidings, both inside and out. I cannot begin to explain the hilbillies that surrounded us, it seriously put People of Walmart to shame! We spent about 4 hours getting lost while picking up a Rte. 66 sign and some kettle corn that was addicting like cocaine.

After hours of overbearing excitement the nearest motel was calling our names. We headed out to the Economy Inn, dropped off our bags and headed out for a bite to eat. The county brochure recommended we try out Riverside Cafe in Hamilton, OH. We did, it was okay. The best part about it was watching Jerry make this lil old mans day by discussing sports. I concentrated on the beer in front of me. We then hit up an Irish "Pub" across the street from our motel. It was more of a sports bar but seduced our appetites with some wonderful burgers and beer. Much more my pace than the upscale bar with $5 beers. This called it a night and we head back to the motel for a good nights sleep.

Trip #3- Day 1.

I pull up to the house with a surge of panic running through my veins.  Damn to-do list.  Take the dogs out, empty the dryer, put the clean dishes away, make the bed, make the guest bed, feed the dogs, pack my bags, pack the cooler and nag the boy to get ready in a proficient manner.  Using my new domesticated super powers I knock them out one-by-one and burst out the door in a frenzy.  Jerry grabs our mega-can of change and we head to the nearest Coinstar to help fund the newest Johnny trip.  After joyfully losing the bet of how much we have saved up, we hit the road with an extra $55 in our pockets.  After a quick stop at the gas station to feed the Yaris, we hit the road about 6:30pm. 

After a boring 3 hour drive on I-65 South we jump onto I-70 East towards Ohio.  By now Mandy has sleepy eyes and is ready to find somewhere for the night.  We get off in Greenfield, check in at the Dollar Inn and plop down on the bed.  It's only 10:30(eastern time) but I am exhausted.  After eating some sandwiches from the cooler and laughing at the always ridiculous Bill Maher, it's snooze time.