Road Trip

Whoa Whoa Whoa! I am just back from a week-long road trip with my husband and father-in- law. We drove 2300 miles round trip to visit my father in law's brother in Kentucky and our friends in the Cincinnati area of northern Kentucky. Sound terrible? It wasn't. We left northern New England covered in snow passing through Mass, CT,PA,MD,WV & KY. It was soooo beautiful. The country side was Spring green everywhere we went. The flowering trees were in bloom: peach, pear, dogwood and red bud. It was such a treat. The skies were heavenly blue with only one rainy day. We visited the Cincinnati Flower Show with its imaginative landscape designs, table setting florals and beautifully cultivated flowers, tschotchke stands and Chef's Pavilion. We drove all over Cincinnati, once a run down city full of racial problems; now a vital and energetic downtown with incredible venues, restaurants, statues,fountains and rehabbed neighborhoods. The Ohio River is clean now; you can eat the fish you catch in it.

We went to a baseball game at the new stadium: Great American Ballpark. It was fantastic. Got to see the Dodgers beat the Reds and Nomar Garciaparra adjusting his gloves and Joe Torre's new management of the team and Ken Griffey Jr and home runs and fireworks and beer and peanuts and all that great stuff. The four of us had a HUGE family, probably 10 of them, sitting behind us; each member louder than the next with that real gritty Kentucky accent. There were two, maybe three adults and the rest were kids ranging in age from 3 up. I kept referring to them as the Bumpeses (from A Christmas Story). Between the kids running up and down the aisles, kicking the backs of our chairs, whining, crying and having to go to the bathroom and the parents either ignoring, cajoling or telling them to "Shut up!" repeatedly, it was truly a memorable night.

Best two outcomes of the trip: our 90 year old uncle seeing his 83 year old brother and 50ish nephew for what could be the last time; visiting friends with whom we are truly comfortable. It was a long drive but I'd do it again tomorrow.