Tom and I had a fun three days on our “weekend” back in Ohio.  We weren’t really home for much of that time, but we got everything done on our to-do list.

We drove up to Ohio on Tuesday morning and afternoon.  We decided to take a back way, missing Cincinnati.  Although Cincinnati is a nice city, it can be a pain to drive through.  Instead, we took US 68 from Lexington, Kentucky, and then US 62 up to Columbus.  It took about 40 minutes more, but was much prettier and less stressful.  And it took us by Blue Licks State Park.

We got to Columbus about 4 p.m. and went straight to Easton to pick up some jeans at LL Bean for my dad for Father’s Day.  After that we swung by one of our favorite restaurants, Teriyaki Madness, and picked up some supper.  Then home.  While we ate supper and watched tv, I did the laundry.  We have two loads of laundry every week and it needs to be done wherever we are.  When we are at Cumberland Gap we have to go to the Campground store and sit around waiting for it.  So it was nice to just be able to throw it in the machine at home.

Continuing our fun three days in Ohio, we had breakfast with John and Jackie at First Watch, Tom’s pick for his birthday and Father’s Day.  It was good to see them and catch up, and breakfast was, of course, delicious.  From there we did a few errands in the area, including picking up some no-salt turkey and cheese from Kroger.  Although we have a Kroger in Middlesboro, Kentucky, they don’t carry the no-salt deli meats.

I had a follow-up visit with my dermatologist late that morning.  She had found a spot on my leg that she didn’t like at my annual appointment in May.  When she saw that it was still there in June, she took a biopsy.  Painless and quick.

After the dermatologist, we headed up to Mansfield to see Mom and Dad.  They had a list of things for us to do and we were glad to spend the time with them.  We went for a drive to a greenhouse in Plymouth.  The greenhouse was getting ready to close for a month and selling out of all their plants for the time being.  Mom found some flowers that she wanted around the house and Dad picked out some as well.  The greenhouse was fun because it had giant wind chimes.  Being a windy day, we could hear their deep bong all over the grounds.

Finished at the greenhouse, we headed back to Mansfield to plant and water the pretty flowers.  Mom has a green thumb and her plants always grow beautifully.  We played dominoes and then went out for dinner at Bob Evans.  By the time Tom and I got home, we were worn out!  It was a long day but full of people we love.

The last of our fun three days was spent doing errands and heading back to Kentucky.  I was able to get a walk in at Char-Mar Park before we started driving.  On my walk I spotted a wild turkey with three chicks along the bike trail.  Bonus!  Back home, we loaded up, picked up drugs at Walgreens, then returned one pair of jeans to LL Bean.  With that finished, we headed south again.

Although we stopped for leg stretches, we didn’t really take a break until we got to Corbin, Kentucky.  It was early for supper, but we decided we could share a brisket grilled cheese sandwich at Sonny’s BBQ in Corbin.  We hadn’t been there for two years and remember that sandwich as being delicious.

Unfortunately, when we looked at the menu, there wasn’t a brisket grilled cheese sandwich listed.  We were so disappointed and were debating getting something else or just leaving.  You know how it is when you get your mind – and mouth – set on having something.  I asked the young woman at the cash register about it and she said, “Oh, we can make that for you!”  Turns out that they took it off the chain menu, but it is so popular in Corbin that they still offer it.  If you know to ask for it.

We ordered a brisket grilled cheese to go and then ate it in the car as we continued to head toward Middlesboro.  It was just as good as we remembered.  And, because we shared it, we didn’t feel guilty about eating out four times in three days.

Our fun three days in Ohio was a flying trip filled with fun and family.  We enjoyed every minute.  We even had time to do some weeding and yard work at home (on Tuesday night until it got dark).  Although we did feel like we needed an extra day just to rest up when we got back.