The first day out was pretty uneventful. And that’s a good thing. We had gorgeous weather.  At least I think we did.  While the sky was blue, the inside of the car sounded like we were driving through a torrential downpour. A little detective work revealed that it was the nonslip mat of the cartop carrier flapping against the roof of the car. Now we know what it is.  But we just don’t know what to do with it. We’re hoping that we’ll get used to hearing it soon and won’t notice it.

Our first day of driving took us to Shadyside, Ohio where we spent the evening with family. Good food, lots of laughter and a chance to catch up. It was the perfect stop.  Thanks for a great dinner Roberta!

One of the big selling points for this trip was the opportunity to get reacquainted with John after all his time away. John’s year in Texas has certainly had an impression on him.  He came home with cowboy boots, a belt buckle half the size of Texas and, more to the point, a love of country music.  This is the kid who used to have a bumper sticker that read “Stop Inbreeding. Ban Country Music”.  Now he has his own playlist.  And he knows the lyrics!

This morning we will have breakfast with more family and then hit the road for Indianapolis.