OH-HI-OH!

Day 1

I am sitting at a picnic table at Pymatuning (Pie-Mah-Tune-Ing) State Park located in North Eastern Ohio. It's dusk. We are facing east and our campsite (#388) over looks a pristine lake with a small island about a quarter of a mile off shore. We were tempted to swim to the island but realized we would probably not make it. Jack is sitting on a rock by the water side meditating and I am doing some writing. I feel  completely relaxed in my new surroundings and hope that this feeling lasts for the remainder of the trip.

The ride here was good for the most part. We hit traffic on 80 west several times due to lanes being closed but we arrived later in the afternoon and were able to stop and pick up some groceries. The camp office was very nice and understanding about us being a day late, and in all honesty we lucked out. We think we may have the best spot out of the entire campground! A panoramic view of lake Pymatuning, a clear dirt spot under some tall sturdy trees and also a large patch of grass which we played frisbee on after dinner. Dinner consisted of vegetable lentil soup, cabot cheddar cheese, and some crusty french rolls. It was delicious. Setting up the stove and using our new pots (thanks mom and dad!) was simple, and actually more spacious than Jack's studio apartment.

There's a family with their young kids laughing paddling along the shore, all in their bright orange vests. They are our camping neighbors and earlier in the evening Jack helped the young ones collect sticks for their campfire. Other than them, it's very quiet and serene.

Well, it's time to go to get some rest and listen to the lake waves slopping against the shore...

(continued)

Hello and good morning. The first night of camping was interesting to say in the least. We were hit by some heavy wind and rain which kept me awake for most of the evening. I was having trouble sleeping anyway, due to the new noises occurring around me and was slightly relived when it did start to rain so that I could wake Jack up. We laid in bed for a bit talking about our trip which was nice and calming. Our bed setup to our surprise is very comfy! We have an air mattress and layer an L.L. Bean  sleeping bag on top of it to add some cushioning and it makes for a good bed.

Today we stopped in Cleveland on the way to Indiana and hit up a local joint by the name of Johnny Mangos which was featured in the Lonely Planet US guide. The food and atmosphere were pretty good and the local wait staff all looked like they hailed from Williamsburg, so naturally we felt at home.

Alas we had to "Flee the Clev" and head to Indiana!

Veggie Lentil Soup w/ Cheese and Bread

If Toyota wants to sponsor us, we'd be okay with that.

PICTURES! located at Flickr.