Day 2 - Second stop - Columbus, Ohio

We woke up this morning to 63° and it felt too much like fall for me. A nice, early start on the road gave us plenty of time to rack up over 300 miles today and we now find ourselves planted firmly in a Cabellas' parking lot close to Columbus, Ohio.  

Cabellas near Columbus, Ohio

At one point, I had "G" put on the floor vent for some heat to take the chill out of my toes, another reminder that fall is fast-approaching. A couple of milestones we passed along the way today were the Allegheny River and the highest point east of the Mississippi, which was at mile marker 111 on Route 80 - elevation 2250. Allie made it all the way up without a hitch, even though she is teetering on the heavy side.

We passed mile after mile of beautiful windflowers. A little research led me to discover that in 1982, the Audubon Society partnered with the PA DOT and created a magnificent view for travelers. Some of the wildflowers currently in bloom were, Goldenrod, Cattails, Fairy Wand and Ragweed, to name the few I knew. 

        Beautiful Fairy Wand 

              Goldenrod 

Once Route 80 turns into the Ohio Turnpike, it becomes a toll road. However, on the bright side, for only $20 per night, an RV can pull into one of the many rest stops where electric hook-ups and a dump station are provided. We surely are not in Kansas (NY) anymore. Even with that cool option, we decided to veer off south to Route 71 to avoid the tolls and eventually make our way to Route 70, the major Route just south of 80, which runs directly into Denver. 

The whole trip, the song, "Ohio," by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, kept playing over and over in my head, which caused me to research the awful Kent State College Shootings that left four young, unarmed Americans dead and nine wounded during a protest over Nixon's moving troops into Cambodia. National Guard Troops were called in even before the protests began, because anti Viet Nam Conflict sentiments were high among the kids that were being deployed to fight a battle they knew would never be won. I end that topic here, as I do not like to discuss religion or politics in my blog.

Lucy has adjusted very well to being "at home" in a Cabellas' parking lot. It never phased her appetite or curiosity one bit (or bite). We are very fortunate that she has adapted so well to this adventure.

Tomorrow, I'm hoping for a quick departure and a few more hundred miles behind us. I'm guessing that my next entry will generate from Indiana. Stay tuned.

Deep thought for the day: No matter where you go, or how far you travel, all roads are better than the ones in NY.

Look close to see her licking her lips!