chillicothe, ohio | a photo essay

I need to be honest with y'all: I considered jumping ship from the wedding Zander and I RSVP'd to attend in Ohio this weekend and heading solo to Miami... or Puerto Rico. Or Jamaica! It's not that I didn't want to go, it's just... sunshine! sand! the official start of summer! But I bucked up (and buckled up) for the 7-hour drive to Chillicothe, a no-name small town a few hours outside of Cleveland.

In the way that these things usually go, I enjoyed the trip and Chillicothe far more than I expected. We had more than our fair share of misadventures, and we laughed straight from our bellies at the characters we met and the things we heard. A road trip and a little slice of America made for the best Memorial Day weekend I can remember.

Sharing the same name as the major chain makes you wonder who stole whose name. This Crispie Creme opened 8 years before Krispie Kreme. Zander and I both thought the glazed donuts taste nearly identical to the chain's. Do I smell scandal and intrigue?! (Now I want a donut!)

Our first night in town, we ate at a local's joint called Roosters. Our endearing waitress said of the Italian sub, "You won't find a better one at any gas station around!" (Clearly, she hasn't been to a Wa-Wa or a Sheetz. YUM.)

Zander surprised me with a hike on Saturday morning. We got to the state forest at 8:00am, and found our first trail marker sometime around Sunday afternoon. On the bright side, we saw a doe and a bushy-tailed bunny rabbit and rarely another soul in the woods (probably because we weren't on a trail, but that's neither here nor there). We laughed about it. Classic Chillicothe!

With some time to kill before Zan's best friends - John and Siobhan - arrived in town on Saturday afternoon, we went in search of a bookstore. We found an address for a local one in what looked like Chillicothe's downtown area. The bookstore was closed for the annual street fair - the Festival of the Flowering Moon. A woman excitedly told us, "There's Indian dancing!" to which I replied, "I love Bollywood!" Zander just shook his head and probably thought, "Classic Cyndi!" That was embarrassing.

I talked Zan into a funnel cake and a pretend ride in this stationary train. I didn't talk the photobomber into his role, but I like it.

The woman working the booth was so friendly I almost wanted to buy tickets. Almost! 

I loved this beautiful Memorial Day tribute in a small park near the festival.

The wedding took place on a lake about 15 miles from our hotel. Zan's buddy married a beautiful woman, inside and out. You can see her phenomenal taste in the details. Plus, they had a s'mores bar with a campfire outside of the reception hall. You betcha I had one and then s'more!

Zan and his best friend John are a hoot and a half. I tell you what, they're always doing something silly. Together, they're up to no good in the best way.

The icing on the cake, if you will, was the ride back to the hotel. As DD, I tasked Zan with navigating me. We circled the city three times, ran into the same road block and detour... twice... and laughed until we nearly cried. Next time, I'll ask Siri for directions. ;)