To Columbus to Party

May 14, 2016--Columbus, Ohio--Today is my sister-in-law's birthday, so Ben and I drove yesterday through rain, at first, then gorgeous weather in the West Virginia mountains to Columbus.  It was a grand day of stress-free travel, heading West without the Pennsylvania Turnpike's trucks, on mostly deserted interstates and good state roads.  Stopped in Frederick for Ben's favorite XX-dry skim cappuccino with art at a new-ish place, Gravel and Grind, which is a combination café and bike shop.  The barista did a fine job. 


Then through the big gap and the view of the mountains looking East.   Lunch in Morgantown, without the students from West Virginia University when it's in session,  it's a pleasant mountain town.   Then through the Appalachians to the Ohio flatlands.

Hi There!

We're staying comfortably at a Vicitorian BnB, the Neil Avenue BnB built in 1893--making it younger than our house in DC by a year.  It's very period.   Today we enjoyed a quick trip around Ohio State's campus, shopping at the North Market, which is similar to the big market in Baltimore, but larger than our Eastern Market, then coffee at Le Chocoholique in the Short North.  Lunched at cousins' Mad Mex on High Street and headed off to the Billy Ireland Museum of Cartoons.




A great show of cartoons by Dedini, who did them for Playboy and the New Yorker for many years including a  couple we thought wonderful:  The first is captioned "Hi There."  

Tonight dinner at the Guild House where we have already chosen the wines.   A group of sister-in-law's friends.

The menu and the restaurant look lovely when we stopped in earlier this afternoon.