Joe Bliven

We went on a big road trip this summer, prompted by Joe Mauers induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. We took the oportunity to cram as much in as possible. Click here for gallery of more photos we took during our trip.

The trip started off with us driving to Fremont, IN where we played at a vintage playground, had a picnic of Bubba's Pizza and Dopey Dough™, and caught fireflies. We finished our drive to Elyria, OH where we spent the night.




We woke up the next day and had a continental breakfast, Maya had a swim at the pool, we released our fireflies, and then we set sail for New York. We stopped in Cleveland at Edgewater Park. Maya played on the playground for a while, then we walked down to the beach on lake Michigan. We walked along the beach and played in the water and sand. We ran into Ohio Geese Control, who walk back and forth down that beach with a dog, apparently working to keep geese away. I don't know how well it works empirically, but I'll tell ya this: I didn't see any geese anywhere near that beach! We also got to see paragliders launching from the bluff and soaring around above us. It was a perfect stop at lake Michigan on a beautiful day. Next on the menu, drive straight through to Richmondville with a baby, a three year old, and a fourteen year old. Thankfully they travel well, as one must in our family. That evening we arrived at a cabin my parents had rented and settled in.






The next day we went to Cooperstown. Cooperstown is really fun during the induction. Tons of baseball fans and players all walking around this cute old downtown. My parents went to the local art museum, which was surprisingly nice. Amelia took the girls to a farm museum that had animals and a really cool antique carousel they rode. We had lunch in Cooperstown and then spent the evening at the cabin relaxing.



The next morning we went to the beach at Glimmerglass State Park. We spent a ton of time there. After the beach, we were pooped and spent the rest of the evening relaxing at the cabin.



The following day we slowly packed to leave for Lake St. Katherine to meet Amelia's parents and siblings camping. First we stopped in Granville to visit with Amelia's Uncle Gary and Aunt Debbie. We set up our tent in the dark and got to sleep.


The next day we spent a ton of time at the Lake St. Katherine beach. There was goose poop everywhere, I caught a crawfish, Maya spent hours in the water, and Renee brought a paddle board. It was another great day at the beach. We went back into Granville to spend some time with Amelia's Uncle Larry and Kathy. Then we went to have dinner with Amelia's Aunt Gwen and Uncle George. We learned that it was supposed to rain overnight and then all morning, so we went and packed up the campsite and all ten of us stayed with Gwen and George.



The next morning George made us all breakfast. We got ready to part ways. Uncle Billy and Aunt Patty stopped by to see us off, and Amelia's Aunt Robin and cousin Brittany. Amelia's family went to spend the rest of their trip on the coast of Massachusetts, while we added Evalyn to our troupe and headed to the Jersey Shore. We made a few pit stops at some holy nerd sites: Quick Stop Groceries from Clerks and Jay & Silent Bob's Secret Stash. Next we ate dinner on the Asbury Park boardwalk and went swimming in the ocean as the sun was setting. Amelia had a big fall on the rock pier and managed to not lose the baby or Maya to the uncaring titan of the Atlantic. We spent the night in Jersey.






The next morning we made haste for Philly. We were able to check into our room early. Amelia found us the best room ever right in the heart of Chinatown. We did a little exploring in Chinatown before heading over to a brewery to catch the Phillies@Twins game on TV. I wore my Twins shirt and was disappointed to receive no heckling from the locals. The Twins beat the Phillies 5-4. We went back to the room to nap. While Maya, Clara and I napped the teenagers went out to explore Chinatown, and Amelia did some research on her phone. She learned that we happened to be in town during the Chinese Lantern festival at Franklin Square, near Chinatown. We walked down to the event and it was stunning! If you're ever in Philly during this event be sure to attend. It was a fun event with dazzling lantern displays and performances. The entertainment we saw was an incredible Chinese variety art troupe. There was also a nice carousel. We ordered late night food from the restaurant right next to the hotel. It was a fantastic first day in Philly.





The next morning we took an excellent free walking tour and learned a lot about the city. We got bagels and cheese steaks. As the sun was setting we visited a hotel that the tour guide recommended for skyline views. We went up to an observation floor in the hotel and enjoyed the sunset. Back at the hotel room Amelia put the little girls to bed and I went out for sushi and ramen with the big girls. I also stopped for a crepe on the way back to the room. I'm telling you, staying in Chinatown is the best.






The next morning we sadly left Philadelphia. We packed up our things and headed to Intercourse, Pennsylvania, home of the Amish Experience. We got to learn about the local Amish community, how they live, what they believe. We also got to watch an incredibly produced multimedia presentation of Amish propaganda. We bought some stuff at the gift shop, including some of the best pickled eggs I've ever had (and I've had many). Next we went to Hershey's World of Chocolate where we experienced a somehow less impressive, less convincing multimedia presentation of Hershey's Chocolate propaganda. Next we went to Pittsburgh to spend the night.




The first thing we did in Pittsburgh was go to The Frick Museum. We had lunch at their cafe and then went to their collection of antique cars and carriages. They have them sorted chronologically so as you walk through the gallery you get to see how the carriage industry transformed into the luxury auto industry. Next we went to Blue Slide Park for Maya to enjoy as a child, and me to enjoy as a Mac Miller fan. Next we went to walk along the river and get free listens to a Steve Miller concert. Before leaving the river area we had some awesome Italian ice, mine tasted like Sprite Tropical Remix. Next we took the Duquesne Incline to a restaurant with a beautiful view of downtown Pittsburgh.





The next day was mostly driving. We stopped briefly in Dayton to procure some tea as it happened to be a Sunday afternoon, just like the Randy Newman song. We drove some more and stopped in Columbus for lunch at the North Market, which is an indoor market and food court, and is also home to the original Jeni's Ice Cream. After lunch we started driving, intending to stop somewhere for the night, and continue the next day to an RV resort in Wisconsin, where we'd be meeting some of my family. As the drive went on we became tempted by the idea of driving all the way home and sleeping in our own beds for half a night instead. The longer we drove the more the temptation grew and it eventually became a certainty; we would indeed drive straight home.



After a half a night's sleep, some laundry, and some repacking, we decided to postpone our trip to the Stoney Creek RV park by one more night. It was too nice to be able to recover with our own beds and home cooked meals after almost two weeks of traveling. It turned out to be a pretty good thing that we spent an extra night at home, because it was raining and blustering at Stoney Creek.





My Mom, Dad, Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Bob, Uncle Bill, and Aunt Carol, were all staying at Stoney Creek. This is a really fun resort, they have so much to do. Maya spent over 6 hours in the pool the first day. The next day we went to the pond to swim, then rode the kiddie train, and then Maya went back to the pool. We didn't get too much time with the family but it was still nice to see everyone. We drove home after our second day at the RV resort and spent the next few days at home doing very little for a change.