Springfield to Columbus

Take a stroll down Fountain St. in Springfield, Ohio and you'll be treated to some relatively strange examples of 19th century residential building styles. Many of the homes display several seemingly haphazard spires, ornate parapets and columns and the use of numerous oblique angles reminiscent of those rendered in the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. Very cool!

Once we pass out of this historic housing area, Buddy and I stop at a grand building that once served as market, city hall and police station (it now houses a café), and while getting my morning caffeine fix I become acquainted with an interesting horror host named Raven. His unique perspective on the genre and its reflection of specific trends and proclivities in society at various chronological points keeps my attention for a while, but eventually it's time to find the road out of town. As we're heading eastward, he catches up and contributes a nice straw hat to keep the sun from scorching my head. Cheers my friend.

Bud and I keep a relaxed pace for most of the day and stop at one shaded place to have a picnic lunch of the roasted chicken I'd picked up at Walmart earlier. Yummy!

Toward evening, I stumble upon a pub near London that's been operating since 1839, not such a remarkable thing ipso facto; however, this particular inn has offered hospitality to seven US presidents going back as early as John Quincy Adams. Too good to pass up, I join a table with a few local guys and engage in conversation while Bud takes a nap on the lawn.

The sun has already set, but I've got it in my head to make it to Columbus, so the pack goes on and Bud jumps into the cart. Ah, the quiet of night is such a wonderful change from the constant roar of vehicles during the day. At times, that virtually endless rumble is enough to make you go crazy. But now, it's just the sound of wind in the grass under a canopy of bright stars.

Arriving in Columbus around 3:30, I spot a Dunkin Doughnuts and figure it's as good a place as any to do some journaling. Buddy's currently asleep outside in the cart. We'll be leaving in a bit to find a suitable park, but first I'd better finish these maple rings.

The Red Brick Tavern