Port Clinton, Ohio

Well, Sunday morning we got woke up at the Bestwestern Cleveland Airport Hotel at 7am. We got ready then headed down to the breakfast room for you know breakfast. Then checked out, dragged our 4 suitcases down to the front and caught the shuttle to the airport t pick up our rental car. I rent from Hertz normally because as aa AAA we get extra drivers for free. But I rarely get a nice car for my first one given to me. The same thing happened here! When we got all the way out to the car, it wouldn’t start dead battery. The employee that worked out in the yard to us to ask for an upgrade, the coworker of the woman we were working with whispered give them an upgrade. She gave us another compact car which I might add, are quite small. But that is what I rented, The car was a Chevy Spark and it is very nice. we will get good gas mileage but it isn’t very comfortable especially in the back seat. The open truck area can only hold one suitcase so the other three are stacked into the backseat.

So on we went! We had seven hours before check in time at the rental house we rented in Port Clinton, Ohio, one hour west of Cleveland. So I had looked up Cracker Barrel Restaurant and there was one in Sandusky so we headed there! Delicious Chicken Fried Chicken Steak!

Cleveland

Here we go again! Yes it is vacation time so here comes the blog, back to life! I have actually missed blogging but I feel so busy that I find I just cannot blog at home. I know, I feel busy I just don’t know if I am really that busy! I almost wrote about my little get aways or my journeys through  trials but I was to scared to do that. But here I am back into the world of blogging! I hope you all didn’t give up on me!!! Because we can travel together again from your home to my computer. Are you ready for this wild romp through the Midwest? I just hope I am...

This is a vacation with our children and our grandchildren, all together for 7 nights in Port Clinton, Ohio! I know, you ask why Port Clinton and why Ohio? Good question! Our daughter said they were interested in going to Cedar Point Amusement Park. It is one of the oldest amusement parks in the USA! So we said sure! I saw it from a distance one year back in maybe 1994. So Bud and I rented a home that use to be a bed and breakfast and so the planning began! Maps, paper, pencils, booking.com, travel books, etc. As the trip unfolds you will see what we decided to do and our itinerary will become your itinerary!

The picture below was taken while landing in Chicago! I call it the Southwestern World!

 The picture below was taken when we were taking off for Cleveland!

 The picture below was taken when we landed in Chicago!

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Bud and I are now tucked inside a Best Western Hotel in Cleveland for the night and then we will take the airport shuttle back to the airport at 9am to pick up our rental car and so starts the sojourn! See you tomorrow!  

If it's Tuesday It must be Belguim! Oh wait, It is Thursday but it is Belguim!

We left Paris by bus at 2pm on Thursday 1/3. It was a whirlwind day full of stressful situations! Carleigh and Travis ran to the Catacombs Thursday morning in Paris, they didn't open till 10am and we had to be checked out by 11:30am. Shannon and Branden were flying to Barcelona and Bud and I ran to the Lourve! We all made it back by 12:30pm and on our way to the bus station we ran into Shannon and Branden so we could say goodbye to them!!! Have fun you two!!!

The five of us got on the bus and enjoyed the 3 hour ride. It was sunny when we left Paris but on the road it turned rainy and very windy! But when we pulled into Brussels at 5pm it was clear again!

Before we left Paris, about 10 minutes out of the station, we were pulled over and the bus was searched for drugs by police and a dog. The dog didn't smell anything so we were free to go. We had an excellent bus driver and we slept mostly and used the wifi! When we got into the Bus station we had to figure out how to get the the Centraal Station, it took us about an hour and then we hopped  on another train and this time we were only two blocks off the train station! We checked into the hotel and then went out to the shops and the Grand Palace and Grand Place and it was so very beautiful!!! I love Brussels!!

It was such a nice evening! Music was playing in the square. We went to Pizza Hut for dinner, had a wonderful salad bar and pizza!!! And then we went to a Christmas Market and we tried Escargot!!! They taste like clams!!!

In the morning we went to breakfast

I had crepes with whip cream and bananas and cold milk!

Bud had Waffle and strawberries and whip cream!

Travis and Carleigh had sandwiches!

And Chloe had crepes with strawberries and chocolate!

Then we went to see the Mannekin Piss!

Said goodbye to our area and shopped till 2pm!

And then we were on our way to the Amsterdam Airport by train. Good Bye Brussels!!! From there a shuttle bus will take us to our hotel for the night! We ate dinner at the airport, Bud and I and Carleigh and Travis had Swedish Meatballs boy oh boy were they good! Chloe had a salad which was very good also!

We are now at our hotel, the three youngens in one room and Bud and I in another room! With this post I shall go to bed and dream about what I will say in my last post for this vacation!!! Goodnight everyone, although it is 1:04pm back home and 4:40pm in Pittsburgh!!! Love to all!!!

The Lourve...Barely!

I didn't mention that we were going to try to go to the Louvre after seeing Versailles. We didn't get back in time to make it. Bud and I went into the Lourve at 5:10pm that evening but we would have had until 6 pm to see it and people were pouring out of the rooms so we would have been like fish swimming upstream through the people streaming out. So we thought we will come in the am. We did come in the am and there was a long long long line waiting to get in. We got in line and it took 2 hours to get into the Lourve. Because of the stress Bud decided not to go in so he went to Starbucks and I went in. We had to be back at the hotel by 11:30am to check out! It was 10am by the time I got tickets and headed for the next floor to see the Mona Lisa. She was in a room as far back as you can go!!! I shot pictures as I went down the halls. I passed a picture of the Nativity and told myself to take a picture of it before I left that room but I didn't listen to myself and when I walked out, there was a no entry sign saying I couldn't go back into that room. Sad!!!! But I pushed on and finally, the Mona Lisa!!! There were lots of people in front of it, but I made my way slowly to the front and snapped picture after picture!!! Wow!! It was so neat and great and wonderful to stand there and see that picture. How many times have I heard people talk about her like she is alive? Anyway, check off an item on my Bucket List!

I know you are thinking all that running around by

I know what you are thinking, all that running around and staying in line for two hours, not worth it! But it was, she was!!!! o happy I made it there to see her! Mona Lsa you afre beautiful!

Champs Elysee and the Arch di Triumph!

After Versailles we all went back to the hotel and then caught the subway and walked the Champs Elysee to the Arch! The shops were all open and the cafes and the theatres and everyone was walking up and down the boulevard! What a beautiful night!!!