Lima. OH to Covington. KY

Sunday, July 29th

I got an early start to the day. Grandpa Kerr, Aunt Nancy, and I went to 9am mass at St. Gerard’s. After a nice mass went to a great little spot in Lima called the Corner Café. If you are envisioning a little French bistro you would be sorely mistaken. The place is covered in faux wood paneling and has great sports memorabilia that spans numerous years. The photos and newspaper clippings cover local and state sports. Everything from Lima Senior High’s state championship in 1996 to Bob Fellar, a famous baseball player for the Cleveland Indians in the 1950’s and 60’s. There was also lots of Ohio State stuff on the wall also. The Corner Café doubles as bar. My guess is that there place is jumping at night with a variety of characters. The breakfast was great, I forget how much of a staple potatoes are in the breakfast world of Middle America.

After breakfast I hit the road for my travel to just south of Cincinnati. I was going to visit one of my best friends from my college days, Rojo. Rojo and I went to school together, worked together at Fino’s, traveled together, and since it was college, party together. He also went to an obnoxious all boys’ school and so we naturally got along well. Some of my finest memories of college are with Rojo. We terrorized Mardi Gras on a couple of occasions and had a memorable trip to Nantucket one summer vacation. We have kept up with each other over the years and his life took him to law school in Louisville and now to his married life just south of Cincinnati in Covington, KY.

Paul Brown Stadium home of the NFL Bengals

The Great America Ballpark home of the Reds

After a very relaxing drive through the corn fields of western Ohio and a drive through the Queen City, Cincinnati, OH. If you want to be authentic Ohioan you have to pronounce it, “Cincinnta”. My parents lived here for about two years after they returned from my Dad’s job in Ireland. I know city relatively well and enjoyed visiting them here. I love driving through downtown, when there is no traffic, because of the great views of the city, the river, and the downtown football and baseball stadiums.

When I arrived Rojo began cooking and really did not stop until everyone went to bed. He made some burgers for lunch and knocked some Memphis style ribs out of the park. It was great afternoon and evening. I really enjoyed getting to know his knew wife Kathleen and catching up with Rojo. It was all too short of visit but I think I have them convinced to make a visit to Memphis later this year.