Epic Road Trip 

From Virginia to California and back 

A few months ago, we were invited to a family celebration in Utah. As a family of five- three kids, two parents and one dog, we discussed all the options. Flying and boarding the dog, Flying in for a few more days and then flying to California to see other family and boarding the dog for even longer. Or..”What if we drive?”

And so it begins…

Day One: From VA to Ohio 

I’m  skipping all the prep that we did for a family of five plus dog that included lots of medications, maps and mayhem. It can be summed up as I over packed and still things were forgotten except for four library books that we were supposed to drop off on our way out.

(Cosmo says “What the heck?”)

We left Northern VA @ 9:30 am.

Cities visited:

Morgantown, West Virginia

Columbus, Ohio

Findlay, Ohio 

Cool things we saw:

So much! Northern Maryland and West Virginia are incredibly beautiful. If you’re on Hwy 76,  stop at Sideling Hill Rest Area.

2pm: Pit Stop for lunch in Morgantown VA at Tropics, a funky, dog friendly Hawaiian themed restaurant with covered outdoor seating. 

We arrived in Ohio around 6pm and  Columbus is such a beautiful and art filled city. We stopped at two locations to stretch our legs, (And where one child literally jumped into dog poop- Not Cosmo’s) 

The Topiary Garden is a recreation of George Seurat’s 1884 painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

A deer statue contemplating the bridge and downtown Columbus:

Another fun stop was The giant Slingshot.

The drive to Findlay had the most amazing sunsets and was the perfect way to wind down the drive. 

Miles traveled:

511

Start to bed:

12 hours including, food, pit stops and a few wrong turns.