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It's 7:06, and here I am again — another Hampton Inn breakfast nook, coffee in hand, watching the morning news while Evie sleeps in. We're just north of Columbus with a four-hour drive ahead to the lake. Right now, at 7:46, I am the only one having breakfast. It's not a very busy Hampton Inn.
Yesterday was similar to the previous day's five-hour push. We were in no hurry to leave, enjoyed breakfast at the Inn, and didn't pull out until around 9:15 CT (10:15 EST). The first hour brought heavy rain, but once we crossed into Indiana, it cleared up, and we had smooth sailing the rest of the way. There's something satisfying about getting past Indianapolis — at that point, Ohio feels almost within reach, just an hour or two out. Gas in Illinois stung at $4.67 a gallon, the priciest of the trip. We rolled into Columbus around 4:00, hit the usual tangle of rush-hour traffic on I-70 and I-71, and were relieved to finally pull into the Hampton at 4:30. Once again, we managed to dodge any accidents or road closures — always something to be grateful for. We collapsed onto the beds, only to notice a strange odor, and ended up switching rooms for the second time this trip.
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| Road Trip Crazy |
For dinner, we made the short five-minute drive to Cracker Barrel. We fit right in with the crowd — this was only our second visit, and we'd forgotten how much fun the whole experience is: the rambling gift shop, the cozy atmosphere, the comfort food. I went with the chicken and dumplings and two sides; Evie had a bowl of chicken soup. Her soup was a hit, though my dish didn't quite live up to expectations. Our waitress more than made up for it — young, peppy, and genuinely fun. We were back at the Hampton by 8:00, watched some basketball, and read until around 9:30 (8:30 Central) before finally turning out the lights, hoping to sleep in.
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