Sunday August 31 (Catawba to home the long way)

After a bad night with a violent coughing fit I slept through most of the morning!

Linda cooked us all a great, late breakfast and also made Lisa and I lattes, Starbucks style! It was cloudy but the sun started to come out and, by the time we left, there was lots of blue sky. Lisa's brother took photos of the whole group, including the dogs Cabernet and Remi, and then it was farewells to all after a great visit.

We returned via Highway 6 that took us through to Bowling Green. We stopped at a Starbucks so I managed another latte. Then we drove to see where Deena went to Uni and where she stayed when she was here. 

Harry needed his ice cream fix so we also stopped for that. I swear that Harry knows where all the ice cream shops in Ohio are, lol!

We carried on to Grand Rapids to the antique store where Lisa hoped she could get the price for an antique vase knocked down, she took Harry in to help her! Then we made our way through Okolona and Florida. From there we followed the old Erie Canal. 

This canal used to run all the way from Fort Wayne to Toledo. Texas was on the other side of the canal, boy this is some trip round the USA, lol!

We stopped at Independence Dam State Park a historic place on the Maumee. People, we crossed the canal as we entered. 

People were fishing at the side of the dam and one guy said he had caught a couple of Crappie fish. There are ten miles of driveway alongside the river and it used to be a very popular place in the summer for picnics.

On the way out we stopped to read the sign which explained some of the history of the canal. 

The boats traveled from Indiana and Ohio but also from as far afield as New Orleans and New York. They carried goods, produce and passengers and were towed by a number of horses or mules, the number depended on the weight of the boat. Rafts of logs cut from the forest were also carried along the canal. The town of Independence sprang up at the construction of the canal and, at one time, rivalled Defiance as a centre of commerce. With the abandonment of canal traffic the importance of Independence has waned and it is now very small.

We ended up in Defiance so stopped to have a burger at Burger King for dinner followed by an ice cream from Erics. It was a beautiful Ohio evening as we drove home via Evansport. Our final port of call was in Stryker where we called in to Harry's work place and saw the trucks all lined up. Harry pointed out his old truck, number 74. The sunset this evening was beautiful and it could be seen with the sun dropping behind the trees at the end of the road on which Lisa and Harry live.

We were met by two excited dogs and I think the cats were pleased to see us as well! They had, as always, been well cared for by Lisa's friend Shirley in our absence!! Thanks to Harry and Lisa for the tour home and to Lisa's brother and his wife for their hospitality.