Road Trip!

So to heck with poor customer service for a while -- it's vacation time, and that means putting life's little annoyances behind you for a week or two. We have put a bit over 1,000 miles on the car so far -- only about $105 for gas (the cheapest gas by far was in South Carolina at 30 cents per gallon cheaper than anywhere else). After a quick one night stop-over in Beckley West Virginia, we made it up to central Ohio for our niece's high school graduation party (off to Ohio State University next year -- GO BUCKS!). Yesterday we landed at Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island in Lake Erie for a day with family. The photo here was shot from the ferry as we eased in toward the slip on South Bass after the crossing from Catawba Island on Sandusky Bay.

It has been at least 30 years since our last visit to South Bass and the changes are quite evident. From a reasonably quiet Island retreat the Put-In-Bay community has turned into a fairly typical re-developed seasonal tourist trap. There are still quite a few quaint residential areas and parks, but the emphasis is clearly on separating tourists from their cash. I understand the economic advantages, particularly in a State where the traditional industries -- steel and automobiles -- have gone down the crapper, but it is still sad (to me) to see the natural environment depleted for that purpose. That said, there are yet a number of less developed area islands for those who would prefer a more natural, environmentally intact setting.

More trip-logging and photos to come --- and eventually the report on the customer service disasters of the previous week. See you around the bend!