From Cincinnati to Columbus to Cleveland

After we took our group from Cayman down to the Cincinnati area where they would spend a few days before flying back home Dennis and I decided to drive Columbus to spend the night there.  While we going up the Interstate someone had decorated the overpasses with thoughtful decorations for our military!!

The picture doesn't capture the beautiful sunset, but it was really breathtaking!!

Dennis was able to find a Crown Plaza hotel on Hotwire in Columbus that was a 5 star for less than $50.00.  For a night, we thought we were royalty :o))  It was really nice and plush!  When we woke the next morning, I noticed the menu for their restaurant and leafed through it.  The prices were really cheap so we ordered breakfast!  That was a first for us and it was so tasty!!  I wanted to try their cream cheese stuft french toast with a strawberry topping.  Mmmmmmm!!  And to our surprise a nice serving of hashbrowns and we ordered a pot of coffee for Dennis.

Outside the hotel were some pretty impatien flowers that were planted near the entrance to the building and just blooming for us :o)  We don't see any of those in Cayman and they are some of our favorite flowers!!

When we left Columbus, we headed to Cleveland to meet Brandon.  It had been a few months since we had seen him and we were so excited to spend some time with him again!!  Our plans were to stay at his apartment with him, but his air conditioning was not working and this was during that really hot spell.  So, once again, Dennis went on Hotwire and found us a hotel only a few miles from where we use to live.  Brandon came down and met us and then we went for a late lunch/early dinner.  One of his friends met us after we ate and we drove up to Cleveland.  Finally, (at least we thought finally) we would get to an Cleveland Indians game.  Back in the beginning of May when we were helping him move into his new place and our plans were to go to a game he ended up working and we did, too, unpacking and setting up his place.  Needless to say by game time we were too tired to go. Well, the closer we got to Cleveland the more excited I became as I love baseball and the Indians!!  Finally, I saw the stadium!!

And here we were inside heading to find our seats!!

My first view of inside the stadium.  We haven't been there for a long time!!  I was so anxious to see a good ballgame!!

There was a promotion going on with the ticket package we got and all of us got a hat!  Here's Brandon sporting his before he shaped the "bill" of it!!

That's much better, Brandon!!

Dennis with Brandon and his friend

Looking out over the city.

When we got there the sky was a little cloudy, but the longer we were there the darker it got!

Until the next thing we knew the game was delayed because of the weather!!  UGH!!

I continued to hope it would clear up!!

But it only continued to get worse and next thing we knew there was thunder and lightning and then the rains came!!  Not good for a baseball game.

The stands began to empty out rather fast!

If you click on the picture you can see the rain!!  It poured and poured!!

After sitting there (and going to the bathroom for shelter from the storm :o) they called the game.  The weather just didn't cooperate with us and here we were the whole way there from the Cayman Islands.  Yes, I was so disappointed but we did have a good visit with Brandon.  And since his air conditioning wasn't working in his apartment he stayed with us at the hotel.  So, inspite of the disappointment of not seeing the Indians play we had a good time with Brandon!!

United States Air Force Museum Dayton Ohio

When we left youth camp this summer, we went with our group to the National museum of United States Air Force.  It was huge and very interesting!!

There were a lot of airplanes that have been used by the Air Force . . . . .

and helicopters . . . . .  

and weapons . . . . .

and different scenes like this.  If you click on the picture below, you may be able to see that the Airman on the left is holding a LARGE Hershey's chocolate bar :o) 

And they also had a U.S. Army plane

Saw many old war posters 

In the lobby of the museum was this huge, beautiful quilt made for the U.S. Air Force.  It was really, really big!!  So pretty!! 

Dennis with some of our good friends

Not sure why this picture wants to turn, but anyway the Thunderbirds were going to be there the next two days after we visited the museum.  I don't know if you've ever had the privilege of going to an airshow where they performed, but they can take away your breath while watching them!!  Was so sorry we couldn't stay to see them.

Getting the airfield ready for the airshow 

Our Company ~ Welcome to Cayman, Mike

My nephew, Mike, came down to visit us for several days.  In this picture, he was almost falling over as he had just stood in line at Customs inside the airport waiting for two hours.  We almost left because we didn't think he was on the flight!!

I think he was rather relieved to get outside in the miserable heat then to be inside in the crowded mess he was in before hand :o)

Off the Dock In George Town

The first night Mike was here, Dennis had a School Council meeting.  So, I took Mike down to George Town for a drive and we stopped at the Burger King on the Sea.  One of my favorite places.  We stood by the steel fence above the water just watching the waves coming in and seeing some fish.  There are the most beautiful purple, blue and also yellow/black stripped fish there.  After just standing there for maybe 45 minutes or so talking, we turned and started walking to the car to leave.  We turned like one last time to look at the Sea and when we did we saw this huge fish.  By this time of the evening, it was already dark as by 7:30 - 8:00 it gets dark here.  We both looked and I think our mouths fell open to our knees.  I'm not sure, but Mike and I both think it was a baby shark.  Yes, there are sharks here.  We decided right then to walk back to the fence and continue to watch.  After a while, a Stingray swam by.  I've never seen one of those at this particular location.  I was so shocked!!  A little while later, we saw these really long fish (maybe up to 4 feet long) swim in.  It was absolutely amazing!!  We probably ended up staying there for almost 2 hours total.  It was so neat.

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So, this particular day we were going to drive around the Island and decided to stop at this dock that's not too far from the Burger King and walk out there.  Here's one of the type's of fish we saw earlier while Mike was here.  We were told they are Tarpen's (not sure of the spelling).  They are BIG fish!!

Mike at the end of the dock . . . . .

with a view of the cruise ships behind him.  Yes, it was getting ready to rain.

A flounder or rather part of the fish that was left.  A man here told us that they clean a lot of fish here in this area.

More tarpen

A pencil thin fish.  I forget what they are called.

A sea urchin

Some more beauty of Cayman

The Bluffs

Our good friend, Amit, told us about the Bluff's probably about a year ago!  Dennis & I had gone up there then but just drove through and didn't even get out of the car as we were about out of gas.

It doesn't look like any other place here on the Island that we've seen before.  It's so rough looking!!  Kind of reminds you of somewhere out West until you see this view . . . . . .

After climbing up the rough and hard rocky coral this is the view that awaits you!!  The only words to describe it are absolutely awesome!!  Very breathtaking!!

Some pretty orange flowers that were blooming

Trying to get closer to the water

What walk to get there

Mike still climbing over coral

Where we just came from

I know there's lots of pictures but I just couldn't help taking them as it's a beauty all it's own there!!

Now, I finally got really close.  Dennis asked me not to get so close.  Don't know what got into me :o)  But there was like a big crevice between the coral where the water was rushing in and was so pretty!

The pictures really doesn't look like it was far down there, but was probably between 25 to 30 feet down.

Far enough that I wouldn't want to fall!!

More of the rough coral we trekked over.

This was hilarious!!  Mike set the timer on his camera to take a picture and tried to run as fast as he could over the coral before the actual picture was taken.  We were all laughing so hard.  BUT he didn't make it!

I love the background for the next four pictures

Pretty close again

Thinking of how you're getting out of here???

Another pretty bush blooming

When we climbed to another area we spotted this beautiful view.  See the rock jutting out into the Sea?  Doesn't it look like the side view of a face??  We all thought it did!!

I love the Bluffs on the Island!!