Columbus Day week has long been my favorite week for vacation. Ever since I left the tourism business in a community known for its fall foliage, I have spent this week on staycations, day trips and occasional longer journeys. This time, I struggled to make a plan. The first option was a return to Michigan and then I considered Harper’s Ferry, Charlottesville and a few other spots without ever committing to anything.

This is where we point out that there are far too many places to see and far too little time and money to spend seeing them. 

Then I remembered an Ansel Adams exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum of Art that I badly wanted to see. This became the anchor for a few days in Cincinnati. Adam and I did less sightseeing than I would normally choose but we stayed busy browsing bookstores. We also walked around Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum and spent an evening at Blink, a multimedia event that creates spectacular nighttime artwork throughout the city.

Along the way, we explored Mainstrasse Village in Covington and I took Adam to the famed Jungle Jim’s grocery store for his inaugural exploration of the international foods department. 

We walked many miles and came home with a back seat full of books, a treasure trove of memories and lots of laughter to make coming home a little sweeter. Scout was glad to have me home and I’m happy to have some fresh stories to share. 

Come back tomorrow and we’ll start talking about this adventure. Meanwhile, remember to follow Make the Journey Fun on Facebook.