The end of an era. My mom and Ron are moving to the Outer Banks and have put my childhood home up for sale. To have one last stay in the house and to see my friend Stacey and her family visiting from Alaska, we planned a quick trip to Ohio. So many memories and I left feeling like I didn’t have enough time to revisit many beloved places or see many old friends. Such is life. But everything we did do was incredibly special – starting with Harrison’s FIRST airplane ride.

Big boy! Southwest flight from Atlanta to Cleveland. He didn’t really want to sit but he also didn’t fuss too much. So good. 🙂

We took Daniela with us to show her another entirely different part of the country – one not so developed. We went out to Mesopotamia and then Middlefield to show her Amish country and learn a bit about their way of life while taking in the beautiful farmland surrounded by fall colors. 

It was my dad’s first time meeting Harrison. Got a photo of all of us in Burton, Ohio in the square. Loved all the foliage!

We made the leaf pile come to Harrison since he was too little to play in one. 😉

After lots of exploring, driving, walking and eating a traditional Amish lunch at Mary Yoder’s, we headed home and swung by the sites of my former elementary and middle schools – which are now empty lots having been torn down last year for a new, combined campus. It was tough. I loved school and have so many wonderful memories that no longer have a physical home. 🙁 

For years, I’ve been telling Sean we had to go to the Original Quaker Steak and Lube restaurant in downtown Sharon, PA. We took the Miata and headed out for dinner and to watch the Atlanta Utd game. In the last 10-15 years, they’ve franchised and are now everywhere – and as a result, I heard this original location almost closed. But there was such a backlash, they stayed open. This was a Thursday night in the heart of fall sports season and it was dead. Maybe four other tables besides ours the 2 hours we were in there. We had fun but this was sad. I also have so many memories of coming here with my family as a little kid and waiting in line for an hour because it was so popular, fun and good. And then coming here in high school for all-you-can-eat wings and seeing how spicy we could go. In college, this was a meetup spot for those of us back in town for the holidays. I don’t know if it will make it. 🙁

This was the maple on Friday morning. The pic at the top of the post is from Sunday. We definitely got here just in time for the last of the best colors.

Friday morning, I worked but Sean went with Ron to a breakfast club with some of his friends. So cute!

Me, Sean and Daniela went to lunch with Stacey, Lindsey, Adeline and two other of our high schools friends, Tiffany and Nicole. It was really nice to spend time together and support a local restaurant run by another high school classmate, Gabe Gouvas.

Then, me, Sean, my mom and Harrison headed to Kent to spend the afternoon with my dear friend Natalie and her new baby Wesley (and see Hunter for a bit, too!). We’ve been friends since our wild and crazy adventures in Greece during study abroad in college and it was just so, so nice to be together and catch up. I’d say this photo turned out remarkably well for having three kids in it, too. 😉

Outtake. 

Dinner was in downtown Warren at the landmark Sunrise Inn. Probably not the most amazing spot for food but it’s always a lively spot and such an institution. It’s the old-world style pizza they make that’s the real star. Never had anything like it anywhere else. My brother even used to work here and Stacey and I would come by to stand in the window of the pizza kitchen and make funny faces at the my brother as he made the pies. LOL.

On Saturday, we had visitors!

Stacey and her twins came by – and it was our first time meeting each other’s kiddos. When you’ve been friends forever, this is a very special thing. We had a good visit and Myra and Magnus were so good, and so cute! When she gets her cabin in Fairbanks finished, we will go up for a visit! 

Delicious cotton candy cupcake from the Cake Boutique – winner of Cake Wars and the same spot my mom got our baby shower cake from last year. DIVINE.

After Stacey’s visit, Eric came by. Harrison went down for a 3-hour nap so we had lots of time to have lunch – more pizza and mom’s homemade mushroom dip – and to have a quality visit. In the late afternoon, Sean, Eric and I went to Modern Methods Brewing in downtown Warren (in Dave Grohl alley). We had flights and tried a bunch of stuff. Very cool place.

We then went to CharBenay’s Winery on the Mahoning River. Huge place, decent wines, nice views. Best company. We had a blast. It was great to spend time together. 

Once back home, me, Sean, my mom, Ron and my sister Angie all headed out to Niles for dinner at my favorite Italian restaurant in the area – Vernon’s Cafe. The site of birthday, graduation, prom, homecoming and many other special dinners, this eatery holds a special place in my heart.

Sunday was our last day and so me, Sean and Harrison went for a walk around my old neighborhood – another trip down memory lane as I recalled the many friends I went to school with who lived in the houses along the way. 

No trip would have been complete without a stop at The Mocha House, arguably our most favorite teenage hangout spot. It’s wonderful to see it still doing so well after all these years. My chai tea latte was delicious. 

I realize this reads like a finale of sorts. It won’t be the last time I visit my hometown but I don’t see us going up at least once per year as we have been doing so it does feel like a part of my life as I knew it has come to an end. And it’s harder and sadder than I thought. I don’t want to live there again – it’s a horribly economically depressed area – but there is still such beauty and simplicity around that I enjoy so much.

If the lil trooper below keeps being a pro on flights, perhaps we’ll get back more often than I think. <3