AFTER FOUR DAYS OF NON-STOP TALKING we needed a break from people—some alone time—before visiting John’s brother Ray in Ohio. A bit of Google mapping and some time on Booking.com got us a room on the shore of Lake Erie in the Lake Point Motel in Marblehead. The motel isn’t as old as the famous 1821 Marblehead Lighthouse but it has certainly been around since the 60s. Besides giving us a chance to decompress, it broke up five-hour drive from Kalamazoo into bite-sized chunks.
Lake Erie shoreline, Marblehead OH
"The Keeper" and Port Clinton Lighthouse Marblehead
Ray and Luanne are some of my favorite people but our times together have been few and far between—something like a 7-year Itch. After retiring from careers in Western Pennsylvania, they moved to a charming little lakeside duplex in Columbiana OH and we hadn’t seen them since Claire’s wedding in 2017.
Double Trouble: Ray and John
Family resemblance—Ray and Great-great Grandfather John Ferris
I am no stranger to talking to myself—I’ve learned so much from those conversations. But talking with Ray, however, I felt like I was looking at myself, too! which is really disconcerting. I guess we have aged to a similar genetic phenotype. And the similarity was goes back farther, judging by Gramma Charlotte’s father John Ferris’s photo in Luanne’s dining room.
Sunrise at Ray and Luanne's
Luanne and Connie in the Safari Bar
We quickly ran through our various ailments—they are ridiculously healthy and disgustingly younger, too—talked about our travel plans and got updates on their kids and grandkids. Ray and I kept the family stories to a minimum—to the relief of both Connie and Luanne who probably have them committed to memory by now.
Presgue Isle Lighthouse, Presque Isle State Park PA
Needs Salt—Presque Isle Beach on Lake Erie
I have tried not to be dismissive of middle America, especially those states that begin with vowels. But in all honesty—with the exception of baseball and Chicago—there’s not much there there. Which may be why we drove over 100 miles to Erie PA for lunch. After a great meal, Ray showed us around Presque Isle State Park before driving by Drew and Alynn’s house in hopes that Gracie might be home.
See you in another 7 years!
Ray, like John, does most of the cooking, surprising since our mother was no Julia Child—not even a Rachael Ray. Back at the lake his grilled pork chops, Brussel sprouts and baked spuds topped off a wonderful day. We can hardly wait until 2030 when we can all get together again!
