2019: Year in Review

   As expected 2019 was a bit of a transitional year in the life of my family. As the year started my wife was starting the clinical portion of her sonography program. Which meant she would be driving an hour away every day as part of an unpaid internship to learn her new field.  Then In August after she completed her program she was having difficulty finding a job in her field. It was also at that point that I changed jobs, leaving the maintenance position at a local university that put my wife through school and starting to work for my cousins small heating and plumbing business that offered much better pay. So as money was tight the ability to entertain my hobby of seeing historical sites were limited. And so this will probably be a smaller post then it’s been in years past but I’m optimistic that 2020 will bring all around greater opportunities. 

In February we went tubing with the boys scout pack

Before going to Scout night at a Toledo Walleyes hockey game, we stopped by the Battle of Fallen Timbers Monument. 

Dinner before the Walleye game at Tony Packo’s. They had buns signed by the President and Vice President 

Ready for the Walleye’s

In March at the pinewood derby my kids made out pretty well. 

In April, We returned to Fallen timber's to take a hike around the battlefield

We got to meet and greet with gospel singer Carman when he had a small concert at our local school 

May 4th was a busy day for us. My wife graduated that day with a bachelor’s degree in science. 

A few hours after my wife’s graduation the boys had there  big end-of-the-year camp out in which they crossed over to the next ranks

Later in May my Dad and I attended a Toledo Mud Hens game with my son Nick’s school group. 

In late May while in southern Ohio for my nephews birthday party I swung by the gravesite of President Nixon’s grandparents. 

In what became the only time that we left the state in 2019. We took a weekend trip up to Niagara Falls in early June. We spent the night in Westfield, New York where we found this monument to Abraham Lincoln and 12 year old Grace Bedell. It was Grace who wrote a letter to Lincoln suggesting that he grew a beard. He took her advice and when he stopped in Westfield on his way to his inauguration he asked the crowd if Grace happen to be there and she was. So this monument the depicts them meeting each other. 

Barcelona Lighthouse in Westfield 

First stop of the day was Forest lawn cemetery in Buffalo, New York. This is the gravesite of Willis Carrier. Inventor of the air conditioner

Several Seneca Indians are buried here together in Forest lawn. The closest stone is that of Eli Parker. He served on General Grant’s staff during the Civil War, and later served in President Grant’s cabinet as secretary of Indian affairs. Also buried here and memorialized on the statue is Indian Chief Red Jacket

Grover Cleveland’s aunt and uncle

President Fillmore

We couldn’t go to Buffalo with out stopping at my favorite burger joint in the world. Named for President Grover Cleveland. 

We had a good time stopping at Old Fort Niagara. It was a critical strategic location where Lake Ontario flows into the Northern end of the Niagara River. Originally built by France in 1678, it was controlled by France, England, and eventually the United States

Old Fort Niagara Lighthouse 



Time to check out the Falls



At the Nikola Tesla monument 






Beautiful day at Niagara Falls



Reminiscing with my wife about a family trip I took as a kid to Niagara I remembered stopping at a vineyard named the sugar shack back in 1993. After a little searching online we found that the place was still there. It was a lot of fun revisiting this place 26 years later. 



Mid June on my birthday weekend we took a drive to hit a few sites. Here we are at the McKinley Monument 


Gravesite of Ohio Governor A. Victor Donahey


I always heard of the heartbreaking story of the Gnadenhutten massacre. I finally got around to visiting the site. 

After some Native American’s raided some white settlements in western Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania militia tried tracking them. They stumbled upon a group of Native American Christians harvesting there crops in Gnadenhutten. They thought these Natives may be the raiders and executed an estimated 90 men, women and children. A very sad chapter of American history.

 My older 2 played on championship teams in the spring and got to attend a Columbus Crew soccer game for free. And also go down on the field before the game. 

Taking my daughter to 4H camp I noticed this historic marker for Victoria Woodhull, first female to run for President back in 1872

I spent a week in early August with my boys at scout day camp. 


August 16 was my last day working at the University of Findlay and my wives last day of clinicals. We celebrated the new chapter in our lives by spending the evening up by Lake Erie. 



Mouse Island, once owned by President Hayes. Saw it off of Miller Ferry in the way to Put in Bay

Perry’s Monument 

Gravesite of Revolutionary War Veteran David McKinley, Great Grandfather of President McKinley 

In September I took the kids down to Dayton for the day. Here is the gravesite of Orville and Wilbur Wright. Inventors of the first airplane 

Ohio Governor James Cox 

We revisited the National  Air Force Museum’s Presidential plane collection. Here is FDR‘S “Sacred Cow”

Truman’s “Independence”

Eisenhower’s “Columbine III”

The SAM 26000 Air Force One served every President from Kennedy to Clinton. It is also the plane that flew Kennedy to Dallas, and then flew his body back to DC after he was assassinated. LBJ also took the oath of office on the plane

Klo and I in the area of the plane in which LBJ was sworn in as the 36th President 

President Reagan’s coat and credentials  during World War II

“The Bockscar” dropped the Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Ending World War II


This is cross marked the grave of Quentin Roosevelt. Youngest son of Teddy Roosevelt, killed in World War I


In October I went to Cedar Point for the first time in 8 years. I was a chaperone for my nephews church youth group. I got to ride my favorite coaster. The Magnum XL 200. I first rode it in its opening year 1989. 

In November I took a day to grave hunt around Columbus. My focus was Ohio State coaches and players. Chic Harley was OSU’s first All American football player around 100 years ago. 

Gravesite of Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas

Statue of Coach Woody Hayes

President Hayes statue near his birthplace in Delaware 

Scout trip to Neil Armstrong Museum in December  

Armstrong’s Gemini 8


Armstrong’s Gemini 8 suit


Neil Armstrong boyhood home 

Family Christmas picture 2019

That’s it for 2019! See you in 2020