Ohio in October - Part 1

Ohio in October: Six Days, Countless Blessings

My mind is overflowing with gratitude for six days on the road last week, where I’ve had the chance to visit many wonderful people — a college roommate on Kelleys Island, Cross-Country teammates in Bowling Green (including two Olympic Gold Medalists!) for a Hall of Fame Event, and family and friends in Cleveland with catch ups and dinners out. It was a great solo trip to the Midwest, and my heart feels both full and rested.

Sometimes, with highway and turnpike lane closures and those ever-present orange barrels making driving “interesting,” I knew I had to leave my house in Maryland quite early to reach the Kelleys Island ferry in Marblehead, Ohio, by at least three or four o’clock - as it was the first stop on this trip. The fall ferry schedule runs the last boat to the island at 5:00 p.m., so there wasn’t much wiggle room for dawdling or detours. And there could have been all of that on my route.

Be“leaf” it or not, the entire drive was outstanding in early/mid October. With every mile, I scanned the trees, drinking in the turning colors of the leaves — though there was very little color change in Maryland when I left. By the time I hit the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the leaves were a-changing, and the ride, with the radio dial turned up, felt like I was flying across the paved highways toward the West. I made two pee stops (of course!) and filled the tank both times. It’s always good to stretch the legs a bit, breathe in that roadside air, and let the hum of road travel remind you you’re alive.

In the past, I’ve shared that I have happy places on this big Earth, and I love asking others about theirs, too. Kelleys Island is one of mine. I was so excited to be back with my friends Jodie and Scot — dear souls who’ve made their slice of Lake Erie feel like a second home to me and many others. It’s Mi Casa Su Casa at the Smiths! It’s also a quiet time to be there, as most tourists have gone, and the pace of the island feels just right - unhurried, soul-soothing, and perfectly in tune with fall ushering in (even the plethora of birds on the island started their migratory patterns). The evenings carried that crisp autumn scent with the winds from the lake, catapulting those scents all over the island. The lake, looking different by the minute, often shimmered in that magical way that happens only when the world slows down enough for you to notice. And, I always notice. That is part of my jam when I'm there, noticing the little things that "forest bathing, or being in Jodie's garden" can do for us.

Even with a slight detour to get to the ferry launch site in Marblehead, I got to the pay booth a little after 2:00 pm (not ever thinking I’d get on the 2:00 ferry)! They usually run the boats on the hour or half hour, but rough lake conditions can slow the boats down a bit. I could see the ferry, almost loaded, and I hoped to get on as the lady handed back my credit card. With seconds to spare, my car and one other were the last two before the gate closed. The time: 2:08 pm. Phew!

After a few peaceful days catching up, walking and hiking parts of the island, and talking about our lives, we packed up and pointed our cars toward Bowling Green State University.

The two-hour drive to BG, Jodie leading the way in her car, through more small towns, each one waving hello in its own way, a rusty tractor here, a roadside pumpkin stand there, and big farm houses with wooden quilt blocks on the barns on acres of just-harvested flat lands brought me back to my time spent in Western Ohio in the early 1980s. Bowling Green was my home during my college years, where my cross-country teammates became my second family, and frankly, my sorority. We’ve scattered to all corners of the country, but reconnecting, even briefly, over this special Hall of Fame Weekend, reminds me that love and friendship can bridge the decades in many ways. We may have run thousands of miles back then, but it’s the miles of life that have truly defined us more than we realize.

After lots of hugs, laughter, and a few tears by me and my teammates, I made my final stop in Cleveland, where family and longtime friends "awaited." There’s nothing like returning to your roots, hearing familiar voices, tasting hometown favorites, and being reminded of how far you’ve come while still feeling tethered to where you began.

By the end of my six days, I’d logged over a thousand miles but also gathered heartfelt memories. It wasn’t just a road trip; it was a reminder that my connection to so many inspiring and unbelievable people was the real destination.

TBC with a few more stories to share - especially the HOF Event at BGSU and Betsy Miller's induction into the HOF Class of 2025!

bSoleille!

Terri

Photos: 1) KI Sunset with Jodie and Terri; 2) blooming wildflowers; 3) hiking and sitting for a spell on a special bench on the North side of the island; 4) Jodie, Carmen, and me; 5) at the Glacier Grooves; 6) arrival day on the KI Ferry.

Thousands of migrating birds and fowl on Lake Erie - October 2025