Ohio-ooooooooh?

NINE HOURS LATER...we pull into Hillbilly Hell. As an aside: I'm exhausted and suffering from what I can only define as 'shell shock'. I pull up to a trailer park attendant (yes, there are trailer park attendants) and explain that my parents are staying here, and I'm here to visit. At this point, my dog, who usually only works banker's hours, pipes up and starts barking. The attendant, full fledged in stereo-typical dirty trucking cap, dirty half-on overalls on top of a plaid flannel with the arms cut, oh, ripped off, holding his beer and spitting chaw, tells me that them there dawg ain't allowed at this here park. My jaw just drops. I rolled up the window with nary another word, and I call my dad (hysterical at this point) to see what is going on. His kindly response is that I'm at the trashy park. Their luxury park is up the street a couple of miles. See? I bet you guys didn't know that trailer parks or what I ike to call mobile estates come in gradations. So, we finally settle in for the night...the three kids, the dog, and me in a 8 x 8 square foot space...and that was the highlight of my day! Don't let me fool you...it was fun.
The next day, we checked out the John Johnson farm. It was a moving experience. My parents conduct some of the tours of the home. I've got to say, my mom does a really good tour - she's a fabulous story-teller. It was better than any tour I'd ever been on, including Mt. Vernon. The tour discusses John Johnson's generosity toward Joseph Smith and the early pioneers and their bravery against angry mobs among other things. Here's some pix and be sure to check out the link above if you want to learn more about this amazing historical site.
After we left the farm, we went to grab a bite followed by an exploration of Ohio Amish country. The most unusual thing I saw was the wagon-hitching post lot for the HORSE-DRAWN WAGONS at the local Super Walmart. Very interesting dichotomy.