Jim and I both grew up in Ohio and stayed there until we were in our early 20's, when we both moved away, but in different directions. We did not get together until our mid-20's in Atlanta, Georgia, and it's history from there. Since Gayle's Dad and his family still lived in the area, we went back on occasion to visit, the last time in 2012 on our way from Wisconsin to Kentucky when we went to work at Amazon.
Above is a picture of Jim from we believe to be around May 1972 when he, Dustin Lacate, Denny Rein, and others went to Washington, D.C. to meet with Ohio Senator William Saxbe. They represented a delegation of Kent State students voicing their feelings about Nixon's invasion of Cambodia. That is Jim with his back to the camera in the plaid shirt.
We stopped in Maple Heights in 2012 to visit our parents on our way from Minnesota to Kentucky. We had to stay a couple of weeks as Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast and made it all the way into Cleveland. We finally had to say good-bye and hit the road as we were running out of time to get to Kentucky.
Maple Heights ~~ October 2012
The last time we were in Ohio was for my Dad's funeral in 2014. We made a trip to Kent State University where we went to college in the early 1970s.
The Final Days - Elmer Balach ~~ June 18, 2014
Final Resting Place ~~ June 21, 2014
We also went to a park in the Kent area, where a group of Kent State students had a picture taken and we wanted to find the ledge where it took place. We toured the May 4 Memorial Museum, as we were both at Kent on May 4, 1970 when the National Guard shot four students during demonstrations. You can read all about it below.
Brady Lake ~~ June 19, 2014
The Ledge at the Gorge ~~ June 22, 2014
Warther Museum ~~ June 29, 2014
May 4 Memorial, Kent, Ohio ~~ June 28, 2014
During our 2019 summer trip, we headed back through Ohio on our way back to Texas after leaving Maine. We did a good bit of sightseeing, but there is so much more to see. We stayed east of Cleveland, and went to see some sights there before heading southwest to Wapakoneta. The above picture was taken at The Temple of Tolerance in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
Ashtabula Maritime Museum ~ July 21, 2019
The Bridges of Ashtabula County ~~ July 25, 2019
Goodtime III Boat Cruise ~~ August 2, 2019
Touring Cleveland, Ohio ~~ August 3, 2019
A Christmas Story ~~ August 3, 2019
Balach~Bala~Balla Cousin Reunion ~~ August 4, 2019
The Temple of Tolerance ~~ August 7, 2019
Neil Armstrong Museum ~~ August 8, 2019
Bicycle Museum of America ~~ August 10, 2019
May 4 Memorial ~~ May 4, 2020
We made our way into Ohio again in 2023, where we are going to visit friends and family. We also went to visit some museums while there.
National Museum of US Air Force ~~ May 5, 2023
Chateau Laroche (Loveland Castle) ~~ May 7, 2023
Cuyahoga Valley National Park ~~ May 16, 2023
We stopped in Maple Heights in 2012 to visit our parents on our way from Minnesota to Kentucky. We had to stay a couple of weeks as Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast and made it all the way into Cleveland. We finally had to say good-bye and hit the road as we were running out of time to get to Kentucky.
Maple Heights ~~ October 2012
The last time we were in Ohio was for my Dad's funeral in 2014. We made a trip to Kent State University where we went to college in the early 1970s.
The Final Days - Elmer Balach ~~ June 18, 2014
Final Resting Place ~~ June 21, 2014
We also went to a park in the Kent area, where a group of Kent State students had a picture taken and we wanted to find the ledge where it took place. We toured the May 4 Memorial Museum, as we were both at Kent on May 4, 1970 when the National Guard shot four students during demonstrations. You can read all about it below.
Brady Lake ~~ June 19, 2014
The Ledge at the Gorge ~~ June 22, 2014
Warther Museum ~~ June 29, 2014
May 4 Memorial, Kent, Ohio ~~ June 28, 2014
During our 2019 summer trip, we headed back through Ohio on our way back to Texas after leaving Maine. We did a good bit of sightseeing, but there is so much more to see. We stayed east of Cleveland, and went to see some sights there before heading southwest to Wapakoneta. The above picture was taken at The Temple of Tolerance in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
Ashtabula Maritime Museum ~ July 21, 2019
The Bridges of Ashtabula County ~~ July 25, 2019
Goodtime III Boat Cruise ~~ August 2, 2019
Touring Cleveland, Ohio ~~ August 3, 2019
A Christmas Story ~~ August 3, 2019
Balach~Bala~Balla Cousin Reunion ~~ August 4, 2019
The Temple of Tolerance ~~ August 7, 2019
Neil Armstrong Museum ~~ August 8, 2019
Bicycle Museum of America ~~ August 10, 2019
May 4 Memorial ~~ May 4, 2020
We made our way into Ohio again in 2023, where we are going to visit friends and family. We also went to visit some museums while there.
National Museum of US Air Force ~~ May 5, 2023
Chateau Laroche (Loveland Castle) ~~ May 7, 2023
Cuyahoga Valley National Park ~~ May 16, 2023