Wrapping up

When we checked into the first hotel, I told Debby there would be a test on all of the hotel room numbers at the end and that she had to remember them. She said she couldn't, that she would be lucky to remember the first one. So to help her study, each night after we checked in and on the way to our room, I quizzed her about the room for the day before, and the day before, and the day before, etc. Today was our last hotel room. She managed to get them all right every night! Maybe it doesn't sound like much but could you remember?

212
317
311
1009
220
325
203 (Friday and Saturday)
328

While we often are told that the average person can remember 7 numbers, I think those are single-digit numbers. I don't know how many longer numbers can be recalled. Anyway, she got 100% with helpful coaching. (Sometimes she remembered them better than I did.) What was really tricky was remembering our room number after returning from getting dinner.

It was a great last day of travelling and sightseeing. We rolled out by a little after 9 and knew we couldn't meander because there were multiple things we wanted to do in Mansfield. I know 100 miles doesn't sound like much when you're on the super slab going 75, but when there is a little town every 6 to 10 miles that you slow down to 25 MPH, 100 miles takes a lot longer. We did stop for lunch but made it to Mansfield in time for the 2:15 tour of the Ohio State Reformatory. It was a great tour and while the reformatory started out in 1896 as a place for rehabilitation and preparation for returning to mainstream life for young men who were incarcerated, it later turned into an overcrowded hellhole due to political and economic changes in the country (Prohibition and the great depression) and then emergency housing situations (huge fire at another penitentiary) for other inmates. Eventually, inmates sued for inhumane conditions and won which led to the shutdown of this facility and replacement with more modern facilities located nearby. The building, itself, is beautiful outside. It is mostly in ruin inside but is now under the care of an organization to preserve it as a historical site. It has also been used for several movies, primarily Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One (the Russian prison).

Then we went to the Richland Carrousel, a restored 1930s carrousel. I was enchanted and my heart filled with delight to ride!

We had early dinner at the Coney Island Diner, open since 1936. In the fine print on this sign it explains that the 5 cent coneys no longer are available on today's menu. We've had better coneys before, but the cherry pie with raspberry swirl ice ceam was very good.

We backtracked to Bucyrus because that is where we could get a room (and from where we will head to Michael's). We successfully geocached 4 locations this evening.