Destination: TNNA

Last week this time I was on my way to Columbus, Ohio to attend The National Needlearts Association trade show or TNNA. There were four of us in a compact car; my friend Stefanie who I worked with at Lorna's Laces, now working with The Wool Wide Web, co-founder of The Wool Dispensary with me, Bree Miller, and a woman I knew from Ravelry Amy Duncan.


We got lost somewhere somehow on the Chicago Skyway, don't ask me but the magic blue GPS dot wanted us to take the scenic route. We ended up on the back roads of Indiana and Ohio. Not a bad way to go considering it only took us 35 minutes over what the direct route would have.

We had a fun time driving the back roads of the Heartland. Amy and Bree started counting dilapidation; barns, houses, cars, people. The final tally was 36 dilapidated things. Some of the barns had nearly been reclaimed by the earth. We past a wind farm before we left Indiana that was in the process of being built. It was amazing to see the big blades lying on the ground. You get a sense of just how big those structures are and how little I know about the science of harnessing the power of the wind.  We saw a few strange things too. 

The Butt Hut (a cigarette shop) where the sign says, "Bring your butt to the hut", right next to Tat-2-U tattoos. Made us giggle really hard.


If anyone can knows what is in this truck please.... leave it in the comments, I can say we were very intrigued.

After we crossed the Ohio border even all the snacks we had packed couldn't keep our attention. The truck hadn't quite put us off our lunch and then we found Dad's. 

It was on what must have been the town's major intersection. Unfortunately everything around it was closed and dilapidated. A general store across the way spotted signs for ice cream and ice cool drinks and two very old gas pumps. An antique store still had it's painted sign in the window. Amy, Bree and I enjoyed twisty soft serve cones, licking them up quickly as the heat was determined to turn them to soup.








We arrived slightly later than expected but then sun had not yet sank. After dropping Amy at her hotel and checking into our own Stef ran to meet her boss, and Bree and I settled at the busy Tip Top Bar. The weather which had been bright clear and a little humid turned dark and fierce. Plans of walking the high street to Jeni's ice cream were dashed as the rain poured down! After it let up we headed back the black to our hotel for another drink and dessert. Guess what the Renaissance serves? Jeni's ice cream on all their desserts. I went to bed a tired but happy monkey. The next day would be very busy.