Laughs, Landmarks, and Long Roads: 12 Days of Fun!

 Day 11 – Four States, Four Rivers, and a Hot Dog Worth the Drive

We met for breakfast at 7:00 am, and I have to say—our hotel really outdid itself on the free breakfast. Everyone found something they liked and left happy. We rolled out of the parking lot around 8:15 am CDT.

First stop—yes, you guessed it—Dunkin’. One XL coffee for me, one medium for Michael, and one medium hot chocolate for Susan. After topping off the gas tank, we left Normal, Illinois, and I commented on what a nice town it was. My husband, full of wit, replied, “Yes, everything looks Normal,” and off we went toward Columbus, OH, our first planned stop.

Around 10:30 am EDT, we made a quick restroom and leg-stretch stop at the Indiana Welcome Center—crossing back into our home time zone. 

By about 1:15 pm, we were officially in Ohio.

At 2:55 pm, we pulled up to Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace in Columbus. Susan had spotted it on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and knowing Michael’s love for NYC-style street dogs, she figured this was a must-do.

For those who’ve never been, Dirty Frank’s is a quirky, casual spot famous for over-the-top hot dogs with creative toppings, along with hand-cut fries, onion rings, and sides that make you want to stay a while.

Here’s what we ordered:

Susan – Brisket & Slaw Dog: Juicy beef brisket and creamy coleslaw.

Mark – Slappy Pappy Super Sloppy Dog: Fries, coney sauce, cheddar, sour cream, and bacon bits, plus onion rings.

Michael – Doginator: Bacon-wrapped dog topped with beef brisket, BBQ sauce, cheddar, and onion rings, with Boston baked beans on the side.

Me – Chili Dog: Coney sauce, onion, yellow mustard, and cheddar, plus an order of onion rings.

Verdict: Definitely worth the stop!

Leaving Columbus’s Discovery District, I snapped a picture of a ladder truck with its ladder raised—it looked like they might have been cleaning it.

By 3:30 pm, we were back on the road and heading toward Wheeling, WV, where we had hotel rooms booked. We crossed into West Virginia at about 5:30 pm. 

After checking in, we grabbed a casual bite at Cheddar’s, nothing fancy, and headed back to the hotel so I could write this blog and we all had time to relax before falling asleep.

Tomorrow, it’s the home stretch back to Fredericksburg. I’m guessing we’ll mostly be focused on getting home, unpacked, and ready for a busy Monday—but if anything interesting happens along the way, you know I’ll share it.

Today’s stats:

• States traveled through – Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia (we’ll wrap up WV and enter Virginia tomorrow).

• Major rivers crossed – Today, we crossed the Ohio River, making it the fourth river we’ve crossed on this trip.