Lazy?  In a hurry?  Alcoholic?  I'm curious to know the 'real' reason why drive-thru convenience stores were invented.  I have a sneaky suspision that alcohol is the first and foremost item on the store manager's inventory checklist.  With names such as Brew Thru and Beer Barn, it makes me wonder...

I found this interesting website that highlights photos of drive-thru stores throughout America... http://www.beerbarns.com/

I was 18 years old when I had my first experience with a drive-thru store.  I was visiting friends in unknown territory in Chillicothe, Ohio.  I was driving and the passenger was a native of Ohio.  We had driven up from Virginia Beach.   While driving down a main street, I was told to turn right.  Right into a building!  I hesitated, put my foot on the brake, and said "do you think I'm a freakin' idiot?  I'm not driving straight through that building!"  Needless to say, it took quite a bit more convincing but I eventually drove
through.

We recently visited Warren, Ohio to attend a friend's wedding and the faint memories of my drive-thru experience came rushing
back when I saw this:

What started as a road trip with no specific destination, turned into a scenic drive through Northern Ohio, with more things to do than we were able to fit into one extended weekend. Who knew? 

Cleveland is home to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame! The 150,000 square-foot, extremely unique building design captures your attention from the highway. And the museum itself, with its seven floors, five theaters, and ever-changing exhibits, is filled with iconic artifacts from musicians throughout history. My jaw dropping moments however, were at the Women Who Rock exhibit and gazing at all the outfits worn by 70 of the most influential women in music. Rolling Stone says "A stunning collection of artifacts." The Huffington Post says it’s "A must-see" and The Wall Street Journal quotes the exhibit as being "thoroughly entertaining."

If architecture is your passion, a visit to Ohio most certainly needs to be on your to-do list. Akron, Ohio (dubbed as "Rubber Capital of the World") is home to the Stan Hywet Estate (Old English for stone quarry.) In 1898, F.A. Seiberling founded The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, naming it after Charles Goodyear, the inventor of the vulcanization process for rubber. Between 1912 and 1915, he and his wife, Gertrude, built their country estate. The short-lived American Country Estate building boom began to decline in the 1920s, and by the 1960s many of the most elegant homes ever built in this country had been lost to the wrecking ball. Stan Hywet remains as one of the most important historic estates to endure from this bygone era. Above the Manor House entryway, the crest bearing the motto Non Nobis Solum (Not for Us Alone), still welcomes guests as it did a century ago. This 65-room manor with original furnishings, including 18th-century British portraits, 15th-century French and Italian furniture and priceless antiques is one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival architecture in the United States. 

Amusement Parks galore! From Splash Zone in Oberlin and Wildwater Kingdom in Aurora to Cedar Point & Great Wolf Lodge in Sandusky, there’s fun for the whole family no matter what time of year you visit. With such a rich history and plenty to keep busy, Ohio surprisingly flourishes with something for everyone, no matter the age or interest. 

As featured in Connextions Magazine, Issue 5.

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