Day 100: Middlesex, Vermont to Buffalo, New York; Day 101: Buffalo to Cincinnati. Day 102-103 Cincinnati

As I write this the first Covid vaccines are being given to front line health care workers. I know we have a long way to go and my mask will not go away for many months yet. But, I feel a tiny trickle of hope. It's a welcome feeling.

Still, it was harder than usual to leave home this time. We will be on the road through Christmas and New Year's Day. It is the first time since we welcomed our first-born, nearly 26 years ago, that we won't be with our kids for the holidays. That makes me sad. But, so far we are all well and doing okay. That's all we can ask for during these crazy, challenging times.

If you've been following this blog, you know that we like to find quirky roadside attractions. Turns out they sometimes find us instead. As we pulled into our Buffalo hotel, I noticed a large sculpture titled "The Battle of the Bulge" seemingly sprouting up from the middle of an adjacent parking lot. The next day I discovered an unlikely combination of monuments, including a mausoleum, which is as yet unoccupied.

[from RoadsideAmerica.com]

Funded by Russell Salvatore, who owns the steakhouse across the street. Patriots and Heroes Park features a miniature Golden Gate Bridge chopped in half, a Statue of Liberty, an Empire State Building, and a Niagara Falls, as well as a replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a statue of the Archangel Michael, a tribute to The Battle of the Bulge (complete with a realistic Nazi tank), a memorial to the victims of Flight 3407, and a reproduction of the flag-raising on the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Salvatore has said that he's not afraid to die because he's been granted permission to be buried among his many monuments.

The next day we were up and out early and headed for Cincinnati. Pulling into the hotel I felt a little like I was in the movie Ground Hog Day since we'd been here just two weeks before. Lucky for us, it's the art museum hotel. I found a whole new gallery this time. Here are a few of my favorite new discoveries. 

From Cincinnati we head to Green Bay, Wisconsin for a prime-time game on Saturday night. After that, we begin the long journey west to Las Vegas.

On the Field: NFL Week 14: Dallas Cowboys @ Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals fumbled on their first three possessions. The game went downhill for Cincinnati from there. The Bengals' former longtime quarterback Andy Dalton led the Cowboys to a decisive victory. Final score: Cowboys 30, Bengals 7.

On the Map: distance from last week, Chicago to Middlesex to Cincinnati -- 1,730.