Ashtabula Genealogy Trip (Journal Included)

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http://www.visitashtabulacounty.com/  - The Ashtabula County Convention & Visitors Bureau

http://www.lakevisit.com/  - The Lake County Visitors Bureau

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtabula  - The Wikipedia entry for Ashtabula

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The drive from the Cleveland airport to the Hampton Inn took about 45 minutes, but we did not encounter any traffic at all. The highway around Cleveland does have a couple of odd, almost 90 degree turns in it, though. When you see a sign telling you to slow down, take it seriously.

The first thing I'll note is that the Hampton Inn, Ashtabula is not in Ashtabula. It is in Austinburg, OH, which is a ten minute drive from Ashtabula. The Hampton Inn is within sight of I-90, which makes it a convenient location for visiting the neighboring cities, such as Conneaut, Geneva, and Madison. The hotel is also across the street from a trucking depot of some sort, so there is a lot of 18 wheeler traffic through the intersection. Luckily, our room (Rm. 308) faced the opposite direction and we had a pleasant view of a field and a line of bushes that was frequented by many different kinds of birds.

One of the reasons that I like Hampton Inns is the free wireless Internet connection. Therefore, I was a little disappointed that I couldn't get a signal in the room. I went to talk to the front desk about it and was informed that the signal eminates from a spot close to the elevator. So, I took my laptop, stood in front of the elevator, and picked up a strong signal. I slowly walked back to my room and, although the signal strength was very low, I stayed connected the rest of the time. I think if we had been just one or two rooms closer to the elevator (around Rm. 312), the signal would have been great.

We went to dinner at Chops in Geneva. The best way to get to Chops from the Hampton Inn is to get back on I-90 and head one exit to the west, to Rt. 534. Then, go right (north) and Chops is on the right. I would say, door-to-door, the trip takes about 10 minutes. My friend got a half rack of ribs, baked beans, and wild rice. I got penne pasta with chicken and olives. Everything was very good. The restaurant also has a wide selection of beer and wine.