If you're mapquesting a trip from Northwestern to Ohio State, the estimated time is around six hours. But as us Daily staffers found out, it is only a wonderful estimate.
Two of the most essential elements of surviving a football roadtrip are energy and enthusiasm. If you bring both of those, you're set...even after watching Ohio State pop the Wildcats.
The Roadtrip's Crazy Eights
Eight Memorable Memories from the Daily Northwestern's 48-hr trip to Columbus, Ohio
Skyline Chili - Imported from a small town in Greece, the Cincinnati-based chili chain holds a special recipe that tastes like no other. Unfortunately, the quartet of Daily staffers failed to catch the exit for that wonderful taste, due to our fatigued stupor from a three-hour and 36-minute pounding @ the Shoe. Menu items include Coney Island hot dogs, spaghetti, and burritos, all topped with chili. Eclectic.
Tom Raper RVs - If you're scrunched in the car on the drive from Chi-town, Tom Raper's line of five consecutive RV billboards is bound to make you chuckle. The company is known for carrying a large selection of RVs, modular campers, tent campers, and cargo trailers. The ad slogan is "where fun begins." Probably true as our legs fell asleep with our luggage piled into a VW Jetta.
Indianapolis Colts pride - With the Pacers floundering in the Post-Reggie Miller era, the presence of the Colts can be felt all throughout the Indianapolis area. From Steak and Shake cups, to Bud Light ads, it is clear that Peyton Manning would win President in the state of Indiana. It provided a great diversion as we questioned whether the beltway around Indianapolis would take us where we needed to go instead of in continuous circles.
Lane Avenue - If you're looking for any color but red on this main drag through Ohio State's campus, you must be mistaken. Every single fan was wearing a Buckeyes jersey or shirt - an intense picture not always seen at Ryan Field. Common sights along the streets included lawns decked in Keystone Light cans and intense games of Ohio State cornhole...three hours before kickoff.
West Lafayette, Ind. - The only legitimate stop for food en route from Chicago to Indy. We utilized it twice. Steak and Shake Friday...IHOP saturday. The respective staffs were very friendly, meals ranging from $6-$10. And Purdue students didn't accost us for wearing Northwestern gear.
The Sission Parking Lot - Even with our notes in hand, it took us two hours to find our assigned lot, Sission, at Ohio State. We circled the Olentangy River several times before we found several parking employees who were just as clueless to the location as we were. Ohio Stadium is almost located on a moat. Then again, with the way the Buckeyes play at home, it is their castle.
Speedway or Flying J for Gas today - From the barren exits along I-65 in Indiana, its important to have your tank as close to full as possible before hitting the plains of the Hoosier state. The trip to Columbus requires a little over two tanks of gas. Our first stop took place in Brookville, Ohio at 12:30 EST Friday. A common gas company in Central Ohio is Speedway. I was asked if I wanted to sign up for a Speedy card. As a confused east coaster, I said no, and was accused by the employee of not having the willingness to devote my time to the card acquisition process. On the return trip, we stopped in Lebanon Indiana at a Flying J truck stop. $2.77 a gallon was unbeatable. And there was a country buffet. It was delicious in theory...yet when we went inside to look, there was no food at the buffet table. There was also no employee in sight. Sketch.
Ay dios mio...Hay mucho Trafico!- Sports Editor David Morrison concluded the trip slamming his wheel as us staffers encountered heavy delays on the Ryan Expressway at 2 AM saturday. Three lanes of traffic were closed, with no construction workers present. There's only three words that come to mind.
Sweet home Chicago.
Check back in two weeks for a read on our journey to East Lansing for the Cats battle with Michigan State on Saturday, October 6th.
--Chris Gentilviso
