The year is 2004. Nine family members (including my 73-year-old grandmother) have caravanned and made their way to Phoenix to watch the Fiesta Bowl between the Ohio State Buckeyes and our beloved Kansas State Wildcats. Because I wouldn’t bother attending a bowl game I thought my team might lose, I brought as much purple as possible to Arizona, anticipating a Wildcats victory. Unfortunately, Ohio State pulled ahead early and never looked back — and in a childish act of immaturity, I’ve been soured on the entire state of Ohio ever since.

However, as time passes and sports wounds heal, and with new coaches now at the helms of both schools, I began to realize I could visit a state without breaking loyalty to my own alma mater.

Over Labor Day weekend I decided to meet a friend who was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. Because we’re both sports fans, we’ve discussed my disdain for Ohio, and she suggested it actually might help me to visit and see what all the fuss is about. So I flew out of St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport in Florida to Covington, Kentucky, just outside Cincinnati. Landing in Kentucky meant we’d be coming into Ohio from the south, looking straight into the Cincinnati skyline as we drove to The Lytle Park Hotel.

I know I write about a lot of different hotels in this blog, but let me say our time at The Lytle was lovely! Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, The Lytle sits directly across from the Taft Museum (honoring former President Howard Taft) in downtown Cincinnati. Fortunately for me, my friend was upgraded to a corner suite on the top floor. We loved all the extra space, joking about the size of the shower, the dual flat screens and the deep window sills which nearly doubled as a breakfast nook! We also enjoyed a light morning meal in the solarium where we shared eggs and bacon, along with a chia pudding dish.

After meandering through the hotel hallways taking different pictures of special spaces, we said goodbye to The Lytle and headed to Dayton, Ohio, and Carillon Historical Park. I love hometown museums, and my friend hadn’t visited the local spot since she was on a field trip in elementary school. Turns out Dayton has a rich history as the home of numerous inventors, entrepreneurs and creative Hollywood types. The hometown pride shows through, as the museum features an impressive collection of NCR cash registers, the 1905 Wright Flyer, a full indoor carousel, authentic letter press and much, much more.

And, of course, in addition to our time in Dayton, we also took a quick road trip to Columbus and walked around the campus of Ohio State University. Never in my wildest dreams — and certainly not after the frustrating loss mentioned earlier — did I ever expect to find myself walking around OSU voluntarily! However, I must admit the campus was beautiful, the people were friendly, and the view from the 11th floor of the Thompson Library was extraordinary.

The Buckeyes had just beaten their rivals from Notre Dame the night before, and a few extra pom-poms were on hand outside the stadium, waiting for strangers like me to take them home.

And I surprised myself by snagging one.

Moral of the story: Never let old sports grudges keep you from enjoying the best of something wonderful. Friendships have a way of turning those tough losses into unexpected wins.

— Carrie Cox, account executive