This morning we said goodbye to Pittsburgh and began our journey along the Ohio River. Just outside the city the river shoots up and then bends down, forming a rainbow. To save time, we didn't travel along this section and drove directly into West Virgina, where we met back up with the river in Wheeling.
To stay close to the river, we drove country highways rather than the main Interstate. As a result, a drive that should have taken 5 hours took us 7 and by the end my kids were throwing stuff at one another in the backseat and my husband wouldn't even talk to me. In hindsight, we should have broken this drive into two days—but thankfully it's the longest drive on our trip so the worst is behind us. And in spite of the last dreadful hour, the day was fun overall and we saw a lot (while staying under budget).
Budget
Today was inexpensive. We only spent money on food and lodging, and our big activity, going for a hike, was free.
Breakfast: free
Lunch: $28.75 (Ye Old Alpha, Wheeling, W.V.)
Dinner: $19.50 (Ribs & Bikes Festival, Pomeroy, Ohio)
Hotel: $108.80 (Best Western River Cities Inn, Ashland, Ky.: clean hotel with free breakfast and a late afternoon "cookie break.")
Total: $157.05
Highlights
1) Wheeling, W.V.
This industrial town of red-brick buildings is gritty and depressed with many empty downtown store fronts, but we found a few interesting attractions: the Capitol Theater where Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard once played, a suspension bridge that was supposedly the longest in the world at one point in time, and the Victoria Theater, which broadcasts a live radio show known as the Victoria Jamboree on Sunday nights. Dating back to the 40s, the show features bluegrass and country music.
2) Ye Old Alpha, Wheeling, W.V.
A line of animal trophies, with a massive smiling moose in the middle, hang above the bar of this dimly lit Wheeling restaurant where locals go for cold beer and burgers.
If we weren't traveling with kids, my husband and I would have loved to sit at the bar.
Instead we opted for the room with a pool table.
Ice berg wedge salad topped with bacon and blue cheese. Yes, it was delicious.
3) Highway 2, W.V.
This four-lane highway follows the river from Wheeling to Parkersburg, W.V.—and took us through the heart of America's chemical industry. Every 10 minutes, we seemed to pass another coal-powered chemical plant. We also passed through dozens of little towns. Some looked lost and forgotten, with even their strip malls empty and blighted. In one sleepy spot, "the world’s largest cut nail factory" had a big for rent sign on its roof, and everything around it looked closed. But we also saw more lively towns, most of them with a huge plant or factory at the center.
Barges carrying coal are a common sight on the Ohio River.
Set on the banks of the river amidst forests of impossibly green trees and dramatic skies filled with puffy clouds, this industrial mass with skinny smoke stacks towering above looked strangely beautiful.
I knew that we were close to Amish Country when we spotted this roadside sign (the shop was closed). But for the sake of time and money, we opted to not detour off our main route and drive into the heart of it. Next time!
In many of the towns we drove through American flags hung from the telephone poles and lampposts.
Passing through Sisters, W.V.
Hardware store in Sisters, W.V.
Mayor's office in Sisters, W.V.
In town called St. Mary's, we crossed a bridge onto an island in the center of the Ohio that had been turned into a wildlife refuge. We never saw any birds, but we enjoyed a great walk.
The bridge that takes you on and off Middle Island.
4) Highway 124, Ohio
In Parkersburg, we crossed the river to Ohio and followed Highway 124 to Pomeroy. The skinny, two-lane road passed cornfields, red barns, old stately homes with big front porches, a few sleepy towns—and the only Civil War battle site in Ohio. That’s when my husband slammed the brakes and pulled over the car.
At Buffington Island State Memorial Site, the interpretive signs will tell you how “3,000 Union, artillery, infantry and cavalry, accompanied by U.S. Navy gunboats, caught up with Morgan’s Confederate troops.” My husband read all of the interpretive signs...
While my kids and I ran around the green grassy space.
Here my kids are climbing up a Native American mound.
This is a special monument commemorating the site and those are cornfields in the background.
We later drove by yet another coal-powered plant, which looked spectacular set amongst a field of hay bales.
5) Golds Wings and Ribs Festival, Pomeroy, Ohio
Fried pickles, fried Oreos, racks of ribs, and packs of Harley Davidson bikers on the banks of the Ohio River. We felt worlds away from San Francisco at this down-home festival and enjoyed every moment of it.
What's up next? Tomorrow, we drive only an hour to Maysville.
0 comments:
Post a Comment