Back to Ohio

Yesterday morning we left Charleston and drove northwest for almost two hours. The wooded hills of West Virginia gave way to the fields of Ohio, and we arrived at the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park. This park protects a half dozen Native American mound sites of the Scioto valley. There is only one visitor center and it’s at the smallest mound site. It was a fairly small visitor center with few exhibits but a pretty good movie. We watched it and walked around the mounds a while, then left. 

We continued northwest for a little over a half hour and stopped at an outlet mall for lunch and some shopping, then turned southwest and drove about an hour to the last hotel of our trip, the Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter, which is actually in Covington, Kentucky. They gave us a room on the 14th floor with a partial view across the Ohio River of downtown Cincinnati. 

We settled in a bit then headed across the river to the Cincinnati Hard Rock Cafe, which was inside a casino. I was planning to eat there, but then we noticed there was a Brewdog Pub across the street. We had enjoyed one in Scotland so we decided to eat there, and just have a drink at the Hard Rock, which was my 47th. Even though it was in a casino, it was better than the one we went to last year in Indiana, because there was no smoking allowed. Also, parking was free. 

This morning after breakfast we checked out of the hotel and headed across the river again to visit the William Howard Taft NHS. This sit consists of his birth home and a visitor center next door. We watched the film and looked at the exhibits in the visitor center, learning more about the life of President and Chief Justice Taft, then walked through the house, which contained more exhibits about Taft, although some of it repeated information from the film and the visitor center exhibits. Still, it was cool to see several items that were owned by the Taft family. We spent a little over an hour at the site; we might have been able to stretch it out to two if we read everything instead of skimming some. 

We then headed back across the river to the airport. We turned in the rental and went to the Delta Lounge to have lunch and wait for our flight. We got upgraded to first class. Although our flight was delayed a bit due to weather, we got home safe and sound.

New River Gorge

 

This morning we drove east along the Kanawha River, winding through small coal towns that had seen better days. After about an hour we reached the Canyon Rim Visitor Center of New River Gorge National Park. This park was founded in 1978 as a National River, and upgraded to a National Park in 2020. We looked at the exhibits and watched the movie, then walked out to the overlook to see the bridge. 

After about an hour, we headed to the Gauley River National Recreation Area, about 15 miles to the north of the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. Gauley River doesn’t have a visitor center, just a campground and places for rafting and fishing. We drove to the Summerville dam, then, around noon, headed south to see more of New River Gorge NP. As we did, intermittent rain started, heavy at times. 

After about 45 minutes, we reached the Thurmond Historic District. Thurmond was a boom town along the railroad line in the early 20th century but died out when trains switched from coal to diesel. There was a small visitor center in the restored train depot. 

We stopped in the city of Buckley for lunch and gas, then continued to the Grandview Visitor Center. This was another small visitor center, but there is a large amphitheater and trail system that includes a great overlook of the gorge.

The last visitor center we visited was Sandstone, near the south end of the park. It had some nice exhibits about the river, including cool maps. They also had a different movie than the one at Canyon Rim, but it wasn’t working. I would have liked to continue south to the Bluestone National Scenic River, or checked out the Sandstone Falls boardwalk, but those would have taken at least an hour each, and it was already after four and we had an hour and a half drive back to Charleston. Instead we drove five minutes to the falls overlook, then headed back to the hotel to grab food at the concierge lounge.

Country Roads

Sunday morning we headed south through rural Pennsylvania, along winding roads and through small towns, most of which had seen better days. Around 9 am we arrived at Friendship Hill NHS. This was the house of Albert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Jefferson and Madison, the Minister of France. He added on to the house several times while he owned it, and later owners added and modified it as well, so a lot of the information at the site was how the house changed over time. 

He bought land along the Monongahela River in hopes of developing an industrial town nearby, but that never happened, so he eventually sold the property. We spent about an hour looking around the house and watching the short films about Gallatin’s life and the house. There was also a trail system that could have taken another hour or two to walk if one was inclined. 

We continued south into West Virginia, where the road straightened a bit, and reached Charleston in the afternoon. We checked into the Marriott Town Center, across from the convention center and the mall. They gave us a nice big room high up, but the hotel is fairly dated, and the pool was closed. We had a late lunch and walked through the mall. A lot of spaces were unoccupied. 

After unpacking and unwinding a bit, we got back in the car and drove through downtown to the Capitol. Charleston is a fairly small city for a state capital and largest city in a state. Because it’s located in a river valley, it’s surrounded by wooded hills. We had dinner at the hotel concierge lounge.

Pittsburgh again

Yesterday morning, while Susan attended a scrapbook convention, I headed down to Point State Park, where the Monongahela meets the Allegheny River to form the Ohio River.

I walked around the park and took in the views, and spent a couple of hours checking out the Fort Pitt Museum, where I learned more about the history of the area, and the battles fought between the British and the French, and the colonists and the native Americans for control of the rivers. 

After lunch I headed back to Station Square, and went up the Monongahela incline, a funicular that goes up Mount Washington. 

There were great views of the city from the top as well as a neighborhood. The funicular was built about 150 years ago to allow those living on top of the hill access to the city below. 

After dinner, Susan and I went on a river cruise with those attending the convention. Today while Susan attended the convention, I just hung out in the room, and grabbed food nearby. 

Pittsburgh

Wednesday evening we checked into our room at the Sheraton at Station Square, on the south shore of the Monongahela River across from downtown Pittsburgh. Because of our Marriott status we got a room on the 14th floor with a view of downtown and access to the lounge. We walked around Station Square a bit then ate some hors d’oeuvres at the lounge for dinner. 

This morning after breakfast we walked across the river to downtown. We walked to PPG Plaza and Market Square, then took the train back. 

We ate at the Hard Rock nearby for dinner, my 46th cafe. I had the Pittsburgh burger - two patties, two types of cheese, and two types of bacon.

Ohio

This morning Susan and I headed to MCO. The airport was crowded because of a systems failure a few days ago. It took an hour to drop our bags and get through security, then we had breakfast at the Delta lounge while waiting to board our flight. Our flight was full, but luckily we had gotten upgraded to Delta comfort. After a couple of hours we flew over Cincinnati and landed at the airport, which is actually in northern Kentucky.

After getting our bags and picking up our rental car, it was late afternoon. Because the flight’s departure time had been pushed back a half an hour, we needed to hurry to get to our first stop, the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument. We drove 1.5 hours northeast to Xenia, only to find the monument is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. We ate dinner at a nearby Skyline Chili, which we had heard a lot of good reviews about but we thought was just okay, then drove to our hotel in Dayton. 

This morning we visited the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park, where we learned about the Wright Brothers lives and their efforts to create the first flying machine. We spent about two hours looking through the exhibits and watching the film at the main visitor center, however, we could have spent several more hours or even a whole day visiting the other sites of the park.

We also went on a ranger led tour of the Wright Brothers bicycle shop next to the visitor center. From there we headed back to the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers NM, where we learned more about General Young’s military career. The monument mostly consists of Young’s old house, which contains displays about Young and the Buffalo Soldiers and administrative offices. The displays were photos and text, and one uniform of a Buffalo Soldier. There’s not really any reason to come to this monument, almost everything at it can be experienced online. We spent less than hour there.

From Xenia we headed east across Ohio. After about three hours we crossed into West Virginia, where we stopped a Cabela’s to stretch our legs. This one had several nice animal displays. We then continued into Pittsburgh.

Mickey’s Retreat

This afternoon Susan and I attended a picnic at Mickey’s Retreat for her Disney Cruise Line team. Mickey’s Retreat is a Disney owned property on Little Lake Bryan, located east of I-4 near Disney Springs. It has a couple of pools, some sports fields and picnic tables, and boat rentals, all for the exclusive use of cast members.

On Wednesday morning before work I went into the Magic Kingdom for a cast preview of the new Country Bear show. While I liked the old show better, the new one is pretty good, featuring country versions of newer songs from Disney movies. 

Since I transferred to the Magic Kingdom boats I’ve mostly been working nights. I don’t like starting in the afternoons but I have enjoyed watching the fireworks as I work. The Fourth of July fireworks were especially impressive. We shut down the boats for an hour as they launched fireworks from an island in the Seven Seas lagoon as well as behind the park. Of course I couldn’t take photos but here’s one of Happily Ever After from the ferry boat as we left MK on one of our visits in June.

I visited the Disney parks a couple more times with friends at the end of June. One evening we spent a few hours at the Studios after a rain storm. Another morning we went back to Animal Kingdom, mostly to ride Flight of Passage.