Picked up the National Highway in western PA and ran into a couple of old friends, two Madonna of the Trail monuments honoring the pioneer women who crossed the plains - one in PA and the other in WV.  Remember seeing one in AZ.  It was a short trip thru WV before I reached the Ohio side and headed north along the river.

Passed a couple of signs that told me a yearning for prohibition was still alive and also  one advertising what I thought was an unusual combination of activities.

Stopped at Carrollton for a great bowl of split pea soup and took a tour of the Halloween displays decorating the town square.  The clever characters were all sponsored by community organizations and despite the soggy weather, were holding up very well.

My intention was to see the Presidential Ladies Library in Canton but the shutdown was still in effect so had to settle for the Football Hall of Fame.  Was a huge fan of the Packers during the Lombardi days so enjoyed my wanderings thru the displays, history clips of early players and the culmination event, a quick stadium-style video of the 49er/Ravens Super Bowl game coached by the Harbaugh brothers. 

Finally, the shutdown is over so drove down to Chillicothe to see the Hopewell Culture site.  It’s actually a series of 5 sites, the main one being Mound City along the Scioto River.  It’s a group of burial mounds and possibly a ceremonial site.  There’s no evidence that the early Indians lived in large villages there, like Cahokia.  Most housing sites scattered along the river indicate two, maybe three homes max.  The most remarkable aspects of the sites are the

common geometrical outlines each of them share.  I was lucky to sit in on a presentation by the ranger given to people on an archeological tour.  Although they were inhabited 2000 years ago, the outlines of circles and squares are repeated on each site in the exact dimensions.  We’re still scratching our collective heads to figure out why and how they did it.  Many sites were destroyed by farming but the use of new technology has been able to help to uncover the patterns.  Luckily, the burials were cremations and remains were placed well below ground level.  Also included in the burial sites were beautiful (and very sophisticated) pieces of artwork; carvings made of materials that could only have come from places far from their villages. 

Serpent tail

Serpent Mound is a little further southwest and is the largest known effigy mound with a serpentine figure winding almost 1400 ft. on a ridge-top overlooking the Brush Creek.  Again, since no artifacts were found, the builder remains a mystery as well as its intended use 

Back down to the southern edge of Ohio and another drive along the Ohio River which landed me in Cincinnati/Kentucky/Cincinnati.  Took me a while to get my compass adjusted as the river twists thru the area and I loved crossing the bridges. Can’t go to Cincy without stopping at Skyline for chili.  Sat next to a mom and daughter who helped me place my order.  Big mistake if you just order the chili.

Another drizzly day so began with a visit to Grant’s birthplace in
Mount Pleasant.  At the time, it was a one room house and the Historical Society has collected both personal and period items for it. Found it interesting that at one time the house was hauled around the country as an exhibit and even spent time at the Ohio State fairgrounds.

On the way back, stopped off at New Richmond, an important site in abolitionist history and a stop on the Underground Railroad.  The Philanthopist, an abolitionist newspaper began here before it moved to Cincinnati.  It’s also the current (temporary, until the river rises) home to the Log-Ness Monster.

The Tafts came from the Vermont area to Cincinnati and William’s father, Alfonso, began the Republican Party in Ohio and then became Secretary of War & Attorney General under Grant.. When Alfonso’s first wife died, he went back to Vermont to find a replacement; Louise, William’s mother. Alfonso moved his family to the Auburn Hills home to escape the industrial air pollution in downtown Cincinnati.  Appearances were very important at the time and the parlor is furnished with expensive and fashionable (for the period) furniture and most of the originals have been returned to the home. Taft and Teddy Roosevelt were great friends (political and personal) until Taft was elected president. Teddy had taken the Progressive path while Taft followed a conservative one and gained a reputation for being anti-labor and pro-business.  Teddy’s decision to run on the Bull Moose Party ticket deprived Taft of his second term but he achieved his dream tho when Warren Harding appointed him Chief Justice to the Supreme Court.   

Attended services at the Unitarian church which was built in the 1888 and is decorated with huge, beautiful Tiffany windows. Was surprised to see that Taft was a member of the church but a member explained that this was the church attended by Cincinnati’s elite.

Will have to come back as the Underground Railroad Museum and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s house were closed on Sunday. Was a beautiful day so took a walk across the Roebling Bridge and a short stroll along the river by the murals in Covington, KY.  Downtown Cincinnati is overpowered by 2 huge stadiums (football & baseball), almost side by side along the river. When I was there, both were empty so no parking problems.

Patience passed a milestone; got her 50,000 mile check-up. Hard to believe we've traveled that many miles and still going! 

Back to Syracuse to pick up Patience and then back on the road.  After a few fits & starts (the road kept disappearing on me thru Syracuse), I headed south toward PA.  When I left for San Diego, there was just a hint of color on the hillsides but two weeks has given them a chance to glow. Followed a fork of the Susquehanna River which took me on back roads through beautiful countryside.

A sign for the Marie Antoinette Overlook caught my attention so pulled in to learn more.  During the French Revolution, Royalists made their way to the Susquehanna Valley and set up a colony which included a stone castle-style home for Marie and her son.  You probably already know; she didn’t make it to PA.  Almost immediately across the road was Stephen Foster’s home and the inspiration for Camptown Races probably came from here – Camptown, PA.

Worked my way down to Lancaster County to spend a rainy day in Amish country. Greeted by the welcoming commitee and then joined a group of four friends from North Carolina who were taking a mini-bus tour of the countryside.  Stopped at a quilt shop and am going to be very sorry I didn’t snap up a beautiful quilt/pillow.  Quite ingenious, a lap quilt that folds up into a hand quilted pillow.  Also stopped at farm that raised the cutest miniature horses.

Next was a movie about Amish life which focused on a young man’s decision to choose which world he wanted to live in.  The choice is yours; you aren’t automatically a member of the community when you’re born into an Amish family. You can live among the “English” but you can’t live in both worlds.  

Next was a tour of a replicated house and schoolroom.  Children attend school until they’re 15 but there’s no high school. The books covering math, writing, reading & history reminded me of 50’s style texts.  Their first spoken and written language is a type of German but the texts I saw were in English with the prayer books in German.  No electricity is allowed in the home – propane and gas generators are allowed for some appliances (washers, refrigerators, etc.) and phones must be used outside in a phone “shack”.  Learned that although the Amish pay taxes, they refuse any federal benefits (refunds, SS, etc.)

Lastly, was the most delightful buggy ride where I got to sit up front with the driver behind two beautiful Belgians, Bert and Bobby. Indulged in some chocolate chip cookies and homemade root beer.  A wonderful day in spite of the dreary weather.

Headed toward Harrisburg and then up the Susquehanna River Valley.  Found there’s a north

and western branch of the river.  It would have been a beautiful drive except for the pouring rain.  Stopped to take a picture of the capital from across the river and then went in search of some sunshine.  Left just in time as I heard Harrisburg got almost 10 inches of rain.  Kept looking for a place to cross the river but there wasn’t one anywhere between Harrisburg and Northumberland.  Thought that was a bit strange until I read the display in a Danville park that told about all the bridges which had either been flooded out or destroyed by ice flows.

Have seen some interesting highway signs along the way on this trip but PA takes 1st place for getting the point across.

Have also seen some pretty interesting homes.  If you look closely, you can see a stone tree imbedded in the side of one.

Drove to the top of a hill overlooking Northumberland and then stopped in to visit the Father of

Chemistry, Joseph Priestly. He was the discoverer of oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (among others).  Never patented anything; felt science discoveries should be shared for open exploration. Could have made a fortune in carbonated beverages but Schwepp’s jumped into that spot.  Left England when the church folk set fire to his house because as a Unitarian minister, he was labeled a Dissenter (not in agreement with the Church of England) and supported the American and French Revolution.  Wm. Penn invited him to settle in the religious freedom colony of PA where he set up a laboratory to continue his research and teach. The house contains some of his laboratory equipment and descriptions of the experiments he conducted.

Left Northumberland for a ride through the Alleghenies. The shutdown closed the Allegheny Portage Railroad Park but stopped to see a skewed arch remnant of it.  The railroad was built on inclined planes over the Alleghenies to connect Pittsburgh with Philadelphia. The road I traveled was built to accommodate the stone arch, a brief divide in the road so it could be preserved. Am so glad I visited Gettysburg and Valley Forge earlier. 

Although Johnstown was also closed, I walked up to the visitor center to get a view of the valley

and read about the history of the 1889 catastrophe.  The valley once held a man-made lake to supply water to the Main Line Canal.  It was abandoned when the railroad came in and taken over by a hunting and fishing club made up of steel and coal magnates.  Neglect eventually led to that day in May when the dam gave way and the lake poured into the valley, 

Had to bypass the Flight 93 Memorial also due to the closings.  Add Fort Necessity and Friendship Hill to that list too.  

Finally, a clear day and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.  Stopped at Falling Water to tour the house and grounds.  Built for the department store Kaufman’s to escape industrialized Pittsburgh’s poor air quality, their “cabin in the woods” turned into an internationally famous design that jump-started FLW’s sagging career. Loved seeing the student art projects displayed at the Visitors Center.  Very creative photo arrangements of FLW architecture and decorative designs. 

Decided to add to this gorgeous day by taking a short stroll through Ohiopyle State Park along and across the Youghioghny River. I wasn't alone, lots of hikers and bikers were there.  Topped it off by a stop at Cucumber Falls.

Fort Stanix, in the middle of Rome, NY has an interesting exhibit featuring four perspectives on the Revolutionary War.  The first is a young woman torn between her husband who has joined the militia and a brother who joined the Loyalists.  Next is an Indian woman from the Six Nations who saw her tribes divided between the two sides.  The third was a Scottish trader who had developed a fur trading business with the Indian tribes, only to see his land (and all land belonging to the Indian tribes) confiscated.  The final was an arrogant Continental soldier who saw the land he’d received as the “spoils of war”.  The implication was, it was the land the Scottish trader had owned.

Turned north to catch the elbow of Lake Ontario.   In my efforts to get closer to it, I found a pretty floral mailbox in the same neighborhood as the Oswego nuclear power plant.  It’s also apple orchard country and it looks like a bumper crop this year.  The trees are loaded, with some branches almost touching the ground. Stopped at a roadside stand and pick up some apples and apple brownies.

The original Fort Ontario was built and destroyed several times during the early wars but the new fort is reconstructed to its 1867 appearance when it housed Civil War disabled veterans.  It also became a Safe Haven for victims of the Holocaust and returning WWII veterans and their families. Got more info about the War of 1812 - an extension of the Revolutionary and the English/French tussle.

Went to Rochester for my second meeting with Susan B. Here is where she joined with other northern New York abolitionists and suffragettes. She was a good friend of Frederick Douglas but they had a brief falling out when he failed to support voting rights for women when the Negro men got theirs with the 15^th Amendment.  “Are there no Negro women?”  Although she never lived to see the passage of the 19^th Amendment, she never stopped advocating for it; haranguing Congress every year. 

Found a pathway out of the middle Rochester which surprised me.  It goes from the city and looks like any old country road along grassy ravines through a little town called Irondequoit then empties into a county park where you drive through the middle of a golf course and then bump up against Lake Ontario.

Took the Lake Ontario State Parkway down to Niagara Falls and it reminded me of the Blue Ridge Pkwy (only lower) because no commercial vehicles were allowed on it.

My curiosity got the best of me (and my rumbling tummy) so stopped a Celtic Festival held at Olcotta along Lake Ontario.  It’s an annual festivity and attendees sure got into the spirit of it by dressing in kilts and whimsical Irish characters.  Passed up the shepherd’s pie and bangers but munched on a hot beef sandwich and listened to the kilt-clad band playing Irish songs. 

Took 1 ½ hours in the evening to get across the Rainbow Bridge to the falls.  Good news is, it was raining so I got to park right across from the falls to see the colored light show.  The area has changed considerably since I was here almost 25 years ago for a high school Student Council convention.  Huge hotel and casino towers now line the roadway.  Came back the following day to see the falls in daylight –minus the long wait to cross. Watching the power of the water coming over the edge is truly spectacular.

Continued my ride down along Lake Erie and noticed Sea Cliff Roadway (part of the Great Lakes Seaway Trail) and happened upon Graycliff, a Frank Lloyd Wright home built as a summer home by a wealthy Buffalo family.  It’s a lovely see-thru house out to the lake and a preservation group saved it from destruction and becoming condos, like the land next door.

Finished my ride along Lakes Ontario and Erie and then doubled back through the Chautauqua Valley toward the Finger Lakes. Chatauqua is a lovely drive thru the wooded areas – a bit of color to contrast with the evergreens and also some  roadside wildflowers still blooming. A beautiful mix of marshes and ponds, lakes and creeks. Gotta be careful because I’m also in Amish country so have to watch for horses and buggies.

Went from apple country to wine country.  The top area of Lake Seneca seemed to be mostly corn and soybeans but by the time I got to the tips, it was all grapes. It was a clear bright day and the ride through the grape country was on a higher perch so you could see forever – across the lake to the rolling hills beyond. Decided I had to stop taking pictures or I would never make it up Lake Cayuga.  Saw a sign for “Falls” road and thought I should turn around when voila, there it was - Hector Falls, right beside the road.

Went down to Ithaca, made a U-turn and followed Hwy 89 north along Cayuga Lake.  Saw a rowing team practicing along the river and a couple of butterflies decorating the side of the road.  Found another waterfall, Taughannock , which at one time emptied directly into the lake.  It’s retreated about ¾ of a mile back and now stands at 215’ tall.  The tallest in the east.

Had to have Patience’s shoes checked. The temp dropped into the mid-30’s and so did her tire pressure so the light came on. The kind folks at Goodyear checked her out and added more air. Had lots of businesses help me out along the way and reply “no charge” when I ask.  I decided to ask for the name of their favorite charity and when I get back, I’ll check my list and send donations to them.

Had to pull over to the side of the road and felt like I was watching a parade.  A huge of piece of equipment was coming down the road with several police cars and trucks with hydraulic lifts preceding it; raising wires that crossed the road so the equipment could pass under them. Have no idea how far they had to travel like that. 

Almost passed up Watkins Glen but the young attendant at the gate said the falls were just inside the entry tunnel.  What he failed to mention was there were 11 more along a 2 ½ mile trail along a chasm that included a 200’climb.  Well worth it – the climb was all stone steps and there were plenty of opportunities to “admire the view”.  That’s code for catch your breath.

Next was Seneca Falls, home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  What a whirlwind she was!  When she was locked out of an abolitionist’s conference in London (because she was a woman), she returned home and within 5 weeks, she and a group of 5 friends organized a conference attended by over 300 people.  Eventually she joined up with Susan to become a formidable force. Elizabeth, a mother of six, did lots of strategic & tactical planning at home while Susan took to the road.

Came back to Syracuse to catch a flight to San Diego and spend 2 weeks as a grandma.