Day 49 of our 2025 RVing Adventure with Historical & Musical Interludes

It's Thursday June 19th, day 49 of our 2025 summer adventure. Last night we stayed at Alton RV Park. It is located on US Route 40, the Historic National Road and less than ten miles from downtown Columbus. My morning walk was abbreviated because Mother Nature was threatening rain again! The centerpiece of the campground is a big old brick Victorian house. I am sure it is multiple apartments now.

The campground is uniquely set up with campsites around the outside edge parallel with the roads and then several roads that have pull-thru sites from either side. It is a multi-generational, family-owned small business. Sue and Jim took over the park from Sue's mom, Lucie, in 2004, and are now enjoying retirement. Joy is currently managing the day-to-day operations. Joy and her family live in the campground. The fourth generation often helps out with lawn care and maintenance. 

We decided to follow Route 40 into downtown Columbus, instead of taking the expressway around it.

A few miles west of downtown Columbus, the Hilltop is one of the primary historic residential sections of the city. The area was originally attractive for its elevation, making the homes safe from floods. The neighborhood grew as streetcars offered an easy route to and from downtown. This proximity to transit was a major factor in the Hilltop’s early growth. But today the Hilltop is experiencing significant distress. Population loss, urban disinvestment, and economic growth on the periphery of the city have contributed to the area’s decline. The Hilltop Arts Collective is responsible for the mural on the overpass W. Broad Street. This vibrant artwork serves as a gateway to the community—a shining beacon of pride and love for their neighborhood. Designed by artist Dane Khy, this mural celebrates our neighborhood’s diversity. Like the moths depicted in the artwork, we are drawn to each other’s light—united by shared values, family, and community support. The title of the mural is "Gathering of Wings."

We saw many murals along our drive on US 40 through Columbus. Some of them I could find a title to, many I could not. Enjoy the pictorial! "Tell Your Story."

I love the bright colors in this one! I am assuming the neighborhood is Highland West.

"Kindness Looks Good on You" is painted right into this mural. We could all learn a thing or two from this painting!

Driving into downtown Columbus did not look like too daunting of a task. I reminded Charlie that we have driven on US Hwy 70 through Nashville, we can do this too!

Even the high rise buildings in downtown had murals on them! WOW! I would not have wanted to be that artist!

We found the "Planters Peanut Man" in Columbus, Ohio. The iconic Mr. Peanut character, is prominently featured at The Peanut Shoppe. The shop, which has been a Columbus landmark since 1936, is known for its fresh-roasted peanuts, candies, and other treats.

Not just because, it is my name sake, but because it is interesting....

The beginning of a journey – on November 15, 1969, Dave Thomas opened his very first Wendy's restaurant in Columbus, Ohio at 257 East Broad Street. No, we did not stop... Why? However, while Frosty fans searching for the original Wendy's location in Columbus, OH will find a commemorative sign at 257 East Broad Street, the actual restaurant is no more.

We drove by Capital University Law School and I thought it sounded familiar. I asked our friend Randy, "is this where Trevor goes to school?" Yes, yes it is.

We found the smallest park in Columbus! It is called Discovery Park. Is the first park developed specifically to honor Ohio's public educators. It was created by members and friends of the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio as part of the system's 80th anniversary celebration. Included in the park are the names of thousands of former and current State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio members who have helped others discover the joys and the value of learning. It is a fitting tribute to society's most important members - teachers in Ohio's public schools, colleges and universities.

After downtown Columbus and the rest of the Capital University campus, we found more murals.

After we left Columbus, the murals did not stop! In the town of Reynoldsburg, which is considered a suburb of Columbus there is a large mural. The mural is a portrayal of six major areas of historical significance in Reynoldsburg: the military service of the city's citizens dating back to the Revolutionary War; the National Road (now Main Street); Alexander Livingston's commercialization of the tomato; the agricultural legacy of the community's early years; Reynoldsburg's role in the Underground Railroad, supporting those escaping from slavery; and the tradition of an excellent educational system, symbolized by the Hannah Ashton Middle School, the oldest school building still in regular use in Franklin County.

We passed through many small towns, but the next big town was Zanesville. In 1913 there was a flood. It was a devastating event that caused significant damage and loss of life. The flood, triggered by heavy rainfall, resulted in the Muskingum River cresting 27 feet above flood stage, with water reaching depths of 20 feet in some downtown intersections. The disaster led to 361 fatalities and millions of dollars in property damage. Zanesville, like many other Ohio towns, faced widespread flooding, with levees being overtopped and streets covered in mud and debris. We found a building with a marker on it. Wow....

Entering Cambridge Ohio, we were greeted by a welcoming sign over the road!

In the center of town on the Guernsey County Courthouse property is a tall granite monument with a statue of a Civil War soldier at the top. On each side, there are other sculptures; a woman and child, and three other soldiers. The inscription reads "Dedicated to the memory of the men from Guernsey County who served in the defense of their country in the war of the rebellion.

On Route 22, we kept seeing signs for the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail 1863. The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail in Ohio primarily follows the route of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's raid during the Civil War, and while it doesn't directly correspond to Route 22, there is a historical marker on Route 22 near Moorefield, Ohio, that commemorates the raid. John Hunt Morgan's raid in 1863 involved a 46-day, 1,000-mile journey through Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, with the goal of disrupting Union supply lines. The trail itself is a driving tour with interpretive markers and directional signs, totaling 557 miles, and ends near West Point. 

I also spied a deer and a fawn in the field of winter wheat. I was not sure I caught them, but I did! Can you see them?

Piedmont Dam is on Stillwater Creek. It was constructed and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. It is an earth dam and is one of a series designed for flood control, navigation improvement and water conservation in the Muskingum Valley.

Piedmont Lake was impounded by the dam. It had a nice rest area we pulled off in and enjoyed a stretch and the view.

The border between Ohio and West Virginia on US Hwy 22 is marked by the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Steubenville, Ohio, and Weirton, West Virginia. The bridge carries you over the Ohio River. It is also known as the New Steubenville Bridge. It is a cable-stayed bridge. The bridge succeeded the Fort Steuben Bridge, which was a suspension bridge, built in 1928. The Fort Steuben Bridge was weight-restricted in 2006 and closed in 2009 due to deterioration. The bridge was demolished by Joseph B. Fay Co. on February 21, 2012.

Planning for the new bridge began in 1961 in Ohio and in 1964 in West Virginia. The bridge's construction was approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 1978. Construction began in 1979, and the bridge opened on May 1, 1990. The final cost of the bridge was $70 million.

I did not know that we would be in three states today... West Virginia was a surprise! Even if we were only in it for a few miles! 

Hello Pennsylvania, our home for the night! We started on Hwy 40 and moved onto US Hwy 22, we will end today just off Route 22. 

We are staying at a greenhouse turned winery and brewery, plus a cafe and bakeshop! Kramer's Greenhouse, Raccoon Creek Winery and Coal Tipple Brewery is the full name! 

Here is the background. George and Martha moved to High Ridge Farm in Robinson Township, Washington County in the 1930s and started growing fresh vegetables, fruit, and meat for the Pittsburgh farm markets. When they built their first greenhouse in 1945, Martha started supplying plants to friends and neighbors, digging up the transplants from the roots from benches of soil, and wrapping them in newspaper for the trip to their new home.

In 1963, their son and daughter-in-law, Wayne and Helen, built a larger greenhouse at their home on Steubenville Pike – then US 22 – and continued the business with the help of their five children. Their youngest, Chris, took over management of the business in 1996. 

Anticipating the need to relocate due to the construction of the Findlay Connector and Southern Beltway highway projects, Chris and his wife, Dawn, purchased a piece of the vacant Singleton Farm on Steubenville Pike in Smith Township near their home in 2001. 

Chris and Dawn and friends and family designed and built the building that now houses the greenhouse store, winery, and brewery taproom and opened the greenhouse there in 2004. Chris and Dawn opened the winery in 2009 and in 2016 opened Washington County’s oldest craft brewery. On any given day, you might run into the third, fourth, or fifth generation of the Kramer Family working there.

We met Amy (a fourth or fifth generation) and a few other regulars sitting on the porch and enjoying their craft brews. We sat out there and visited with them and watched the men who came to their "repair" bar for the night. The "repair" bar is a chance for people to bring broken items in and others will help them repair them for free while enjoying craft beer or wine!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!