We decided to go to early church so we probably woke the kids up early on the one day they would have slept in.  That’s how it goes sometimes.  After an early lunch, we hit the road on a somewhat-planned adventure to a children’s museum in Newark, Ohio.  On the way there, we wondered at the road system around Columbus that seems very progressive.  Lanes and exits are well-marked, and there are five and six lanes at times.  Compared to the routes we drive in Minneapolis, it seems very nice.  Of course, we haven’t ventured out into busy traffic yet.

After a while at the museum, we moved off the beaten path.  (Does this surprise you?)  Our first goal was basket hunting.  The kids grumbled at first, but once they saw that we were talking about the huge Longaberger basket-buildings, they changed their tune.

At the museum, we had also learned that Newark and surrounding areas were once a part of the Ohio-Erie canal.  This fascinated both Hubby and me, so when we found that there are ruins of an old canal lock system, we headed for it.  From there, we wanted to find the “S” bridge from the old National Road and the “Y” bridge in Zanesville.  This is where the trip got interesting.  We’re used to wide-open spaces and flat grades, so the curvy up-and-down roller coaster rides were fun… for a while.  Hubby wasn’t comfortable driving anywhere near the speed limit on these narrow state highways, and we learned that it takes a long time to go 30 miles on those roads.  The boys spent their time counting oil wells.  (We had no idea there was oil in Ohio.)  I spotted several Mail Pouch Tobacco signs painted on barns.

We didn’t find the “S” bridge but we’ll be through that area again in a few days so will try again.  We did cross the “Y” bridge in Zanesville with its stoplight right in the middle.  We also drove a brick portion of Route 40, the National Road, and found some of the original route markers.  We’ll be touring part of the Lincoln Highway when we get to Pennsylvania.

Early to bed tonight because we’re all tired and off-schedule.  But first I have to do my homework:  1) line up an agenda for tomorrow; 2) figure out where that S bridge is, and 3) learn more about oil production and the Ohio Canal.

Most unusual part of the day:  We stopped at a convenience store for a snack.  On the sign upon entering the town, it claimed that it was the home of Lock 17 of the Ohio Canal.  I inquired about the lock to the three people behind the counter, a young man, a middle-aged woman, and an older woman.  They all looked at me blankly.  I explained a little more about the canal, and still got blank signs.  I said, “It’s on the sign on the way into town,” and was met with “What sign?”  Finally, they decided to humor me.  The young man said, “Well, we got a creek in town.  It ain’t purty to look at, but there’s a few catfish in it.  You might want to take a look at it; just turn right at the stoplight.”  I thanked them and left, certain that they think I’m as crazy as can be, and me certain that they’ll read the sign next time we come into town.

Tomorrow we have a full day to do whatever we want.  Since it’s supposed to be cold here (almost Minnesota-cold) we may leave the youngest with Grandma and her cousin for the day and do something the older kids would enjoy.  You’ll soon find out what we came up with!

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