Moving day (Madison, PA to Zanesville, OH) and Thoughts and Things

Location: Dillon State Park; Zanesville, Ohio
(click pics to enlarge)

I thought I had posted this the other day, but apparently it didn't post. So I'm doing it now, two days later. I'll be making another post in a couple of hours.

I pulled out of the Madison KOA around 10:00 a.m. and it was an easy tow of only 150 miles. There were no gas stops and three rest area stops. The rest areas included two Welcome Centers; one for West Virginia and another for Ohio. It was good interstate for most of the trip with smooth roads and only a few bad bridges. The weather was great, sky clear and temps in the mid 70's. I

West Virginia/Pennsylvania state line

crossed West Virginia at Wheeling. West Virginia is less that 10 miles wide at that point. It would almost be better if they gave that part to Pennsylvania.

As I crossed the Ohio River I thought of the pioneers from the 1800's as they were traveling west. Ohio marked the beginning of the wilderness; the relatively unexplored area. There should have been a big sigh of relief as they left the mountains behind. On the flatter area of Ohio they would be able to travel faster and easier. I could picture celebration suppers, dancing and partying. Little did they know the troubles that faced them ahead, but right then it didn't matter. For the ones going to California, they had more than 2,000 miles to go which would take them more that 6 months. Always in the back of their mind they knew that if they didn't make it fast enough, they ran the risk of getting caught in the Rocky Mountains in the winter.

I'm camped in Dillon State Park near the town of Zanesville, Ohio. I arrived just as most of the campers were leaving. The dump station had RV stacked up in line to where it would take a couple

Dillon Lake and Dam

hours just to dump your tanks. It won't be like that when I leave here Thursday because the park is less than half full now. The park has asphalt pads and plenty of shade trees. I

Campsite at Dillon State Park

have been running the A/C because of the higher than expected humidity. I have not experienced any flying bugs at all. I'm not sure if they spray or if they just don't live here.

Today was a drive around town day and see what I could see. One of the "famous" things in town is the "Y" bridge. It is the "bridge that you can cross and still be on the same side of the river". Apparently, this type of Y bridge goes way back although the current one is only a few decades old. It is build at the junction of two rivers so I guess they figure the Y type of bridge would be better than 3 separate bridges. It looks good and functions well.

The Zanesville "Y" Bridge

I found a very nice park next to the river that is used to honor the military from the local Muskingum County (Parish).

Iraq memorial

The first memorial is the traditional "boots, gun and helmet" in honor those who gave it all in Iraq. I was surprised at the number of dead from the Iraqi conflicts. There were 7 from this county. Of course, our current administration is in the process of giving the hard won victory over to some very bad and evil people.  As he said, "there are consequences to elections". We are paying those consequences now and for a very long time to come.

Vietnam Memorial

The second memorial is depicted by a soldier in battle gear. This memorial is to the Vietnam War. There were 24 people from this county that lost their lives in that war.

County Medal of Honor recipients

The final memorial is an eternal flame to honor all of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients from this county. I counted them, but didn't write it down. I believe it was 13, but not sure. It was a surprisingly large number, even considering that some was from Indian conflicts. The three memorials have a peaceful and respectful tone. This town/county did a good job. These types of memorials help us remember so we don't forget the price of freedom.

Bench near the war memorials

Benches overlooking the city

As I'm finishing this post it has started to storm. There are a few tent campers around me who are creating memories. It should be a passing storm with more to come tonight. One has about 5 kids of stair-stepped ages. Another one is a young couple with two dogs. They all seem to have sturdy tents and should make it through the night. 

Ya'll take care of each other. Cya down the road.