Ohio and Pennsylvania - a tour to cure what ails you

[Mass Tim]

In to Marietta the next morning. The downtown was full of interesting architecture and looked promising for a good meal, but alas the only potential option was a bakery that wasn't open. On the outskirts of town were the typical franchise affairs, so I picked one that I don't have available near where I live.

Marietta is situated where the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers join and is the oldest city in Ohio. There is a lot of history there, but on this Sunday morning the weather had started to turn foul again and I decided to get a brief overview and head on. I noticed that many of the buildings had slate roofs with intricate patterns in them. Another thing that I thought to be of note was the layout was similar to that of a railroad town.

I drove away from Marietta on OH-26, a twisty road through the woods that was most enjoyable. From there it was up OH-7, following the Ohio River. Over the bridge into West Virginia and along US-250 in to Pennsylvania. More two lanes and then on to the National Road, US-40 . A stop at Fort Necessity made for a nice walk, the sun back in the sky for an encore.

From US-40 I headed up PA-381, which heads past a structure I'd always wanted to see in person, Fallingwater. Unfortunately, I was too late to take a tour, so all I managed to see was the end of the driveway. Next time.

Narrow country roads brought me to US-30 and the Lincoln Highway. The Lincoln did not disappoint. Traffic was light and I was able to stop at some of the areas depicted in Brian Butko's book, Greetings from the Lincoln Highway, including the site of the SS Grand View hotel. All that remains today are the concrete footings and some twisted pieces of metal, but the view alone makes this spot worth a stop.

Bedford would be where I'd rest my head for the evening. I strolled across the hotel parking lot to a steak house on the recommendation of the hotel staff. While I was somewhat disappointed to find neither Sam Adams Summer Ale nor Bass Ale available, the filet mignon was very good and I enjoyed some quiet time away from the highway.

For some reason I suddenly wanted to stop in a bookstore the next morning, so I searched online for something nearby, finding the closest to be a Barnes and Noble in Altoona. This would change the route I had planned for this leg of the trip, but I didn't know it at the time. Originally, I was going to forego I-99 for the two lanes through the ripples of mountains that make up central Pennsylvania. Instead, I spent a few hours in the bookstore, finding a book that recommended a local eatery when my stomach took over my thought process.