The Journey Home (GA, AL, & FL) - December 29-30, 2008

We crossed from Tennessee into Georgia fairly early on the morning of December 29 and made our way to the first stop of several the Biologist had identified before our journey began. The first stop was a Georgia Historical Marker at the former site of Fort Gilmer. Fort Gilmer was one of the Cherokee Indian removal forts in Georgia and is part of the Trail of Tears! No remains of the Fort exist today, but the history is not to be forgotten.

Next we made our way south to the Red Top Mountain State Park where the Georgia Orienteering Club maintains a Permanent Orienteering Course. After purchasing a map of the course from the State Park folks, we made our way to the Course starting point and trekked to Station 1. We didn't have time to run the entire course, but it appears to be well designed and runs through a nice pine forest in a large, well maintained park.

Then we were off to Cedartown, Georgia, to visit a Cobblestone Building. After visiting the building, we found a couple of other similar Cobblestone structures in the area and are hoping at least one of them meets the category criteria. The old homes in this area are very nice and we enjoyed driving around the neighborhood to look at them.

Next we headed off to grist mill country and stopped by the Jones Mill, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has a Water Wheel (although it doesn't appear to be a Working one). Then to historic Berry College in Rome, Georgia, to drive through the beautiful campus and on-site wildlife refuge to the Old Mill at the College, which has what is considered to be one of the largest Water Wheels in the world and is still operated on special occasions. It was spectacular and well worth the trip if you're in the vicinity.

Now it was time to make tracks to Alabama. I mean, who doesn't get to Florida from Georgia through Alabama? Not us, that's for sure. The Biologist had identified an unclaimed Alabama Historical Marker in Cherokee County so off we went. Unfortunately, she had gotten some misinformation and we never did find a historical marker there, but we did see a sign for the Cornwall Furnace in Cedar Bluff and decided to check it out. This 35-foot high iron ore furnace was built by the Confederate States of America in 1862 and became the first to supply iron for the construction of Confederate cannons during the Civil War. Turns out the furnace is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has a Wikipedia entry! Another awesome piece of history that we just stumbled across on our wonderful adventure home.

We made it to Oxford, Alabama, that night before having to stop and find a place to lay our weary bones. However, since we had an internet connection, the Biologist decided to search for another unclaimed Alabama Historical Marker that we might be able to find on our way south. Turns out there was one! And it was located right there in Oxford just 3 miles from the hotel where we were staying. So of course, that was our first stop the next morning before heading down to Florida.

After a delay on Florida's Turnpike due to an accident that had all the Southbound lanes shut down, we FINALLY made it to the Biologist's sister's home in Melbourne, Florida, on Tuesday evening to visit with family for New Year's Eve and to pick up Rascal and Scamp. Yes, their vacation is coming to an end too! They had a blast with Aunt Joanie and Uncle Mikey, but all good things must come to an end...

The Journey Home Continues (KY & TN) - December 28, 2008

This morning we wandered a bit off course on our journey home. Just west of Lexington, we had learned about the existence of Jeptha Knob. It's the result of an asteroid impact some 425 million years ago. We weren't able to get to the top of the Knob because it was gated with no trespassing signs, but we got some nice views regardless and found a dated Kentucky Historical Marker from back when they believed the Knob was a cryptovolcanic structure. It's actually the geologic remnant of the uplifted rebound structure in the center of an meteorite Impact Crater. Too cool!

On our way back toward Lexington to get back on track to Florida, we spotted another historical marker and pulled over to see what it was about. It was titled "Death of Meriwether Lewis." Well, good grief, an unexpected Lewis and Clark Trail marker! You just never know what you're going to find when you take the back roads and avoid the interstates!

We finally made it into Tennessee by early afternoon. The Biologist is a University of Tennessee alumnus and was happy to be back in this beautiful state. We passed three Tennessee Historical Markers along the way and learned about the Independent State of Scott which was formed in 1861 when what was then Scott County seceded from the state; the city of Clinton was once listed as one of three Tennessee towns known as centers of the pearling industry; and the historic community of Scarboro was dispersed by the creation of the secret Oak Ridge facility.  Then for time's sake, we hopped on the interstate and made our way to Cleveland, Tennessee, and checked into a hotel for a night's rest in preparation for the next day of our journey home.

The Journey Home (OH & KY) - December 27, 2008

We began our journey home at about noon today. We decided to again try to avoid the interstate highways and take a meandering, scenic route. We headed south and stopped for a Lustron Home in Circleville, Ohio -- the only one that was constructed there. Then onward to Chillicothe. And what do you think we saw as we were heading into town on Hwy 23 but a Fireworks Tree! We'd been keeping our eyes open for one of these for months now and there one was! After the Biologist stopped hyperventilating, we stopped to take photos. It was a bit damaged from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan that passed through Ohio earlier this year, but it was very cool just the same.

We spotted quite a few Painted Quilt Barns on our journey but only stopped at four of them, three in Ohio and one in Kentucky. They were fun to look for as we wandered along.


We made a planned stop at the Fort Hill State Memorial in Hillsboro, Ohio, to once again search for a North Country Trail sign. We knew the trail passed through this park jointly with the Buckeye Trail, but weren't sure if it would be marked as such. As luck would have it, it was! We would love to have hiked on the trail for a bit to view the 1 1/2-mile long Hopewell Indian earthwork hilltop enclosure, but all the trails were closed for the hunting season. What we did see of the park, though, was very nice and we'd love to make a return visit.

A little while later we passed through Peebles, Ohio, on the historic Zane's Trace and spotted a historical marker at the old Wickerham Inn and stopped to read about it. Not only was it used as a hiding place for runaway slaves when the Underground Railroad was in operation, it's also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is reported to be Haunted by the Ghost of a stagecoach driver who was murdered and beheaded in the tavern! Yikes!!

After getting back on the road, we soon passed by what looked like a golden plow. We just had to know what it was so we turned around and went back. It was a Peace Monument! Who would have thought?! It was a monument to commemorate the World's Plowing Match held near Peebles in 1957 when Northern Ireland, Sweden, Germany, New Zealand, and many other countries came together peaceably for a common purpose. Wow! I mean, we were out in the middle of NOWHERE!

A bit later we finally made it to Kentucky and stopped at just a few of the Kentucky Historical Markers that we passed on our way to Lexington for the night. We learned that Mason County is the only major hemp-producing Kentucky county outside the Blue Grass area, the last Kentucky raid by CSA General John H. Morgan and the Raiders occurred in Mays Lick, Daniel Boone's last home in Kentucky was near Carlisle, and the historic home of Kentucky governor and United States Senator Thomas Metcalfe is in Carlisle.

We pulled into Lexington shortly after dark and grabbed a quick bite to eat before retiring for the night to re-energize for the next day's adventure.

Columbus for the Holidays - December 17-26, 2008

By the time we arrived in Columbus yesterday, the snow had stopped falling (yea!) and we joyfully reunited with the Marine's parents. On our first full day in town, the Marine went off to play poker for the day with his dad, and his mom had to go bowl with her bowling league. So that left the Biologist all alone with nothing to do... or did it? She grabbed the car keys, the GPSr, and her camera (as well as a heavy winter coat) and off she went. First stop: the Fort Hayes Shot Tower. Wow, we couldn't believe this hadn't been claimed yet! A very cool structure. Second and last stop: a visit to the Shop24 Machine at a Kroger's near the Ohio State University. Quite a selection of items for a vending machine! Then back to the Marine's parents' house to warm up. Brrr... it rarely gets this cold in Florida.

On our second full day, the Marine's folks took us to see a Lego exhibit in Groveport. Wouldn't you know it? The exhibit was in the local History Museum, which just happens to be on the National Register of Historic Places and a former Masonic Lodge and Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge. What are the odds of that?

A few days into our visit, we decided to go for a day trip and explore the area north and east of Columbus. During our drive, we spotted quite a few interesting things including a set of Unique Chimney Pots in Worthington; an Omnivorous Tree at Highbanks Metro Park; an Underground Railroad marker near Marion; a Maritime Memorial, an Obelisk memorial to Johnny Appleseed, Static Artillery, an Eagle Scout Project, and a Painted Fire Hydrant in Mansfield; and a Botanical Garden, Rose Garden, Childrens Garden, Treehouse, and a Wee Folk Fairy Door at the Inniswood Metro Gardens back in Columbus! What a fun day!!! In spite of the cold...

On Christmas Eve, the Biologist located a potential Quadrivia on Map Source in the Groveport area and drug the Marine out into the 7 degree Fahrenheit weather to search for it. It didn't pan out (darn it) but we did take the time to check out the Groveport Log Cabin the Marine's dad told us about. It was awesome and it turns out it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Marine gamely posed for a photograph in the below freezing temperature to make the Biologist happy. Isn't he wonderful?!

We had a very nice Christmas Day with the Marine's family. After having breakfast with the Marine's younger brother, his parents, a couple of their friends, and the two of us drove to Morrow (just east of Cincinnati) to spend the afternoon and have dinner with the Marine's brother-in-law, nieces, and several grandnieces and grandnephews. Hectic, but nice. And the food was yummy!

On our last day in Columbus, we all went to the Ohio Historical Society to check out the Norman Rockwell Exhibit. It was fantastic! Really nicely done. We had no idea Rockwell had painted quite so many covers (322) for the Saturday Evening Post. Afterward, we wandered around the rest of the place to check out the long-term exhibits. We particularly liked the Mastodon on display. Very cool.

Onward to Columbus, Ohio - December 14-16, 2008

After departing Jacksonville, North Carolina, we continued our leisurely drive along the back roads of the Eastern U.S. and enjoyed seeing the beautiful countrysides of North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia (again), and Ohio.

In Virginia, we passed through the small town of Lawrenceville and spotted a Celtic cross at the St. Andrew's Episcopal Church -- turns out it was a Dead Poet's Memorial to Goronwy Owen, one of the 18th century's greatest Welsh poets. What an unexpected surprise! Next we passed through the Geographical Center of Virginia. Not much to see here, but very cool just the same.

From there we made our way to the Lincoln Highway and spotted many, many Lincoln Highway Markers and points of interest along the way and stopped at a few. We would have loved to spend more time in Chambersburg and McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, but needed to make tracks to Ohio.
Once we made it into Ohio, we decided to make a short detour to the Salt Fork State Park to see if we could spot a North Country Trail marker. The trail runs through this park and overlaps with the Buckeye Trail. We spotted markers for the Buckeye Trail, but no markings specifically for the North Country Trail. I guess we'll just have to keep looking. Anyway, before leaving this state park, white things started falling from the sky. Aack! Snow! We don't have that in Florida. Oh boy.

From Jacksonville to Jacksonville - December 12-13, 2008

After dropping the boys off with family, we began the trek from Jacksonville, Florida, to Jacksonville, North Carolina, to visit the Marine's daughter Jamie - an eagerly anticipated stop on our way to the Marine's hometown of Columbus, Ohio. We decided to take a leisurely drive and stay off the interstate as much as possible. We had a nice relaxing trip until we made a quick stop at a convenience store in Jamestown, South Carolina, for a bathroom break and soda purchase. Just after we pulled back onto Highway 17, we saw flashing blue lights behind us. We were pulled over by the local Barney Fife on the pretext of not having come to a complete stop before getting onto 17. We had seen the same cop with a semi (with out-of-state plates) pulled over just south of the convenience store on our way in. After departing with a $237 ticket, we googled Jamestown and found out that this place is notorious for pulling over people with out-of-state plates for ridiculous reasons. If you ever pass through this area, BEWARE! They are not visitor-friendly.

Anyway, once the Marine's blood pressure had returned to normal levels, we were able to once again enjoy our holiday jaunt. Upon arriving in Jacksonville, NC, we stopped at the Beirut Memorial, which is being expanded to include other memorials. In fact, a memorial with a steel beam from the World Trade Center dedicated to the Marines on the Battlefields of Iraq in the Spring of 2003 was now on display. A very touching memorial and a new icon.

Next we headed to our hotel to check in and rest for a little while until the Marine's daughter got off work. Had a great time and got to meet Jamie's significant other for the first time. Yea!

Rascal and Scamp Take a Vacation - December 11, 2008

Rascal and Scamp needed a break and decided to spend the holidays with Aunt Joanie, Uncle Mikey, and cousins Scat and Bandit. So we packed up the car and headed south to Melbourne, Florida. Occasionally there were queries from the back seat... you know, the usual. "Are we there yet?" "I have to go potty!" Kids, they're so predictable.

When we arrived in Melbourne, the boys were very happy to be released from their carriers and to see their cousins. Okay, so maybe they don't really like their cousins all that much, but they love Aunt Joanie, and Uncle Mikey's starting to grow on them. We left the four boys to get reacquainted and off the adults went to The Melting Pot for a belated celebration of Cache Free Keri's (aka Aunt Joanie's) birthday. What fun!... and the Chocolate Cherries Jubilee fondue for desert was out of this world! Then back to Joan and Michael's house to get a good night's sleep in preparation for our journey to Columbus, Ohio, to spend the holidays with the Marine's family.