Sojourn Chronicles
There was a time when people feared the conversion of abandoned railroad beds into bicycle and walking paths. The fear was that crime would increase. Adjoining properties would be impacted by lower property values. How wrong were those naysayers.
Brent
Photo: Little Miami Recreational Trail, Morrow, Ohio. The LMRT is 75 miles long connecting multiple small and larger cities—all paved.
Dayton, Ohio
GearFest came to my attention via a mention by a Subaru e-mail. It sounded like fun, so I planned to attend with camera and digital recorder. I arrived early enough to get a fairly good parking spot, and by the time I left, I was glad I had come early. Parking was pretty far out and a good hike. Of course, hiking would be a good thing.
Occupying the most space was the cyclocross race, and course. I managed to get a few pics and a little sound.
Listen to the sound as the cyclists race by.
[audio:Cyclocross.mp3]
In six years, GearFest has become such a big event that Dayton’s Five Rivers MetroParks is changing the name to Midwest Outdoor Experience, and hoping to making it the premiere event in the Midwest. With sponsors like Subaru, Yakima, Keen, Eddie Bauer and others, it is well on its way. With the evolution of GearFest to the Midwest Outdoor Experience, organizers hope to “establish Dayton, Ohio as the ‘Outdoor Adventure Capital of the Midwest’.”
More photos from Midwest Outdoor Experience can be viewed here.
See you on the highway.
Brent
It’s been a while since we’ve gone to a ball game, and it’s been five years since Lin and I have attended a South Bend Silver Hawks game. Prior to our move to Cincinnati, I was the photographer for the Hawks. I was at the ball park often. Very often.
In five years, the Silver Hawks have transformed the ball park, also known as the Cove, named after Stanley Coveleski. The field has a new digital scoreboard with video. All of the old buildings beyond the outfield have been removed and replaced with landscaping that invites fans directly into the field from downtown South Bend.
Just before game time, the stands were still filling up. We’re sitting behind home plate and slightly towards the Hawks dugout. I walked down to the screen and managed to get Mark Haley’s attention. Mark is the head coach for the Hawks and has been for about 7 or 8 years. It was like greeting an old friend you haven’t seen for a while. He’s also an avid fly fisher.
The game got underway and it was like old times. Baseball, beer, hot dogs, peanuts and popcorn. There is something about hanging out at the ballpark that is so relaxing.
Brent
Note: These photos were taken with my LG phone-camera.
The first known observance of Memorial Day was in 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina. Originally known as Decoration Day, it became better known as Memorial Day, but did not become a national holiday until 1967 by an act of Congress, and then officially as one of the four three-day national holiday weekends in 1968.
Traditionally, Memorial Day is an observance of those who have given their lives in military service for the country. But, its usage has evolved into memorial for all who have passed on with individuals and families visiting the graves of family members.
After all the Memorial Day parades and ceremonies, I ventured forth to look for graves of veterans. I started in Lebanon, Ohio, at the oldest cemetery in town. It is about the size of one small city block.
I expected to find graves of Civil War soldiers, but was quite surprised to find soldiers who served in wars 50 years before the Civil War—soldiers from the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, 1846-48.
As this cemetery began to fill, the city obtained ground to the north that expanded the cemetery well into the future. As cemeteries go, it is more modern looking and well kept. Clearly, it has been well visited on Memorial Day weekend.
From Lebanon, I motorcycled through the countryside, first north and then east towards Waynesville and the village of Corwin, where my ride would turn south towards home. In Corwin, I decided to ride through Miami Cemetery, which is deceivingly large and very park like. At the northern entrance, I found the cemetery memorial and gravesites of soldiers, all veterans of all wars.
Thank you, brothers in arms. You served well and are not forgotten.
For my readers, see you on the highway.
Brent
I knew the National Historic Site was there, but I had never visited. And, I can’t explain why. But, with a day available for motorcycling, I decided it was time. Armed with my National Parks Passport, I headed to Dayton, Ohio, to the Wright Brothers Visitor’s Center to see where aviation as we know it all started.
Officially, it is the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, just one of five sites in the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park. That’s how it is listed in the Passport and accompanying map of all parks and historic sites.
Most people know about Orville and Wilbur Wright and their efforts towards the first powered flight at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. The Dunbar of the interpretive center is Paul Laurence Dunbar, an African American writer and poet known to the Wright Brothers. Dunbar and Orville Wright were in the same graduating class of Dayton Central High School, 1891, and the Wright Brothers published Dunbar’s newspaper in their print shop.
The complex is in the historic section of Dayton on 3rd Street at South Williams. A 30-minute film provides a lot of information as a docu-drama detailing the efforts to build an airplane and then learn how to fly it.
The Wright Brothers operated several businesses, including a printing business and the bicycle shop. A park ranger said the restored Wright Cycle Co. building is the actual location and building number four of five locations they occupied. The Wright family home was just down the street on South Williams. The ranger also verified that the Wright family home and bicycle shop #5 are at the Greenfield Village, Henry Ford Museum in Michigan. Ford bought the buildings and moved them to his museum for preservation.
After touring the bicycle shop, I motorcycled to the Wright Brothers National Memorial near the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Also at the site is the Huffman Prairie interpretive site. The Wrights perfected their airplane using Huffman Prairie as their test site, and hence, it is officially the first airport.
It was a great day for motorcycling. Get your own NPS Passport and start planning your adventures and destinations. Passports can be ordered online, or you can buy one at the many National Parks and get it stamped while you’re there.
See you on the highway.
Brent