This is post 23 on our cross-country USA adventure as we travel along the Ohio River Scenic Byway to Cincinatti and finally home to VA on our 6-month adventure.
The following areas in are covered in this post.
Day 1: Louisville, KY to Covington, KY (day 182 of the overall trip)
Louisville to Madison
We leave Louisville and head back across the Ohio river to Indiana where we pick up Route 62. We’re heading northeast on this part of the Ohio River Scenic Byway. It doesn’t take long after leaving Louisville that the scenery becomes rural with lots of rolling farmland and small little towns.
Madison
About an hour up the road, we pass through the town of Madison. We had done some initial research of this town and had found it was recommended as a hidden gem of a small town to visit, In the end we decided to stay in Louisville but having now travelled through here we will definitely put this on the list to revisit on a future trip.
Madison To Vevay
In Vevay Indiana, the Byway continues on route 52 and starts to hug the Ohio river. As we travel, we can see an occasional river barge being pushed by a tugboat, lots of farms and homes right on the water’s edge.
Vevay
We stop at the small town of Vevay to get gas and change drivers.
Vevay To Patriot
Leaving Vevay we continue to hug the road which continues to hug the river. At one point, in the distance, we see one of the dams and locks that keep the Ohio River navigable year-round. At one point as we reach the town of Patriot, the road goes right through a cemetery, and we wonder what the story is about that. Are these two different cemeteries or did they build the road through one (and if they did, did they move the bodies)?
Patriot To Aurora
Pushing on from Patriot, we soon reach the outskirts of the town of Aurora. Notice in the picture that these cops have a sense of humor.
Aurora to Covington
From Aurora, we are a short distance from where we’re staying in Covington, just across the river from Cincinnati. We pass through the town of Lawrenceburg, turn and cross the bridge into Kentucky.
Football at Wings and Rings
We will arrive in Cincinnati on a Sunday where there’s a home Cincinnati Bengals game. We know our hotel is within easy walking distance of the stadium and that it doesn’t have a private parking lot – which means any parking near our hotel will likely be taken by folks attending the game. Therefore, we opt to find a sports bar about 30 minutes away where we can grab lunch and watch the game and wait for the game to be over and parking to free up. We stop at Buffalo Wild Wings only to learn they won’t be showing the Commanders game today! We’re shocked, but they give us a recommendation for another sports bar down the road. We call there first to make sure they’ll be showing the game we want to watch and we’re in luck!
Wings & Rings turns out to be a delightful sports bar with a large bar area and lots of TVs. It turns out our bartender, Amber, is the one that we talked to on the phone so she’s ready to get our game on a TV near us. We also chat with bar buddy Darren, and enjoy our food, great beer prices and a great atmosphere. We wish we had a place like this back home!
Embassy Suites by Hilton Cincinnati RiverCenter
We have an amazing hotel right on the river in Covington, KY, almost mid-point of both Covington & Cincinnati, just .8 miles across the river. We have a fantastic view of the city and both the football stadium and the baseball stadium. The Kentucky side is slightly less expensive than the Cincinnati side and frankly, has newer offerings. The Cincinnati vibe is more historic & upscale; the Covington vibe is more new & mid-scale pricing. In the Embassy Suites by Hilton Cincinnati RIverCenter we get a large 2-room suite with a small kitchenette on the 7th floor. We also get 2 free drinks each + light appetizers at the lobby bar each and every night from 5:30pm – 7:00pm. HINT: tip your bartender so he ‘forgets’ to count how many he’s given you for free.
Day 2: A Scenic Driving Day on the Ohio Side of the River (day 183 of the overall trip)
Ohio Scenic River Byway East
It is a beautiful day and we’re going to take advantage of the weather to do a little more of the Ohio River Scenic Byway east of Cincinnati. We’re rather amazed how little traffic there is as we navigate through the heart of the city to the byway. The byway has no traffic, just an occasional vehicle.
Grant’s Birthplace
Lo and behold, about 25 miles along this little country road we stumble on the birthplace of Ulysses S. Grant at Point Pleasant, OH. We learn his given name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, but there was a mistake on his military application where his name was written as Ulysses Simpson Grant – and the military papers won on this name. After leading the Union Army to victory in the Civil War, he served as the 18th president of the US.
Chilo Lock 34
Just 11 miles later we come to the small town of Chilo and the home of the former Chilo Lock 34 on the Ohio River. In 1910, Congress funded a project for 51 wooden wicket dams and locks along the Ohio River to help improve shipping. With the improvement of lock technology, the river today only has 21 locks, all replacements for the rest. Lock 34 was decommissioned in 1964. A 39-acre park contains several building from the era and informational placards tell the history. There’s a River Museum here, but it is closed for the season.
To Peebles & Serpent Mount
Twenty-five miles later we reach Aberdeen where we turn north on State Route 41 toward Peebles. This is the end of the Ohio River Scenic Byway for us this trip – it goes another 400 miles or so to Pittsburgh. Our true goal today is to visit the famous Serpent Mound. In Peebles we turn onto another road and drive 8 miles to Serpent Mound, we learn it is closed on Mondays (and Tuesdays). This is SO unlike us to not have looked up when it is open/closed – and we got bit. We brush it off as something to do when we return through this area – and we did get that beautiful drive in!
Serpent Mound is the world’s largest surviving effigy mound—a mound in the shape of a snake with a curled tail. Built over 900 years ago, it is 450 yards long and has 7 winding coils along that length. It is 5′ high and 25′ wide. Its origin and purpose are not clearly known.
A Walk Around Covington – Riverfront Murals
We’re trying to get some steps in after so much driving around today. We loved the murals along the waterfront!
Walking Around Covington
We walk the general around downtown Covington and are amazed at the number of large historic mansions.
Smoke Justis
Back at Covington, we decide to have dinner at Smoke Justis that we saw earlier this morning on our walk. Located in the historic Citizens Telephone Building, this sports bar is named after Walter “Smoke” Justis who played baseball for the Covington Blue Sox, a part of the Federal League that was trying to create a third league for MLB. The American League and National League still exist today, but short-lived was the Federal League (1913 – 1915). He played for the Detroit Tigers in 1905 but was sent back to the minors when a rookie named Ty Cobb came along. He pitched four no hitters in the 1908 season. This restaurant has a great lively vibe and really good food – definitely recommend stopping here!
Day 3: Newport, KY (day 184 of the overall trip)
Our plan for today includes NOT getting into the truck and driving, but to walk around and visit a few attractions.
Walk to Newport
There’s an aquarium in Newport, just a short mile or so walk to the east. We see more historic homes, the beautiful Licking River and signs of more growth for the area.
Newport Aquarium
Our first destination in Newport is the Newport Aquarium. Sure, this is like our third aquarium on this trip, but each one offers unique displays. We start in the Freshwater Falls section, not something we’ve seen on any of our aquarium stops. They highlight many of the local fish that live in the Licking and Ohio Rivers. As you move to the next area, you pass by Shark Central, a large tank with Sharks in the center of the building. We’ll pass by it many times. You walk through a tunnel such that sharks can swim overhead, under your feet and to your side. The next area is the Seahorse exhibit and it was really cool and informative. Then we pass through Gator Alley where they have two white alligators – didn’t even know such a thing existed. We follow around to the Frog Bog where it sounds like the frogs and toads in our small pond back home. On to Stingray Highway where they have a touch tank, then through a simulated shipwreck area with an eel exhibit that is a new exhibit. We pass through the octopus exhibit (again, informative and cool) then walk a rope bridge OVER the shark tank before landing in Penguin Palooza. They have 3 different species of penguins and these “walk like duck, swim like a fish” creatures are just mesmerizing to watch. One last walk by Shark Central and we’re done. Very well done aquarium that we highly recommend.
Newport
After the aquarium, it is time for lunch. We walk around Newport and one can see this place has experienced an influx of investment and renovation. There’s a large plaza near the aquarium filled with restaurants from quick café to upscale Italian.
Jerzee’s Pub & Patio
We walk further into the Newport area looking for a particular sports bar, Jerzees Pub & patio. We still see evidence of rebirth here and after quite a hike, we finally find our destination. They have a large outdoor patio, but we opt to stay inside. This is more of a locals place and we usually enjoy those. The food was better than expected and the beer was cheap!
Across the River to Reds Stadium
It is an easy walk from Newport to Cincinnati via the Taylor Southgate Bridge. Our destination is the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum.
Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame & Museum
In a whim of coincidence, both of us followed the Reds in our pre-teen and teen years even though neither of us was from the Cincinnati area. But even if we hadn’t followed them, it is still a baseball museum so it is a no-brainer that we’ll visit. We are told this is the second largest baseball museum in the US, second to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown, NY. They currently have an exhibit highlighting the history of Latinos in baseball who today account for just over 1/3 of all players at the MLB level. They also have a history of the Cincinnati Reds where they display uniforms, tickets, programs and the various chachkies. And let’s remember, they were the very first professional baseball team in the US (1869), first called the Cincinnati Base Ball Club before being known as the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Another great baseball museum!
Holy Grail Tavern & Grill
One thing we’ll say about Cincinnati is that they have a lot of great sports bars! With the Cincinnati Reds stadium about a mile from the Cincinnati Bengals stadium, these bars support both teams proudly. Across the street from the baseball stadium is the Holy Grail Tavern & Grill and we’ve found another wonderful place to spend happy hour. With 31 TV, this is a great place to come watch games any time of the year. They also have a large outdoor patio.
Sunset Walk Back to the Hotel
A city looks so different once the lights come on and as we walk back to our hotel, we watch the sun set over the river. This time we walk over the iconic Roebling Bridge. Opened in 1867, with a 1075-foot span, it was once the longest suspension bridge in the world. It was the model for the Brooklyn Bridge. Its most impressive features are the two primary cables, each containing 5,180 individual wires. A second set of cables was added in 1897 to support heavier loads.
Day 4: Exploring Kentucky Backroads (day 185 of the overall trip)
We are blessed with wonderful, warm fall clear weather and having walked so much yesterday, we’re going to do a scenic drive today.
Ohio River Scenic Byway to Rabbit Hash
We’re going to go from Cincinnati west, back to where we turned off when we were coming into town – and travel the section of the Ohio River Scenic Byway we missed on the way here. We have to say, this stretch of the byway on the Ohio side is primarily right along the river and we see a few barges and another ferry crossing. At the point where we meet up with our turn-off the other day, we cross into Kentucky and drive along Little River Road on the Kentucky side to the town of Rabbit Hash.
Rabbit Hash
We’re not sure you can get any more quirky & eclectic than the small 3.5 acre town of Rabbit Hash, a town with a dog for the mayor. We pull into town and find one of the last of 10 or so parking spots along the road. We’re greeted by a dog that just likes wandering up and down the road and scratching its back on the asphalt. We wonder if that’s the mayor – it isn’t. The current mayor is a French bulldog. The town began electing dogs as their mayor in 1988 and it has been a tradition ever since. The dog’s owner must live within a 1-hour walking distance to the town with a population of around 300. They use the election as a fundraiser for the historical society such that anyone in the world can place a vote for $1. The last election brought in $22,985.
How did the town get the name Rabbit Hash? It used to be named Carlton but only a few miles downriver was another town with a similar name: Carrollton. Residents got tired of their mail going to the wrong town and in 1847, while discussing what folks were going to serve at Christmas, it seemed most were serving Rabbit Hash. Someone jokingly said they should rename the town Rabbit Hash and the nickname stuck. Steamboats often stopped at Rising Sun, Indiana just across the river and people started taking a ferry to Rabbit Hash to taste this local favorite.
We didn’t come here to see the major, we came to see the General Store and other 11 buildings. The original Rabbit Hash General Store actually burned down in 2016 but was completely restored to keep its reputation as “the best known and best preserved country store in Kentucky”. The floors creek, there’s a cool old wood stove in the center heating the place and the shelves are lined with historic candy not seen in stores today (Zagnut, candy cigarettes, Chunky, etc.). They also sell scented candles and soaps, mugs, shot glasses and t-shirts. They also have a tap for the local Rabbit Hash Lager with free tastings.
We also wander through an art gallery store, a one-room B&B and pass by a BBQ food truck type place that has several picnic tables.
Kentucky Backroads
At Rabbit Hash, we leave the Ohio River Scenic Byway and head east on a series of beautiful, narrow and winding backroads peppered with barns and small farms. The leaves have mostly all fallen and we can only imagine how spectacular this probably was just a few weeks ago when the leaves were in full color.
Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
We snacked along our drive and now it is time for an early dinner. Once back at the hotel, we walk to the nearby Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant and are greeted by Shane, the bartender. The walls, tables, seats and bar are all beautiful old wood. Soccer is playing on the TV and looking around the bar at the décor, we learn this is a soccer bar. We order some amazing sandwiches and enjoy conversation with a few folks around us discussing “that time they drank Jägermeister and never will again”. As late afternoon starts to turn into evening, the place really starts to fill up. We give this place a thumbs up!
Day 5: Exploring Cincinnati (day 186 of the overall trip)
Yesterday was a scenic drive and today will be (mostly) a walking day exploring Cincinnati.
American Sign Museum
The American Sign Museum is first on our list – we do drive since it is about 7 miles from where we’re staying. Wow, what a well done history of and display of American signage that is a trip down memory lane. The self-guided tour walk you through more than 100 years of sign evolution – from wooden, to light bulb, to neon to LED. There’s a mock street with store-fronts filled with all types of signage. Pictures speak louder than words on this one!
Cincinnati Museum Center
Next, we’re off to the Cincinnati Museum Center located in the historic Union Terminal, still in operation today but on a much smaller scale than in days of old. The center is a collection of museums.
The first one we tackle is the Museum of National History & Science.
Dinosaur Exhibit – Museum of National History & Science
It starts with Dinosaur Hall filled with fossils and skeletons. There’s an interactive science gallery geared for kids and there are several school age children here today on school field trips – so we let them have this area.
Ice Age Exhibit – Museum of National History & Science
Our favorite and most unique exhibits here was the Ice Age Gallery where you walk through an Ice Cave and are taken through the evolution of ice-age animals. As you walk through the ice walls, the year is shown and eventually the glaciers retreat and turns into land as we know it today. VERY impressive.
Nasa Exhibit – Museum of National History & Science
Then we’re on to the Neil Armstrong Space Exploration Gallery with moon rocks, space suits and information on famous Ohio astronauts Neil Armstrong and Jon Glenn.
Cincinatti History Museum
We move on to the Cincinnati History Museum which is filled with several very detailed 1/64th scale models of Cincinnati in different time periods in the 1900’s. Little working trains runs through the towns and there are about 8 different scale models. It is a really interesting way to “see” the layout of the city. We were expecting a little more on the history of Cincinnati since it was established back in 1788, but we still enjoyed it.
There’s also an OMNIMAX theatre, a Children’s Museum as well as the Holocaust & Humanity center – but there’s only so many hours in the day and some of those cost extra. At this point, we’re done with museums for the day so we drive back to the hotel and park the truck. Then we walk back across the Roebling Bridge to Cincinnati to check out a few cool bars.
O’Malley’s in the Alley and the Blind Pig
We want to visit Cincinnati’s second oldest bar, O’Malley’s In The Alley. One of our bartenders told us it is a really cool place and let’s us know it is connected to another great bar, The Blind Pig. They are co-owned by the same people and are connected by a hallway that has the bathrooms. We get a beer at O’Malley’s and the place is kind of dark inside. We decide to check out the adjoining restaurant and discover that is has an outdoor patio area in addition to the inside bar. With the sun shining brightly outside, they’ve propped the door open and warm arm circulates inside. We decide to eat here and enjoy some amazing food and the company of a hoot of a bartender, Madeline.
The Gruff
We spend several hours at The Blind Pig and want to go to another bar. We decide we’ll head back to Covington, closer to the hotel. After crossing the Roebling Bridge one more time, we stop at The Gruff for dinner. The Gruff is a nickname for Three Billy Goat’s Gruff. We arrive at the start of happy hour and learn that it is pizza week when most 12″ pizzas are only $9. As time passes, the places really gets busy, not only with people there, but with takeout orders. Our bartender, Adam, is a wonderful guy that despite being super busy, makes sure we’re attended to.
Day 6: Covington, KY to Clearfield, PA (day 187 of the overall trip)
It is transition day again as we near the end of the 6 month road trip adventure. We have one last stop before going home. We’re headed to Penn State for one of the last home football games of the season. Our son and his wife are PhD students there and this is the 6th fall they’ve been at Penn State. While we’ve visited many times over the past 6 years, we’ve never been there during a football game. Hotel prices are jacked up as much as 3x their normal rates on game weekends, so we opt to stay 45 minutes away in Clearfield, PA.
The Drive to Clearfield, PA
The drive is miserable because Hurricane Nicole is moving up the entire eastern part of the US. I’m not sure why they call it “driving rain” when it is very hard to drive in. Our route is all interstate highways today and we see a jack-knifed truck on the on-ramp between I-71 and I-80. As we enter Pennsylvania, we start to see the farms, barns and houses we are so familiar with in this part of the country.
Lodging & Dinner
We finally arrive at the Best Westen Plus – Clearfield just before dark. What normally would take about 7 hours has taken us almost 9 hours. The rain as stopped and we decide to walk across the street to the 120 Pub & Grub for dinner. This place is just what the doctor ordered. We get 2 seats at the bar and meet 2 different local couples over the course of our time there. The place quickly fills up with hotel guests also here in town for the Penn State game. We’re just about to leave and when Nancy goes to the restroom, she realizes the pouring rain has returned. Thankfully, our bar buddies Tara & Sam agree to drive us back to our hotel to save us from getting soaked.
Day 7: State College, PA (day 188 of the overall trip)
Our trip started many months ago with a journey down to Miami for our son Stephen’s wedding, then a quick trip to Key West. Ironically, our trip ends with visiting he and his wife at Penn State. The Game doesn’t start until 3:30pm, but we’re going to start tailgating around 10:00am. As we head towards out son and his wife’s apartment, we pass close to the stadium and can see we’re late to the party and many tailgate parties are already in full swing.
Penn State Tailgate
After so many months, it is great to catch up with son Stephen and his wife Casey. Our daughter Lisa has also come up for the game and it is great to see her too. Casey’s second cousin Peter has season tickets and he and his son Zak are here too. Stephen and Casey are regulars at this tailgating party that has about 35 people or so. The area is under a covered patio of one of the research buildings on campus. The weather is beautiful this morning and early afternoon with sunshine. The food is amazing with lots of sloppy joe’s, pulled pork, steak & cheese, popcorn chicken – and desserts. The group has a tradition that every hour, on the hour, “everyone” does a shot and hails Penn State. The party breaks up around 2:00pm because we can see rain will be moving in soon.
Watching the Game at The Phyrst
We don’t have tickets to the game, we’re going to watch the game at a place called The Phyrst where Stephen and Casey traditionally watch the game. We walk about 1.5 miles in drizzling rain to get to the place and are joined by their friend, Amanda. It is toasty warm inside and since kick-off isn’t for another hour, we have no problem finding a table for the six of us. We share a tray of French Fries and settle in to watch the game as the place fills up with Penn State fans. As we watch Penn State score time and time again against Maryland, we watch the fans in the stands enduring rain and a cold breeze. With 3 minutes to go in the first half, the score is 30-0 and we decide to grab and Uber and watch the rest of the game from Stephen and Casey’s apartment.
Day 8: To HOME! (day 189 of the overall trip)
Today is the last day of our journey and we’re certainly ready to be home to our own bed, our own shower, etc. We have one more stop to make on the way home, a visit with our son Matt, his wife Jen and our grandson, Blake. Leaving Clearfield, we head to Shippensburg and have a great afternoon catching up with another of our children and their family.
Home
As we pull into the driveway to unload, the sun is just going down. After 189 days, we are home again!
Summary
We really enjoyed the whole Cincinnati/Covington/Newport area. There is so much to do and see there and a lot of restaurant choices. We wish we’d planned a little better to have completed the Ohio River Scenic Byway, but we live close enough that we’ve agreed we’ll catch it again soon to finish it up.
Prior Legs of the Journey
Part 1 – The Trip to Key West is located here.
Part 2 – Cross Country to Bellingham Washington is located here.
Part 3 – The Alaska Ferry Inner Passage to Juneau is located here.
Part 4- The Alaska Ferry Inner Passage to Haines & Skagway is located here.
Part 5 – Haines to Fairbanks Alaska is located here.
Part 6 – Three weeks in Fairbanks is located here
Part 7 – Fairbanks to the Arctic Ocean is located here.
Part 8 – Denali National Park is located here.
Part 9 – Denali & Richardson Highways (Central Alaska) is located here.
Part 10 – Wasilla Alaska Area is located here
Part 11 – Homer Alaska Area is located here
Part 12 – Seward Alaska Area is located here
Part 13 – Girdwood Alaska Area is located here
Part 14 – Kodiak Alaska Area is located here
Part 15 – “Back to the Lower 48” is located here
Part 16 – “The Volcano Legacy” is located here
Part 17 – Northern California is located here
Part 18 – The Nevada and California Desert Adventure is located here
Part 19 – San Diego is located here
Part 20 – Crossing Arizona is located here
Part 21 – Utah & Colorado is located here
Part 22 – Crossing the Great Plains is located here
Part 23 – Louisville and the Ohio River Scenic Byway is located here
Cool trip! Y’all must be worn out! –Delton
We are ready to get ready for the holidays and relax at home for a bit 🙂