Ohio and Martha Martha

We drove into Ohio around 5 PM.  We had been communicating with Martha Martha since our departure and planned to visit her in Amherst, West of Cleveland on Lake Erie.  It was only a little over 100 miles as the crow flies, but Route 6 took a sharp turn South for 30 miles before heading West again.

We were being directed through Cleveland by the atlas.  It had been awhile since we had been in a larger city on Route 6.  I had always expected some stop and go, but East Cleveland brought so much more.  We were stopping and going every block.  It was taking so long that by time we were in the center of East Cleveland, it was getting dark.

East Cleveland did not appear to be a place to drive through while it was dark.  Tom made note that the area appeared to be bombed out.  Some buildings were vacant along the route, as well as some being in disrepair, aka condemned.  If ever there was a need for urban renewal, this was one.  It was sad to see.  Many of the buildings that were still standing looked like they were beautiful in their day.

We kept on traveling as the clock ticked along.  I must admit, this was one spot on Route 6 that we jumped off and hopped onto the interstate.  I-90 was always there, following along just less than a mile away.  It was the best decision as Martha was still a good hour away and we were getting hungry.  Very hungry.

We found Martha's house and was greeted by her at the door.  We tried to keep the dogs in the car for a short bit, as we often did at new homes, until we knew what issues may arise.  They had been in the car for a long drive and they were anxious to get out.  So anxious, they pushed me out of the way when I was getting something from the back seat.  They were happy to be out of the car and immediately ran to the front stoop as if saying, "We're Home!"

Martha has two dogs of her own and we all felt it was best to go in the backyard for the dogs to meet.  It was dark and late.  All four dogs ran around and barked and sniffed, causing the dogs next door to bark and whine.  Sniff, Pee, Whine, Bark, Sniff, Poop, Bark, Sniff, etc.

The humans went into the house to reconnect and have some nosh.  Martha had just pulled off the stove some black bean dip and nachos.  Yum!  Food!  We were hungry.  The dogs came in and ran around the house.  Kudos to a gracious host, Martha, for allowing such revelry in her home.  Oh Oh!  Too much revelry.  Dogs outside.  Whine whine.  Dogs inside.  etc.

Martha showed us where we would be sleeping.  Two comfy beds in the basement.  Perfect.  We said our goodnights after more chat.  We also said our goodbyes in case we left in the early morning, which has been our norm.  Humans and dogs went to their respective areas and slept.

We did awaken early.  I took the dogs out the side door and into the back yard for their morning pee, trying not to wake up Martha.  We packed up the car with our limited amount of items we took out the night before and headed out.  I wanted to have the dogs swim in Lake Erie.  The lake was once polluted but after some years and a lot of work, was cleaned up.

We were not very far from Lake Erie and Route 6 traveled along the shore for some time.  We were looking for some coffee and the Maps App was not helping us much as we were in a tourist spot that offered rentals but no Starbucks.  We found ourselves in the City of Vermillion and I saw a sign for Showse Park.

Showse Park had lots of green and was right on the lake.  The dogs enjoyed the run and the ball play.  We kept on tossing the ball closer and closer towards the water, passing some benches that were used to view the water.

At the edge of the park, there was a cliff that stopped immediate entry to the lake.  We had to find another way.  Fortunately, there was a man there that walked towards the cliff and then disappeared.  He must know where the path is.

I headed toward his direction with the dogs and found the path.

Tom stayed above and took a few shots of us on the shore.

Get the Ball!

Luther Swimming Lake Erie

Shot of Tom from Below

Tom Walking the Jetty

Beautiful Lake Erie

It was a great morning for the dogs and for us.  They got some breakfast when we returned to the car.  Tom and I found some coffee in Sandusky, a short drive West of Vermillion.  We were still headed into uncharted territory, but we did have a plan.  Follow Route 6 towards Jim Farley's childhood home in Peru, Illinois.

P.S.  Martha called us around 10:00 AM.  She had thought we had slept in and made us some breakfast.  Oops.  Thank you Martha for a great respite for the TravelingDogs.  We look forward to seeing you again, maybe here on the West Coast, so we can return the perfect hospitality.

Do 6! in Pennsylvania

If you ever traveled through New England, you now that the states are much smaller than the rest of the US.  Maine and New York are larger, but one tends to travel them in the short areas.  At least I do.  Traveling from the East to the West, Pennsylvania is one of the larger states to go through.  Thus, we have a larger post.

We spent the day in PA, following the signs of "Do 6" across the state.  This was the Route 6 I wanted to see.  Don't get me wrong, The other smaller states offered sights and smells, but this state had a plan.  They wanted to be the state that held the National U.S. Route 6 Museum and Visitors Center in Linesville, although funding never fully came through.  They are still trying and you can help by clicking on the Do 6 link above.

We left the Skyline Motel after playing some ball with the dogs in their back yard area.  It felt great to be out of New England and in a totally new area never before seen by us.  We had wifi from the iphone, so I logged onto the computer to get some more info on Route 6.  I had bookmarked a lot of web pages and wanted to reference them while Tom drove.

We headed towards the Chamber of Commerce in Mansfield, PA, home of Mansfield University.  We had started to do the search for morning coffee, and nothing beats a college town for finding some espresso.  We parked around the corner and Tom played with the dogs in a local park while I went to the office.  I was looking for Route 6 travel guides.  The lady in the office gave me plenty of info, but nothing on Route 6.  She did tell me about a Rest Area & Visitors Information up by Tioga, only 10 miles North.

We headed towards the rest area with the hopes of getting more info.  The rest area was in a beautiful spot above a green valley and two connecting reservoirs.  There where big puffy clouds in the sky and the sun was shining.  A top ten day!

We were greeted by a large statue of a lumberjack at the entrance of the rest area, which was bright and airy and clean. (a plus when traveling)  I walked towards the desk, past racks and racks of area sites.  I am not a big fan of collecting flyers of places I will not go to.  Save a tree and all.  I asked the clerk for some information on Route 6.  She went to the back room and got a brochure.  Finally, something that says Route 6.

Towards the back of the building, they had more displays of concerning the area.  What caught Tom's eye were the stuffed critters on the far side of the room.  Having been with Max and seeing his new love of these taxidermic animals, we took a few shots, hoping that he could see them one day.

 We picked up a few additional brochures for a few sites that we thought we could see.  The first of these was Leonard Harrison State Park, The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.  It was amid the Tioga State Forest, less than an hour away.

We had been to The Grand Canyon a few years back.  Yes, it's deep.  Yes, it's beautiful.  Yes, everyone should see it.  When the day is done though, it's a big hole.  I am sure traveling down to the river is amazing, but from the top, big hole.

We got to the park, passing a few more touristy sites, and parked.  We walked towards the visitor center going by the standard gift shop offering the same T-shirts, sweatshirts and caps with their logos and cute bears.  On the opposite side of the gift shop was an interactive area that showed movies and dioramas of the work done by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  It also had many more taxidermic animals.

Looking South

Looking North

Monument for the Civilian Conservation Corps

Actual Photo of CCC

We didn't stay too long at the park.  The dogs were in the car and we had to keep moving.  The second brochure we picked up was for the Kinzua Bridge State Park located in Johnsonburg a few hours away. Apparently, this bridge was once called the 8th Wonder of the World, but it's demise was an F-1 tornado in 2003.  Rather than tearing down the bridge, they made an overlook and accessible by all to view the viaduct and the Kinzua Creek Valley.  The view of the Fall foliage is supposed to beautiful here the first few weeks of October.

We took the dogs for a walk on the bridge, had some lunch and then headed to the final destination in PA.  The Zippo/Case Museum in Bradford, about 30 miles North.

This was one of my favorite stops while traveling.  It rates up there with the Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker, Kansas and the Beer Can House in Houston, Texas.  It is a bit more corporate than the two, but I love a company which produces in America.

When you arrive at the museum, you are greeted by the 1947 Zippo Car and lampposts topped with huge Zippo lighters.  When you enter into the museum, you are instantly tossed into the sales area.  There you can purchase any Zippo currently available from iconic to specialty.  You go past the sales area and you are thrust into the history of the Zippo Lighter and Case Knives.

1947 Zippo Car

Zippo Street Lights

American Flag of Zippos

"Zippo" by Cesar given 7/18/1997 for the Grand Opening

Political Zippos

Spin the Wheel for an Interactive Experience

The Zippo Clinic.  If your Zippo Breaks, They Fix It for Free!

Iconic Zippo Ad Campaigns

For My Canadian Folk

It was a great tour and it costs nothing.  Something for everyone to enjoy.  My only regret is not getting a lighter.  Remember, we are on a budget.  I can always order online and know that it will last me a lifetime.

We got back on the road and headed towards the TransContinental Highway.  Route 6 split into two roads.  Route 6 and Route 6 North.  I was torn as to which one we should take, but we were headed towards Amherst, Ohio to see our friend Martha and I wanted to see the Great Lakes, so we took 6N.  We had been following the Do 6 signs for hundreds of miles and I was looking forward to seeing Mile Marker 1.

As we approached the border of PA and OH, the mile markers went from the north-side of the road to the south-side of the road.  We counted down.  MM15.  MM14.  MM13.  I finally figured out that mile marker 1 would be on the north side of the road.  We stopped and I was able to get this shot.

Mile Marker 1N "Do 6"

PA was great.  It was getting late and I was getting hungry.  We were headed to Amherst, but more on that in the next post.

Leaving MA on a Very Twisted Route 6

We awoke and packed the car.  It is always sad to leave home.  Fairhaven, in may ways, has been our home.  Leaving the Fairydoo also means leaving the Vliets and Massimo.  We have known Max since his birth and as he has gotten older, a big part of my thoughts.  Tom is the better babysitter of Max, but we are combined, thus we are a great babysitter.

Kate had stayed at Sarah's the night before, but we made plans to meet for coffee at this spot in Dartmouth called Mirasol's Cafe.  We got to Mirasol's where Kate was waiting for us alone.  I was surprised that Sarah was not there but didn't ask why.  Kate had talked about the Chippi, the "Super-Charged & Super Sexy Iced Coffee."  I hoped it was super charged because two of them set us back for over $11 plus tip.

We sat for a small bit with Kate and us sipping our beverages.  Kate had ordered two beverages with the intention of taking one back to Sarah.  We didn't stay together too long as I was anxious and saying goodbye can be difficult.  We would see her agin soon enough and it was time to get back on the road.  Kate took this picture of us in the Ford Escape as we were leaving.  She texted it to us with the comment, "two dudes two dogs."  Sweet!

We continued down Route 6, the first time on this road in this area.  It's always exciting to start a new journey, a new road trip.  Tom wanted a picture of the sign to the left of the statue.  "Nite Owl"  Great name.  This began our taking shots of while driving or stopped at a stop light.

We traveled through MA towards RI.  The roads were stop and go and left rights.  Our first detour was while we were headed towards Providence.  A detour is never fun when you are trying to follow a specific road.  Where did I lose the road?  How do I get it back?  Found it!  One state complete, 13 more until we are home.

I thought that Rhode Island would be more of the same, but after some commercial areas, it morphed into more of a thruway.  Rhode Island is such a small state that in,what seemed, a matter of moments we were in Connecticut.  12 more left.  At this rate, we'll be home by Sundown.  We stopped at a local park that my DogPark App informed us of.  We never did find the dog park, but found the greater park that it was in.  It was huge with fitness folks all over the place.  The dogs ran for a bit, did some business and we were back on the road just as it started to rain.

We drove some back roads and some highways, all the time paying attention to the signs of Route 6.  A left here.  A right turn there.  North, then South.  It was slightly comical how this road meandered through the state.  The weather was gray and stormy.  We were listening to the radio when all of a sudden the tone of an emergency signal came on the radio with the added statement, "This is not a test!"  A tornado warning was given for the area that we were driving through.  We kept driving, checking the weather on the phone.  Fortunately, Route 6 seemed to skirt the storm system that we were headed towards.  Crisis averted.

If you recall, I hate tolls.  Going through New York would be the first major test.  It would also be a test of Tom's patience, as we would soon be coming somewhere near the Hudson Valley, the location with a supposed driving nightmare of gridlock that we read about.  I have never been through New York without paying a toll.  I had found a way into Manhattan with only a $2 toll many years ago.  I had no idea which way the road would be taking me, but alas, no tolls.

We traveled along many waterways and saw many lakes.  The dogs appeared happy to be on the road again, poking there heads out of the windows.  Luther always has had a nose for water.  He could be sound asleep, but when water was nearby, he would rush to the window and take a smell.

Flag at Half Mast (Never found out why.)

Another Building Shot at a Stop Light

The Hudson Valley was beautiful.  I had been there once before with my High School.  Route 6 traveled along the Hudson River before crossing over on a beautiful bridge.  We were not in NY for very long.  We had been traveling for less than 8 hours and we were in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania heralded Route 6 proudly.  It went through many small towns that would never be seen unless one made a point of it.  I-84 was the route of choice for the people wanting to get somewhere fast.  We were getting hungry.  We kept our eyes open for a place to eat.  Out of nowhere, in Shohola, PA, there was a sign for 6 West Bar & Grill.  I thought it would be a great idea to eat at our first Route 6 roadside restaurant.  We parked the car away from the other cars so the dogs would not be a scary nuisance to other travelers getting in and out of their cars.  We walked into the restaurant and found instead a bar.

It was one of those bars that you walk in and everyone turns on their barstool and looks at you.  They look at you as if you are an alien.  No friendly smiles.  Just blank faces.  We walked over to the tables in the rear.  This place did not seem to have much on it's menu.  It did have a number of dirty dishes on a few tables, though.  We decided that we wanted something a bit different.  Tom recalled another place across the street, so as if we were never there, we walked out and back to the car.

We drove across the street to Nanny's Place.  It was a small restaurant with less than ten tables.  It had a small kitchen with one cook.  The waitress had her kids there, bussing and cleaning.  The fare was mediocre but, as we say, it filled the hole.

The only problem about traveling without plans is when and where do you find a place to sleep.  There comes a point in the night that you are tired and want to stop but you don't know where.  I'm not a fan of spending $100+ for a room that we would sleep in until 7 or 8 and then leave.  I just need a bed, a shower and a TV.  That's why I like a Motel 6.  You get those and they allow dogs, no questions.  iPhone showed me nothing on our route.  All of the hotels were on the interstates.  Grrr.

It was getting late and we were in the middle of nowhere.  That's when the panic set in.  I just kept on asking Tom to keep an eye open for some type of Motor Lodge, the choice of stay on these backroads.  The travel gods must have been keeping an eye on us as about 30 miles West of Scranton was a small motel called the Skyline Motor Inn.

I went into the reception area to find a young women behind the desk.  We talked price, got a government discount (Thank you State of CA) and signed the register.  Room 1, which was located at the very end of the complex.  Perfect.  The room was gently used, had wifi and a squishy bed.  Fine, great, oh well.  At least we had a place to sleep.  We brought in a few items and laid down a blanket for the dogs to sleep on.  They tend to be happy when we do stop somewhere for the night.  A quick check of maps for the following day and we were off to bed.  Tomorrow we will "Do 6!"

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