25 June, 2022
…begins a few relaxing days as we travel from West Virginia to Indiana with a stop in Cincinnatti to visit a long-time friend.
About two hours after leaving Beckley’s Exhibition Coal Mine Campground, we were ready to stretch our legs. Beth found this boat launch in Nitro, West Virginia.
Boat launches generally have good parking lots and this one on the Kanawah River was no exception. According to the town’s website Nitro “is known as a “Living Memorial to World War I.” A shortage of gunpowder during the conflict sparked the birth of this town as a place to manufacture nitrocellulose.”
By lunchtime we were in Ohio at the Hanging Rock Recreation Area. After bumping down a dirt road we learned it is primarily a place for off-road vehicles. It doesn’t have hiking or biking trails, so unless you have an ATV, you don’t need to visit. And we didn’t find any hanging rocks.
As the temperatures were in the nineties, we wanted a place where we could plug-in and run air conditioning. Consulting the AllStays app, Beth found the Red Barn Convention Center along our route. Can you spot us in the back of the parking lot?
Located in Winchester, Ohio, the convention center has 70 sites in a gravel parking lot with very little shade. It was a quiet night with only three other RV’s parked. Unless attending an event here, there isn’t much to recommend spending $38.50 for an overnight.
We have since learned that the FMCA has free campsites for members at their headquarters in Cincinnati. We will try to stay there on our next trip.
Leaving early the next morning we were able to stop in Cincinnati to visit with Kay Arnold, a favorite old friend from Michigan and North Carolina.
Kay gave us a photo she had found of her husband Jim sharing their garden railroad with our son twenty+ years ago. We share lots of hobbies and interests and always enjoy getting together.
An hour and a half northwest of Cincinnati we arrived at Indiana’s Brookville Lake campground. Despite fears of campgrounds being full during the summer, we found site 79 available with electric, a table and a fire pit was $24.61.
Walking around the campground we met this tortoise and a rabbit.
Exploring a bit further, a fox crossed this road in front of me. I was too slow with the camera to catch a photo.
The road led to pretty little Brookville Lake.
I’d like to think that most people would stop before getting to the boat ramp, but there is a warning, just in case.
Excited about our first time out biking this season, we started off on the Scenic Trail.
As advertised:
Scenic Trail (3.25 miles) MODERATE—This paved trail is great for bicycle riding and rollerblading. Goes from Garr Hill to Scenic Vista.
Reality:
Eight percent grade asphalt road sprouting weeds in the degraded seams.
Definitely too much for us old folks first time out. We made it about half a mile before turning around. The slope wasn’t changing as far ahead as we could see. I can’t imagine trying this rough road on roller blades.
Plan B:
Free parking was available behind the library.
We enjoy town squares and county courthouses like this one in Brookville.
A little more paint and this home will be spectacular.
The McDonald’s had an auxiliary parking lot for RV’s. We passed it by as parking with our backs to the Brookville Butcher seemed a little worrisome.
We can heartily recommend The Daily Scoop for fresh ice cream.
Back at Brookville Lake we moved to the level and shaded site #B-12.
We were the only folks camping in the entire section on a Monday night. The upcoming weekend showed all sites booked, but during the week we had our pick of sites.
One last view showing “our” loop at Brookville Lake. We did enjoy our time here.
West Virginia to Ohio
Ohio to Indiana