Columbus, Ohio*, Sept. 29 — The morning was great, but the afternoon would bring the first rain of the vacation. However, a planned museum stop would limit my time driving in it.
Route: US 27, KY 9, I-275, KY 471 to end and turn around, I-275, OH 747, Union Grove Rd, I-75, I-275, I-74, I-75 to exit 189, US 25, Cincinnati Union Station museum, I-75, I-71
The day started with a pleasant, if not speedy, drive in northern Kentucky, on US 27. I was traveling it in lieu of already-done I-75 to hit more counties, but will already have a gap based on the bypass being constructed around Cynthiana.
Historical plaque at new junction of US 27/68 north of Cynthiana
The night before, I decided I would go to the Cincinnati museum and drive I-275 around to finish the loop. The plan worked until I tried to duck into Butler County. There was no sign, and I ended up going all the way to the next intersection that connected to I-75. Shortly after that, it started sprinkling.
The museum is close enough to the interstate that the GPS thought I got to the museum when I drove by it on I-75, and then kept wanting to direct me to it when I actually went there.
AWESOME Art Deco building for the Union Station/museum. The $6 parking was a hit, as was the $12.50 admission, but in the end I considered it worth it. The ticket taker told me there was a “behind the scenes” tour on the hour. That ended up a one-on-one tour, with the guide telling me about the history of the station, the history of the murals, and then into the railroad president and board offices. The murals were made of mosaic in large tiles, put on backward on a sheet of glue paper and then pushed onto the wall. Some of the people are created from personal appearance, including the three Indians (Blackfeet). The offices had railroad motif for the furnishings, Bakelite plastic and aluminum edging (which at the time was new), and a wood-carved map of the U.S. in the president’s office. Furniture was original but refurbished. Amtrak now runs through the station, but literally in the dead of night.
Cincinnati History Museum
Railroad president’s office. Note how the clock is placed in the depiction of the Union Station.
There are sloped areas on each side originally intended to serve buses, taxis, and streetcars (never implemented); these now are the science and history museums. After the hourlong tour I went up the tower to the railroad club’s exhibit, then through the history museum. Unfortunately, low light kept many of my pictures from being in focus.
I-71 stayed four lanes until exit 28, then back to six at the Greene County line, then back down to four for a while before I-275. Got a coupon book at rest area which I then ended up using in Columbus at a Comfort Inn on the north side. Through that whole time, one thing was clear: Ohio drivers have just as much if not more trouble obeying a 70-mph speed limit than Iowans do, even though or because Ohio’s limit jumped from 65 to 70 July 1.
I-71 through downtown Columbus on a Sunday night was the time to do it, especially with construction in various areas.
New counties so far: 25 (2 IL, 7 IN, 8+3 KY, 5 OH)
*[CENSORED] Aaron Craft.