Monthly Archives: February 2022

Phillipi Covered Bridge

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Phillipi, West Virginia is home to one of our nation’s most unique covered bridges. It’s the oldest and longest covered bridge in West Virginia but what makes it special is that it’s a double barrel bridge. In plain talk, it’s a two lane bridge and it’s one of few remaining in the nation.

The original bridge was 312 feet long and built for a price tag just over $12,000. The Long Burr Arch Truss bridge was built by well known Appalachian bridge builder Lemuel Chenoworh.

This bridge was commissioned by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1852. Remember, West Virginia was once part of Virginia but counties succeeded and formed a new state that was admitted to the union in 1863.

Today, at 285.5 feet in length, it is still an impressive sight to behold as you approach town. It is open to traffic and the location on US Route 250 means that it’s quite busy.

The bridge has been damaged several times over the years including severe damage caused by flooding in 1985. It was nearly destroyed by fire in 1989 when a gasoline tanker filling underground tanks at a nearby filling station spilled gasoline on the ground. The gas ran to the bridge and a passing car sparked flame when it backfired.

The tragic accident led to a $1.4 million reconstruction project which was led by bridge historian and West Virginia University professor Emory Kemp. I read that they took great care in rebuilding the bridge and in honoring the integrity of the original design.

If you look closely, you’ll still see some burn marks on trusses and supports when you drive through.

I always make a few passes through when I’m in town. I even took a stroll across the pedestrian bridge my last trip there.

There’s parking on either end of the bridge, providing a nice view from the car and a place to leave your vehicle while you explore. There are some restaurants in town but I needed quick food and wasn’t excited about eating in a restaurant given that the pandemic was still going strong.

There’s a Sheetz gas station within walking distance with sparkling clean restrooms and quick made to order sandwiches and sides. I had a picnic while admiring the view and watching the world pass by from one of those parking lots.

It was a perfect way to get in a break and enjoy the view.

Stop back this week to read about the role this bridge played in a Civil War battle.

Inn Towner

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If you ever find yourself in the Hocking Hills and have a thing for vintage signage, be sure to look up the Inn Towner Motel in Logan, Ohio. I was driving by last night and circled back to grab this photo because it looked so pretty all lit up in its midcentury glory.

Remember friends, never be afraid to circle back for a closer look at something when you have a chance. That’s what exploring this world is all about!

Boyce United Methodist Church

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This Methodist Church in Boyce, Virginia was so charming I had to stop for a picture. Old churches always catch my eye but this one seemed special for the details in the windows and steeple. I like how shapes are repeated throughout the design without seeming at all fussy.

Boyce isn’t far from Winchester and that area is brimming with history, old barns, churches and other interesting landmarks. It’s close to Shenandoah National Park as well. There is plenty to do and I have written a lot about this area in case you’re looking for a getaway this spring.

In addition to the tour guide quality attractions, there’s plenty of off the beaten path stuff to see along the way.

Jimmie’s Ladder 11

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My adventure pal Saturday left it up to me to find a good restaurant. So I googled unique restaurants in Dayton and located a place called Jimmie’s Ladder 11.

It’s a neighborhood joint located in an old firehouse that dates to 1892. It is believed to be the last of Dayton’s firehouses to use a horse drawn apparatus. The firehouse continued in use until 1987 when a new facility opened down the street.

The decor is pretty spectacular with lots of gorgeous repurposed wood, tin ceiling, a beautiful bar and some historic firefighter memorabilia. We had a great waitress who saw to our needs without hovering and the food was magnificent.

While they have a ton of options for all you meataterians out there, they have several vegetarian options too. It wasn’t an easy decision but, after going back and forth a good bit, I opted for the grilled veggie sub with cheese and a house dressing on a yummy toasted roll.

I would absolutely go back and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. There’s a lot to do in the Dayton area but I’ve really just scratched the surface on my quick trips through. Perhaps this is something I can rectify this year.

Meanwhile, I would encourage you to head that way and do some exploring. If you’re near Jimmie’s, you’re just a couple of blocks from a neat series of murals. We didn’t have time to stop and explore but they certainly caught my eye so you should look for that too.

Find Jimmie’s Ladder 11 on Facebook for current hours, menu and address.

FDR Memorial In Pictures

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Today I want to share with you some more photos from the FDR Memorial.

I was quite taken with this gentleman who sat alone here for some time. He seemed to be deep in thought. Judging from his age, I’m guessing he would have been a young child during the Great Depression. Being an incurable people watcher, I imagined that FDR was the first President he could remember or that perhaps he lost someone important during the War. Maybe he just remembered the fireside chats.

These life sized sculptures of men in a bread line are so real they are heartbreaking.

And the relief of these wringing hands is equally moving.

FDR was a man of letters whose words – both written and spoken – are a tremendous monument to the man. He respected the Presidency and carried the weight of his office with dignity and gravity.

I am grateful for that.

Sistine Chapel Experience

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Dayton is currently hosting an exhibition called Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, poet and architect who created many iconic works of art during a period we call the High Renaissance. One of his best known commissions is the interior of the Sistine Chapel in Rome which he competed during the early sixteenth century.

The ceiling is a shallow barrel vault at 118 feet long and 46 feet wide. In other words, it is huge and it is covered in absolutely gorgeous art. The paintings tell stories from the Book of Genesis including God’s creation of Adam, David conquering Goliath, Noah’s family and many others that were less familiar to me.

I studied Michelangelo in a college art history class but that was many years ago so I felt like a clean slate, learning as my audio tour covered the Biblical stories, the works of art and their relevance to a sixteenth century audience.

My favorite was this depiction of Ezekiel who has turned quickly to look behind him when he is interrupted. He was engrossed in his reading and evidently didn’t appreciate the disruption. We giggled because this seems so relatable to any bookworm trying to read in public. Essentially, this is me in the lunchroom at work.

The exhibit consists of images of each painting printed on life sized posters that line the walls.

It’s shocking to me to think that someone actually painted these enormous creations on a ceiling while lying on scaffolding over a period of years. About four years, to be exact. I keep thinking that I would be tired of the color scheme or my own choices after just a few months. Devoting years to the same series on a ceiling would be exhausting. After all, it’s not like painting on the ground where you can easily take a step back and view your work.

Perhaps I’ll see the real thing someday but, for now, this was something fun to see close to home.

If you go, there are a few things to know. The audio tour gives in depth stories behind each work while signs at each painting give the bare details. Those audio scripts are interesting but long so it will take hours to get through if you listened to every one.

The exhibit is located in an old Elder Beerman store at Fairfield Commons Mall. They seriously lack adequate signage to get you there. Look for the seemingly abandoned anchor storefront on the second level of the mall. There are signs on the door when you finally get there but they aren’t visible from across the parking lot.

The vacant store is cavernous but they chose to use a fraction of the space. So the posters are packed in the space, almost touching. That means there are clumps of people everywhere and social distancing isn’t really a thing. If you’re nervous about crowds and illness, this may not be the place for you.

All the same, I enjoyed the experience and am glad I went. It is a traveling event and will be leaving Dayton soon. Get the details at their website.